Ambiguous GTIN code

school-yearbooks · Posts: 2477

.

Google requires a gender for bead listings? Something doesn't seem right. lol

.

tigercreekgifts · Posts: 6293

cosmicray · Posts: 7286

I am using this for the converter ... http://isbn.org/ISBN_converter

Something to remember about all this ... The conversion from 10 to 13 is a mathematical exercise. It says nothing about the validity of the converted 13, and if it represents the same edition/printing.

cosmicray · Posts: 7286

carolinabluelady · Posts: 329

Thanks Cosmicray. I really appreciate you checking all of those. The X in that one number stands for 10 and you can use the X per google info in their help section.

I am changing all to the 13 digit. I did not think that google accepted numbers with spaces or dashes, but maybe they do after reading your response. Decided to check Google Help again and saw this and it is showing the 13 ISBN number with 978- (is using a dash). Maybe that is what is wrong with my isbn's. I need the dash and I need to be using the 13 digit isbn.

I have written to eCrater asking if they know what is wrong. Probably won't hear back until tomorrow. They are usually prompt answering questions and helping. This is just driving me crazy -

[/img]

school-yearbooks · Posts: 2477

.

Possibly because Amazon wants it too. Have you ever considered that ?

Amazon wants gender identification on beads too? lol What has ecommerce come to these days?

.

cosmicray · Posts: 7286

tigercreekgifts · Posts: 6293

Yeah, but most people don't search for "yellow daisy beads for females". They just search for the color, design, and type they want.

school-yearbooks · Posts: 2477

.

What gender is a 'lot of 20 Buddha beads'? Some items need gender identification and some items can not labeled easily or not labeled at all.

.

carolinabluelady · Posts: 329

unisex

dccollectibles · Posts: 2761

Not to be "that guy" but playing the devil's advocate: Is there really any point to the isbn craziness? Has anyone ever had one shred of conclusive proof that adding the correct isbn (or upc, or mpn, etc) has had a positive effect on sales? eBay seems to be of the opinion that it doesn't, and I'm seeing more and more of the equivalent of id_exists (does not apply in this case). While I doubt Google would be pleased with such a strategy, I don't see people rushing to their defense. In fact, many are ignoring the mandates, and still others are being outright anti-google with their selling patterns.

My opinion: I have not seen that it makes any difference, other than placating Google. It will ultimately be who has the bigger pocketbook as Google has become the biggest hypocrite in the past few years, straying far from their original mantra of "don't be evil" It's no small wonder that those three words are not even present in their credo at this point. Just as it is no wonder you would have better luck phoning the president than reaching Google CS. And if you ever managed to, I guarantee the reply you received would not be in any sense helpful. Also full of $3 words like "paradigm" that are only used to make one feel or seem important while directing you away from the real discussion. In short, a politician's reply.

carolinabluelady · Posts: 329

If I am using someone else's system or property, I just like to follow their rules especially if I have nothing to offer them. I do not pay them for any advertising or to use any of their products. Now, if I didn't want to do what they asked or didn't like them, then I just wouldn't use them or be associated with them. Google is the top ranked search engine with 3 times the users as the next highest search engine, Bing. And, they are continuing to expand into new products. Probably more than what I would ever use, but to me that is a good sign.

eCrater pays for the adwords for our stores. Granted it may not be a lot but I am thankful for what they are doing. So, if eCrater is doing this (for me), then I feel I should try and do the best I can to comply with google's rules for using their shopping search product.

The isbn is suppose to be the one thing that links to a specific book down to the edition, publisher, binding, etc. As I understand it, the isbns have changed because they run out of numbers. Sort of like telephone numbers, zip codes, account numbers.

Now, can I prove that complying with google's guidelines are better for me than not following them? No, but right now, my items in my bookstore are not showing in searches very well. The items in my other 2 stores do pretty well in the searches. So, if they aren't showing up, I won't have sales. If they do show up, then I have a chance. Google doesn't need me, but I feel that I need Google.

I did have an issue with Google when they had that payment gateway (can't remember what they called it). I had added another store with a new account and they were going to make me wait for payment since it was new. I wrote them asking them to reconsider since I already had 2 other stores in their payment program in a different account. They responded and made the exception.

Think this is about long enough -

Smile

cosmicray · Posts: 7286

carolinabluelady · Posts: 329

I did not mean to imply that the adwords were the attributes. You are right, they are not. However, both adwords and the attributes have an effect in Google shopping - it all has to do with getting your items found when someone searches for that item. The more you pay, the better Google can find your items. eCrater does pay for Adwords campaign(s) so that we can be found in Google shopping. But, if you don't do the attributes right according to Google, Google can suspend you from Google shopping

You can just depend on being found in the generic Google search results and other search engines if you don't want to do the attributes.

tigercreekgifts · Posts: 6293

I agree with what DC said most recently. The books in my ecrater store that google kept telling me also had ambiguous GTINs, They were newer books that also had a upc code so I tried swapping with the upc, several months passed and they never would approve those books even though other sellers are offering them in GS. Finally removed the isbn for those and replaced with identifier_exists and they stopped bugging me however, I have still never found those books in GS and I looked thru all 7 pages of results. I've had those books listed since last December. I stop listing codes for books, cds, and dvds because google never shows mine in GS anyway. I've listed hundreds of media items over the years and recall only one book of mine actually displaying in GS because I was the only seller using GS that has the book, it's kinda rare.

Now, I recently decided to list those books at ebay and guess what? Just did a quick search in GS and my books start in the 3rd spot down, and those books have only been on ebay for about a week or so and I did not enter an isbn or upc for those books because ebay doesn't require it and if you use the upc ebay bugs you to add a photo from their catalog instead of your own. So no, playing google's games doesn't seem to be helping with GS on ecrater. You can follow every rule and they still won't display some items, yet ebay you don't even have to fool with that stuff and your items still get shown in GS with good placement.

All of the google sales I'm getting these days are from paid ads. Now it is helping my organic placement because used to be I was lucky to find one of my items in organic search or image search and if I did, the image displayed was like 140 x 140 px which is not very enticing. Now I can search for 5 random products and at least 3 out of 5 will be shown in organic results, front page or very top of page in a gray sponsored ad box, also now in image search with a photo that's much closer to actual size when clicked on. So why is google so fussy with ecrater sellers over this when ebay doesn't have to do the attributes and continually gets top placement?

Like I said, I don't list all the same items at ebay that I list over here because I know that my ebay products would take priority over my ecrater products in GS and my ecrater items would probably disappear from GS, but I have been experimenting and products that I've had listed on ecrater for years or months that GS is constantly fighting with me over, I decided to list them on ebay as a test and not 3 days later my ebay fixed listings are in GS right at the top and they sell within 5-7 days.