Business Details and Payment Details
Ensure the business details you proved across the ad, GMC, Shopify or another platform match the payment details on all platforms. Especially all Google platforms.
One Account
You must only have only one account, having multiple accounts causes circumventing system policy violation.
One Website
You must have only one website(except in some cases where you represent a multi-tier account or agency or a Marketplace).
Having multiple websites with all the info matched or any one of them matched with AI detection tool, you are again violating the circumventing system policy.
Existing Suspensions
if you have previous suspensions, go home and first resolve that suspension as it is a cycle of policy violation again and again, sooner or later even if you are approved also, you will face the consequences.
Track Record of Order Fulfillment
Make sure you place reviews from orders placed on your website. Ensure all reviews are genuine, and authenitc, and you have a mix of positive and negative reviews.
Reviews
If you acquire reviews that are not verified from a purchase, remove the review.
Phone Number
Make sure your phone number is responded to during business hours listed on the website and GMB.
Google Maps
Your provided address must be easily discoverable on google maps, basically its way of genuine business address proof on initial review process.
Accessibility
Your business premise must have the ability to receive packages and lawful records. And have someone at the premises during working hours listed on the store website and GMB.
Verify
Track product availability, inventory status, quantity, source of origin, and proof of work that the product is promising.
Selling Products
if you are selling new and custom products, show them as custom and show MPN, Brand name or other identifiers.
If you are selling old or reselling stocks or any other branded or dropshipping products also, you must have a reseller license or other GTINS to show products and business genuinely.
Availability
Verify your product status, is in stock or out of stock, and that this is verified with actual stocked goods—both on your website/store and in your product data feed. Also, avoid frequent availability changes during one day. Google requires stable availability of information.
When ordering products, make sure no one can purchase more than stocked quantity. For example, do not allow customers to order 100 products when you only have 10 in stock.
Payment Logos
Add the payment methods used in plain text on your product landing page just above or below the add-to-cart button. Or with logos, have the plain text under the logos.
Pricing
Make sure you have only one price which must be a competitive price not too much high or less from the industry rates.
Having MRP and compare price difference can also cause misrepresentation of product or businesses.
Don’t Sell Products You Can’t Deliver
Dont sell the product which you can’t deliver or wrong product which might looks similar but not exactly the one which customer had paid for.
Also not try to sell products in fast delivery period which you can’t deliver within the timeframe.
Content
Make sure your website, all pages which include product pages, policy pages, articles, images on all pages, banners, or any other standard templates of the homepage, about us, or policy pages have unique content.
If your supplier don’t provide branded images, just edit with enhanced looks and angles.
Same way the content you can get inspiration from supplier/manufacturer pages but the exactly the same content.
Even most supplier have benefits and specifications only, you must write your own HERO Tag Line, sub headings, Quoting or pitch paragraphs and then features not the benifits.
BTW: just as a side note, this is also for organic listings. You can rank better by having your own content.
PopUps
Generally, google don’t allow PopUps. For example, a pop-up or banner blocks or covers critical content and or data for your customers. Instead have a small icon in the bottommost corner that show/hide the newsletter subscription.
Reference: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/4752265?hl=en
Discounts
Don’t have site-wide markdowns when you have never sold the item at its original price. Listing discounts when they are not authentic is considered deceptive.
Misleading Content
Do not mislead, or make false declarations or remarks. Such as:
If you are selling products related to healthcare, medication or supplements, remove any claims or statements not approved by the target country’s governance body.
If you are a reseller and not an official partner, do not show pictures, or mentions that you are.
Don’t suggest you have credentials when you don’t
Contact Page
Make sure, you have a contact page with the below-listed items which must be linked in the footer of all pages.
Physical business address (Virtual Offices or PO Boxes or Distribution centers are generally not permitted)
Telephone number
Email address (same domain as website)
Contact form
Contact Hours (even for online businesses)
Also add the physical business address, telephone number and email address in the footer of all pages. And if possible also your firm registration number.
Make sure to also add your exact same business address in Google Merchant Center > Business Information > About Your Business section.
Footer Links
Make sure the below links are visible and accessible to any device.
- refund policy page
- returns policy page
- delivery/shipping page
- payment policy page
- privacy policy page
- terms and conditions page
- disclaimer page
Payment Methods
Clearly show with image icons in the page’s footer which payment methods you accept on all pages. Also, add the same info written in the terms and conditions policy page.
Delivery / Shipping Page
Add a delivery page with your handling time, estimated delivery time, pricing and warehouse location. Make sure to write the information clearly, and can be easily read.
Link this page in the footer of all pages.
Terms and Conditions Page
This should be written by professionals or lawyers because these are technically complicated and must be genuine as per business terms.
Link this page in the footer of the website.
Privacy Policy Page
This should be written by professionals or lawyers because these are technically complicated and must be genuine as per business terms.
Link this page in the footer of the website.
Disclaimer
A disclaimer is used primarily to notify or warn users of the limit or the extent to a website’s liability to a user if there is legal action.
For example, if you have a disclaimer that states you are not liable for any issues a user may have when they click on a third-party links on your website and a user does end up having an issue, that disclaimer can rescue you.
Disclaimers are a key way a website can stop potential future penalty from the use of their site or errors and omissions on the site. Any website or app should have disclaimers for protection, but they are highly recommended for eCommerce sites.
Including these statements can protect an ecommerce store from any issues in shipping, returns, refunds, third party partners, or affiliates. Ecommerce stores are unique because people often rely on these websites to not have issues. However, sometimes things do happen and disclaimers act as safeguards against this.
People sometimes confuse disclaimers with other agreements on a website, such as a Terms of Use or a Privacy Policy. While including all of these is essential to protect your site, disclaimers do offer something different.
Returns Page
Do not merge the return info into the refund policy page. I recommend creating a separate page just for the return policy. I received an email from Google suggesting this to be best practice.
The return policy should be based on the delivery day. Not purchase day. The reason is that an item could theoretically be in transit beyond the refund policy days, meaning a consumer can never return the goods. In this case, it is considered dishonest. So make sure it is based on the delivery date.
Under what circumstances you offer a return. For each of the listed items below, you need to explain what happens for each scenario.
- To cancel an order
- Damaged on arrival
- Faulty manufacturing or broken after use (What is your warranty)
- They changed their mind
- For an exchange
- Or its a wrong product
Explain the initial steps a user must take to initiate a return, such as do they need to call you, do they email you or do they need to submit a contact form?
Also explain what documents they need to show and if they need to take a picture of the product.
Also explain the complete steps to initiate a return, such as an address, email process, what info they need to give you, etc.
Do not mention things you don’t sell. For example you mention VHS or flowrs, you don’t sell this? This policy page seems to be a copy paste from somewhere else. You need to write a professional policy page. To do this, contact a lawyer or policy professional.
In short, provide as much information a client needs to understand the full process of a return.
Refund Page
Separate the return policy info from the refund policy. And have this linked in the footer of all pages.
Under what circumstances you offer a return. For each of the listed items below, you need to explain what happens for each scenario.
- If the products never arrived
- Damaged on arrival
- Faulty manufacturing or broken after use (What is your warranty)
- They changed their mind
- Or its a wrong product
Explain when your user can expect a refund.
The refund policy should be based on the delivery day. Not purchase day. The reason is that an item could theoretically be in transit beyond the refund policy days, meaning a consumer can never return the goods. In this case, it is considered dishonest. So make sure it is based on the delivery date.
Explain the initial steps a user must take to initiate a refund, such as do they need to call you, do they email you or do they need to submit a contact form?
Also explain what documents they need to show and if they need to take a picture of the product.
Explain the complete steps to initiate a refund, such as an address, email process, what info they need to give you, etc. It only explains this for exchange, not for refunds.
In short, provide as much information a client needs to understand the full process of a refund.
Remove User Based Modifications
Remove all IP, browser, user modifications. Such as automated currency conversions or changing the website content or design. All users must see the same exact info, regardless of where they are located.
Checkout
Allow for guest checkout and do not force customers to accept terms and conditions.
The checkout requires the following policies linked from the footer of the page.
- Privacy Policy Page
- Return and Refund
- Delivery / Shipping Policy Page
Complete All Google Merchant Center Settings
Complete all the settings found in the top right corner > gear icon >
Verify Phone Number
You also need to verify your business phone number.
You can verify your phone number by going to GMC > Gear Icon > Business Information > About your business
Advertise Only Products Google Allows
Make sure you sell what Google allows: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6149970
Submit Accurate Product Identifiers
When submitting product identifiers the following rule applies.
If a manufacturer has assigned a bar code, then submit brand, mpn (if available), GTIN and set identifier exists to yes.
If the manufacturer has not assigned a bar code, then remove the values brand, mpn, gtin and set identifier exists to no.
References:
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324351
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324461
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324482
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324478
Resolve Disapproved Products
Ensure all products don’t have any errors or warnings. To check go to Google Merchant Center > Products > Diagnostics
Remove Disapproved Products
If you had disapproved products before receiving the suspension and you are not able to resolve the individual product disapproval, then remove the products from the feed.
Accurate Shipping & Tax Settings
Ensure in Google Merchant Center you have accurate shipping and tax settings. You can test the shipping and tax prices on individual products by going to Products > All Products > click on your product > scroll to the center of the page.
This needs to be accurate so double check your product information page.
Structured Data
Ensure that the SKU in the structured data matches the product id in the data feed submitted to Google Merchant Center.
To check the id in feed, go to Google Merchant Center > Products > All Products > and view the Item ID column. These values need to match with the SKU in the structured data.
Double check you have no errors here: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
Promotions
Offering a promotion or discount that does not exist.
Not Adding Accurate Product Information
Make sure you add accurate product information and that you follow Google’s editorial guidelines.
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