Google update for Merchant: new pricing options and priceType clarification

Google has updated its guidelines for structured data in product ads, introducing a beta version for pricing options for loyalty program members (member pricing), and clarified the use of the priceType property for active, sale, and strikethrough prices. This update provides new opportunities for marketers and merchants to present prices more accurately and in greater detail in search engines.

Update goal

The goal of this update is to simplify the process for merchants in specifying complex pricing conditions through structured data, allowing additional information about prices, availability, and shipping to be displayed in Google Search results. This helps improve product visibility in search results and provides users with clear and useful data.

Structured data update

Google recommends that merchants use Product markup on their pages to have their products displayed in various Google search results. Structured data must include required properties, and merchants can use the Rich Results Test tool to verify their code’s correctness.

Key steps include:

1. Add required properties: Use the appropriate format for structured data.
2. Use CMS or JavaScript: Plugins are recommended for easier integration.
3. Test your code: Ensure that your code doesn’t contain critical errors.
4. Deploy and test: Make sure your pages are accessible to Google and request re-crawling if necessary.

Pricing types

Google defines three main types of prices:

• Active Price: The current price at which the product is being sold.
• Strikethrough Price: The original price displayed during promotional discounts.
• Member Price: The price offered to loyalty program members.

Prices are specified using special properties within the Offer object, allowing for clear differentiation of each pricing type. For example, the member price should use the validForMemberTier property, while strikethrough prices use the priceType property.

Structured data example

Google provides several examples of how to properly mark up different pricing scenarios using JSON-LD format. Here’s an example showing how to specify both the active price and member price:

"offers": {
  "@type": "Offer",
  "url": "https://www.example.com/trinket_offer",
  "price": 10.00,
  "priceCurrency": "UAH",
  "priceSpecification": {
    "@type": "UnitPriceSpecification",
    "price": 8.00,
    "priceCurrency": "UAH",
    "validForMemberTier": {
      "@type": "MemberProgramTier",
      "@id": "https://www.example.com/com/members#tier_gold"
    }
  }
}

In this example, the price of 8.00 UAH is available only to members of a specific loyalty program tier (Gold).

Merchants can also add additional information about shipping and returns to their structured data, which will allow for a more detailed and user-friendly product presentation.

Conclusion

The Google update to structured data guidelines allows merchants to specify prices more accurately and in greater detail, which will help increase visibility in Google search results. By adhering to the new specifications, merchants can improve user engagement and increase the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.

This update is a crucial step for those who want to ensure clear and accurate representation of their pricing offers in search results.

How UAMASTER can help

If you want to confidently implement the new structured data opportunities and maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns in Google, our specialists at UAMASTER are here to provide you with all the necessary support. We will help you optimize your pages for proper structured data integration, boosting your visibility and enabling you to attract more targeted customers. Order UAMASTER’s services and improve your marketing strategies today!

This article available in Ukrainian.