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wiseowlbookshop



Posts: 14

PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:46 am    Post subject: Google Attributes Reply with quote

As many store owners have, I am certain, on at least an irregular basis, I am alerted to deficiencies in Google attributes of some of my products. In most of the few dozen cases, I have been able to correct these issues. Currently, I have two products, books, which, despite having gone to considerable length to verify the accuracy of the attribute, specifically ISBN, they are still coming back as critical. I have checked and verified ISBNs by using Google Search in one case (indeed leading to information at Google Books), and in the other to the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase.
Does anyone have a recommendation as to how I can clear these up? I know that there are store owners who are not particularly interested in complying with Google, but, for the most part, I have not found it difficult to do so. In any event, I do not want to use inaccurate ISBNs, for instance for similar but not identical editions, or resort to "identifier_exists - FALSE" when the ISBN I have provided is accurate.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
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MoonwishesStore
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Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you waiting for awhile after you make the fixes? I'm not meaning an hour or a day or so, but let them go for 3-4 weeks until enough time has passed for the changes to clear through Google. Some of the changes of attributes do take a lot longer to 'fix' than others.

I still have thousands of listings to fix, so I know what a pain all this is, especially when you have no clue what the problem is.
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wiseowlbookshop



Posts: 14

PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 4:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, MoonwishesStore, I am accustomed now to it taking a minimum of one week, usually between ten day and two weeks for products to be removed from the issues list. I am less worried about the period of time than I am about the reason for these two items being rejected.
To be clear, I have not changed the ISBNs because they were accurate when I listed the products. In both cases, the ISBN was taken directly from the copyright page of the book. For one of them, a UK edition of one of the Dune novels, I verified the copyright page ISBN at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (this is now moot, since it has sold)
Overnight, a third has appeared, or I should say reappeared:
ESP Experiments with LSD 25 and Psilocybin
It was tagged with the issue:
general_spam_policy
I thought it might be that I included a reference to Ebay, so I replaced that with "online marketplaces". I have searched Forum and found no discussion topics including the word 'spam', and in the general listing rules it only advises that a listing not include 'spam' not what constitutes 'spam'. I'm really not sure what to do in this case, other than keep experimenting.[/u]
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MoonwishesStore
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Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 6:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wise Owl, There have probably been way too many sttributes posts over the years which is why they shouldn't be requiring them in the first place! Too complicated and inscrutable. Maybe I missed it in your earlier posts, but those that say 'general spam policy' we are to ignore unless it is obvious. That wisdom came from the ecrater team.

Okay I found it. See the thread from http://community.ecrater.com/viewtopic.php?p=309556#309556 to see what they wrote. I didn't reread the whole thread, but if I recall correctly there is a lot of good info in that 11 page thread!
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SheilaDeesPostcards
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Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have come to the realization that there are some items that I have to chose between accurate description and the item appearing in google Shopping (GS). Soon after the removal of the Confederate Flag from the capitol of South Carolina followed by the attempt to remove the Confederate Flag from major internet shopping sites I had 5 postcards flagged for general_spam_policy. At first they were "critical" before they were disapproved from GS. The postcards were 1950s /1960s era postcards from a Confederate Museum. Several of the cards were "photos" of oil painting depecting officers of the Confederate government or military. There is no way to describe them with out using the word Confederate. My descriptions were direct quotes from the back of the postcards.

I had a very hard time getting a vintage Cigarette advertising piece accepted by GS. I worked with the eCrater staff back and forth and finally GS realized I was not selling Winston Cigarettes, only a vintage advertising piece. Fast forward a year where I had no errors (for active items) in the store until about a month ago when I suddenly have 4 items with quality problems. All 4 are approved, but have critical errors for general_spam_policy. This was the way it started in my postcard store and then they were disapproved. Today the 4 items in Sheila Dee's Treasures are still approved, but I feel reasonably sure they will change to disapproved. One item is the same Winston Cigarette ad piece, one is a Benson & Hedges set of coasters, one is a stemmed cordial glass advertising Garvey Jerez. and one is a soup bowl in a Christmas pattern from the House of Salem company. I am assuming we now can not list the names of Cigarette or alcohol brands. Do I plan to delete those names? How can I and still have a correct listing. If they are disapproved, I might contact ecrater CS, but it's such a long drawn out process that I'm probably not going to take any action.

My bookstore has over 80% of the items with Google quality issues and zero disapproved. I know a lot of the issues are related to photos too small, but I haven't had the time to re-shoot the photos. Almost all of the other issues (maybe all) are related to ISBN. GS doesn't want any book listed that doesn't have a current 13 digit ISBN. Many of my books were published without ISBNs, but later editions had 10 digit and the current issues have 13 digit ISBN. Take for example Nancy Drew books. The 10 digit ISBN books issued in the 1960s ARE NOT the same as the 13 digit flashlight editions currently available. I add the ISBN as issued for the book I am selling. If GS is unhappy with that fact, that's GS's problem not mine. The whole purpose of a Global Trade Item Numbers (GTIN) is to be able to identify the item for sale. Also, the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), is to identify the item being sold. If the item being sold never had a 13 digit number and a book with the same title is currently being sold is different from the book you are selling, then common sense tells you that it's incorrect to add the 13 digit from the new edition to "identify" an older version. Rolling Eyes

GS current information says this information is only "required" for items with a new condition. If we use the new ecrater option of new - other, they are still submitted to GS as new and would fall under the "required" attributes. However, the items I have flagged are all used items. Once again it appears the GS right hand has no idea what it's left hand is doing.

Sorry for the long post ... I'll get off my soapbox now. Laughing
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wiseowlbookshop



Posts: 14

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 4:07 am    Post subject: GoogleCritical Reply with quote

SheilaDeesPostcards
No need to apologize. In many cases, the longer the explanation the better. I had come to realize that ISBN-13 could, in some cases, be an issue. It has once already for me, and, believe it or not, that was for a book I had not listed as New. I have become fairly scrupulous now about GTIN, and, as, for the time being, all of my listings are books, it is a relatively simple matter.
Whereas I was confounded about the spam policy before your response, now I believe I understand why this book has received the designation. Your items which were flagged all carried some 'taint' of controversy, social or cultural. It is probable that a scientific monograph about LSD fits that mold as well.
I cannot change the title or subject matter, so it willhave to be.
I would like to know, if you can tell me, how to contact Ecrater CS. It seems that, at some point, I saw a link on my Admin page which encouraged me to contact them, but now it seems to have disappeared.
Thanks
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 9:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.ecrater.com/contact.php

@Sheila, I think we should all be on soap boxes about the nonsense that Google is putting us through. I am almost at 1900 disapproved items. with over 5700 items still missing required attributes. Sounds like a lot, but I have come a long way since I began fixing things. Of course, for several years I never had a single attribute problem. Then they changed things again and what a mess. I fix as I tweak since I don't have several months to just sit and fix them all. Of course, many of my older pattern and craft items don't have UPC's or ISBNs and I'm sure if you have books with SBNs (the precursor to ISBNs) google doesn't want them either.

I get nutty when I think that a company that we have not signed a contract with, or asked to work with, etc. has so much control over our lives and stores. I still remember the great sales when I came here when google showed all our stuff without attributes. The more they mess with us, the less we sell, at least I have found that to be true.

I hear you on specific words that are needed to describe an item. I had a Chanel style jacket pattern - a very specific type of clothing. Couldn't list it with Chanel in the title even with the word 'style' next to Chanel. I used to see a lot of pattern sellers describing their Simplicity pattern with Jackie O in the title as apparently she wore those types of clothes. While she may have been a classy lady, other than her pink suit and hat, there are no garments that I know of that are unique to her and she most certainly didn't wear Simplicity pattern garments. Even her simplest clothes were designer clothes, mostly paid for by her FIL. Yet here were pattern sellers riding on her name. Well I should get off my saop box and get back to work too. All I know now is I generally use Bing for my search engine and only go to google if I don't get enough search returns that I need. I'm sick of google.
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vintagecornerstore



Posts: 151

PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 8:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I'll get on my soap box for awhile, too.

I avoid Google also. I use duckduckgo for my search engine (and they are pretty good - and don't store your browsing history. So any search is "fresh.")

I've noticed that in my category, vintage jewelry, that almost always the first six pages in Google Shopping is for Etsy products. I mean, almost every single listing. An occasional ebay, but almost all Etsy. I think it makes the "shopping" experience quite ridiculous. If you want to look at Etsy items, just go to Etsy! (Although their search is so terrible, I guess that drives people to Google. But they are obviously spending a ton of money to show up in GS.)

I was really sorry to see Yahoo maps go away. Almost forces us to use that part of Google now.

I am also avoiding using Amazon, except for once in a while. Same reason -- they are taking over the world! And for us that have our own websites, I feel like we need to make an effort to try and find products on sites other than Amazon and eBay. Sometimes might pay a little more, but feel that it is worth it to keep some competition alive. (Although I'm not buying much these days -- trying to downsize!)
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wiseowlbookshop



Posts: 14

PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you vintagecornerstore for contributing and MoonwishesStore for the linkā€¦
My surmise about the unacceptablity of the word LSD is more or less born out by a reply I received from questions@ecrater.com, to wit:
"This one is still disapproved due to the drug names in the title. Google
will most likely not approve this one at all"
The problem with this answer is twofold:
1) Checking GoogleBooks, it is quite clear that they list and provide links to books with the banned words listed in the 10 May 2016 thread, such as Nazi and Hitler. And, indeed, not only is "ESP Experiments with LSD 25 and Psilocybin" listed at GoogleBooks, but there are links to Amazon and AbeBooks (but not my Ecrater store).
2) I pointed out, in a question about my issue to questions@ecrater.com, that the spam issue had disappeared, but a price_mismatch issue had appeared. So, I am hopeful that the 10 May 2016 ecrater statement "You can ignore price_mismatch. This means that you changed the price and Google has not picked the changes yet. With the next feed these errors will disappear." will soon take this item off the critical list.
With respect to the book tagged for a critical ISBN, I will simply let that one stand, hoping that a potential buyer will find it regardless, as someone had for that set of Dune UK editions I sold under their unaccepted ISBNs.
I realize that Google can be an interference in many ways. Nevertheless, it is still the most used search engine, so anything I can do to 'conform' to its requirements I will put at least a little effort into.
One thing is clear. We are subject to the whims and vagaries of the Great Google, probably in many ways we do not even know about.
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MoonwishesStore
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Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You would think at this point in time, people wouldn't be banning items and books, such as the Confederate flag (and no I'm not from the south, I just think it is silly) or Huck Finn. Now actual books that sound like someone's Master's/Phd thesis isn't allowed. Ridiculous! One person in town claims that a Nativity scene is bothersome to them, and the 99.9% of the rest of the folks in town have to go without, etc. I'm tired of it. Lately just commenting on something that is against someone else's belief (and I'm not even talking religious), could be how to toilet train or discipline your child, and you will receive flak if your way isn't their way. Not sure how or why they feel that they get to be the judge. It is as if there is a small group of people somewhere that are deciding what we are and aren't allowed to talk about. Very 'Big Brother'. My husbands tunes pianos at a university and there were certain areas that you could have 'free speech' - guess little closet areas. The rest of the college is for not rocking the boat I guess. What is college for if not to allow new ideas and the ability to talk about them and how they might branch off? Google seems to be helping to drive this mess. One of the US basic rights is free speech. However it is being taken away from us. Just like we have a store on a particular venue and we list our things appropriately for the venue, and some big montstrous search engine that we have no ties to or contracts with tells us we can't do it our way we have to do it theirs. It is nonsense. I too change my listings as I come to them, but I'm not happy about it.
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MountainHealthLine



Posts: 37

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:05 am    Post subject: Google attributes google quality Reply with quote

I have a question concerning handmade items. Most of my items are handmade herbal supplements, oils, etc. There is no UPC MPN or any other numbers. So how do I fill in the attributes and what are terms that they don't want us to use in our posting on nutritional supplement items
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SheilaDeesPostcards
moderator


Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:09 am    Post subject: Re: Google attributes google quality Reply with quote

If your items are handmade and they are not clothes or jewelry, then you would use identifier_exists with a value of False.

Quote:
are terms that they don't want us to use in our posting on nutritional supplement items
I have no idea. You should probably go to Google Shopping and see if they have any special requirements for "nutritional supplements".
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MountainHealthLine



Posts: 37

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:59 am    Post subject: use identifier_exists with a value of False. Reply with quote

I tried that on Attribute Name - False answer

The attribute #1 is not supported by eCRATER.

On Attribute Value I put "n" and so far that has is being accepted
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SheilaDeesPostcards
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Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can not tell from your answer what you entered. You should have entered identifier_exists in the Attribute Title column and enter False (or FALSE, no, or NO, anyone of these are accepted).

The Attribute Title identifier_exists is most certainly accepted by eCRATER. If you click on the ? in box to the right of Attribute Value you'll see information from eCRATER where they say to use this attribute when you don't have brand, upc, mpn, etc. Did you spell the Attribute Title correctly and did you use an underscore between the two words? Did you have a stray space before or after the title?
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MountainHealthLine



Posts: 37

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:36 am    Post subject: Attributes Reply with quote

general_spam_policy is the issue

This time under the attribute name I put
false, no, no
Which still says The attribute #1 is not supported by eCRATER.

It seems to accepting the attribute value of No
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