Advertising through price comparison portals

Strategies for more revenue, in your inbox

Every other week: what is changing in Google Shopping, what we see in our customers' accounts, and what to do about it.

Google Shopping is one of the most powerful marketing channels for online shops. Competition for the best spots in search results is correspondingly fierce. Working with a price comparison portal (also known as a CSS, for Comparison Shopping Service) can be a decisive competitive advantage here.

Google CSS

£17/ month

Get started

Free Google CSS migration
Full visibility in Google Shopping
20% lower click prices
Visibility in free listings
21 EU markets included
Premium email support
Cancel anytime
Live in 60 minutes

Price comparison portals can place bids to position Shopping ads for the merchants they represent on Google's search results pages. Google Shopping itself acts as a bidder on behalf of the merchants it represents, just like any other portal.

For each merchant it represents, the portal uses its own Merchant Center account. Through this account, it uploads the merchant's product range and runs Shopping campaigns on their behalf.

All campaigns must comply with the same policies for Shopping ads and product data. For example, Shopping ads must lead directly to the merchant's landing page where the advertised product can be bought.

In countries where the price comparison portal programme is available, the Shopping ad on general Google search results pages also shows which portal uploaded the listing (see the "From the price comparison portal" link at the end of the ad). If the user clicks this link, they are taken to the portal's website.

How working with a price comparison portal works

Price comparison portals and merchants can work together in different ways. Some portals offer several service models or tailor their services to your needs.

CSS Full Service

In this model, the price comparison portal sets up a Merchant Center and a Google Ads account for you. You supply your product data, and the portal's staff optimise your feed, upload it to Google and manage your campaigns. Some portals also use your product data to generate leads for you through other channels.

The portal pays Google for clicks on the ads run in your name. The price Google charges the portal depends on the outcome of the ad auction. You, in turn, pay the portal. The pricing model depends on your agreement — some portals charge a fixed click price, others vary the CPC by category, and others work on a commission basis per sale.

You usually receive reports from the portal on the performance and cost of the ads it runs; these reports may cover one or several of the portal's channels. In this model, you typically have no access to the Merchant Center or Google Ads account managed by the portal for you, though you may get access to the portal's own tools instead.

CSS Self Service

Here, the portal sets up a Merchant Center and a Google Ads account in your name and gives you access to them. Alternatively, you can migrate an existing account from one portal to another. You manage feeds and campaigns yourself.

The portal pays Google for clicks on the ads run in your name, and you in turn pay the portal. In this model, the portal usually charges a fixed percentage mark-up on the CPC paid in the Google auction. Some portals also let merchants settle their Google Ads bill directly and pay for the portal's services separately.

You usually have direct access to the reports in Merchant Center and Google Ads. The portal may provide additional reports on campaign performance and costs.

CSS hybrid model

These models combine elements of "managed service" and "self-management". For example, the portal might manage and optimise your product data feed while you run the campaigns yourself — or the other way round.

In some variants, the portal sets up a new Merchant Center account for you, which you then link to an existing Google Ads account. You then manage, through your existing account, the ads and free listings served through the portal.

In other variants, Google bills you directly for the ads run through a portal. This can make sense if you run your own Shopping campaigns. You then receive a separate invoice for the portal's services.

Beyond the services described here, some portals offer further services tailored to your business and sales channels.