Google Feed doesn't like my ISBN numbers

SleepingCatMtBooks · Posts: 2

Hi...I set up my shop last month selling books and under Welcome it says the Google Feed has checked my shop on 7/1 and says 15 of my 18 books have invalid ISBN values.
I took them off the back of the book.
I was wondering if the order in which they appear in the discription or GA makes a difference.

Also I checked GPS and only the first 3 of my books are listed there.
I have gone over everyone to make sure the Google Attributes are listed the way I thought they wanted them
I have them in this order:
ISBN
Author
Format
Genre
Year
In the descrition I have
Author
ISBN
Format
Genre
Condition
Description

I am reluctant to list more books until this is straightened out.
I monitor my shop every day.
Can you spot what I am doing wrong?....thanks...joan

cosmicray · Posts: 7286

Why don't you list the actual values used for one listing here. We can't see them, unless you list them.

thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat · Posts: 10159

Are you putting spaces in your isbns? If you do it the way they appear on the books, it won't work. Run the numbers all together.

FoxAndFish · Posts: 1585

SheilaDeesPostcards · moderator Posts: 4620

The order in which you list your attributes doesn't matter. The attributes have a Name and Value. The "name" has to go in the left column and MUST be entered in all lower case. For example, the attribute ISBN will be rejected unless the name is entered as isbn. Also, as Maggie pointed out, the isbn should be entered without spaces or dashes. While it may be listed on the back of the book as ISBN 1-59184-035-X, you would enter it as isbn (right column) and 159184035x (left column).

In the list of attributes you are using for your books, the attributes of Author, Genre and Year have been retired by Google Shopping. If you enter them, eCRATER ignores them when they submit the feed. It doesn't hurt anything, but it doesn't help and is extra work. The attribute of Format is for the form of the item, for example, is your audio book in CD or DVD format? I think some booksellers may use this attribute for a print book, but personally I only use this attribute for audio books.

You listed the attributes you have in your description. Your description is written to provide information for the buyer and the search engines (all search engines which excludes Google Shopping which is based on a feed). You should add all the information you think either would want or need. Your list looks fine and using the first letter as a capital makes it easier to read. You can use the dashes in your ISBN number as it appears in the book. The information you put in the first of your description is more important to search engines. I think the rule of thumb is the first 250 characters is most important, but I'm not sure. Remember your title can have 100 characters on eCRATER so use them wisely. I think it the first 65 characters that are most important for search engines. Just remember your description is written for your buyer, but be sure to add the keywords a search engine can use to show your item to a searcher/ potential customer.

edited to add: Looks like Fox answered while I typed. Very Happy

FoxAndFish · Posts: 1585

SheilaDeesPostcards · moderator Posts: 4620

MoonwishesStore · moderator Posts: 17389

I do know that some ISBN numbers were duplicated. Years ago when selling books on Amazon, I would go list a book and find that a weighty textbook type book was sharing an ISBN with a Harlequin romance. One copy, you assume someone goofed when entering numbers, but each time I saw this it was several books by different sellers. So apparently they were listing via a massive uploads and weren't comparing their ISBN to what Amazon said it should be. So now Google, which has never been in the book business, is telling sellers that they have the wrong ISBN. Wonder how they know for sure? They can go fly a kite and quit poking their noses into business that isn't really theirs since it was much easier to find things before they got into the attributes junk.

cosmicray · Posts: 7286

MoonwishesStore · moderator Posts: 17389

BookwormBargains · Posts: 365

Looking at 1 of your listings: http://sleepingcatmtbooks.ecrater.com/p/18201379/stalemate-by-iris-johansensuspense-thriller the attributes are showing because you input them incorrectly. You have a space between format and : [!format :paperback!] It should be format:

I use the G tab when I list my books that way I don't have to worry about spaces inputted wrong:

isbn in the 1st column and 9786565654123 in the 2nd column (make sure you write isbn in lower case letters)

Since you only have 18 items I would go through them and just add only the isbn. Wait for a new google feed and see what happens.

I used to add lots of attributes but ever since they stopped using most of them for books I just add the required isbn numbers.

SleepingCatMtBooks · Posts: 2

Thanks ever so much for all your informative info. I will get right to changing those numbers...
However...that doesn't answer the question of why the first 3 books which are formated the same as the rest of the books are OK with Google and are listed in GPS....oh well I guess some things we will never know...
Thanks again for all your help.

MoonwishesStore · moderator Posts: 17389

Believe it or not, the google computer doesn't catch them all. I had one bounce back after a year or so and I found I had dropped the exclamation mark in it, and then found I had dropped it in about 20 other listings that had been flagged! So my chore for that day was fixing them all along with the initial search to find them all!