Google Products listing requires Adwords campaign?

[I, Brian]

So I've set up a merchant centre account, submitted a products feed - and then today, see the following message:

To keep your Product Search listings active on Google, you'll need to set up a Product Listing Ads campaign in Google AdWords (feeds targeting US only).
We're launching a new experience soon. Learn more
Set up your campaign today and you may be eligible to receive $100 of credit. Learn more

So ... while it's US only at present, this means Google is pushing for Products to be nothing more than a repository of paid adverts?

Another hammer blow against user experience I guess - I actually used to use Google Base for shopping.

And now I'm a merchant, I'll need to pay to use it ....

Did I miss a meeting about all this somewhere?

[Chunkford]

The BBC mentioned it at the beginning of the month - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18295884

They really are scraping the barrel to please their investors

[Gurtie]

they snuck it out http://googlecommerce.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/building-better-shopping-experience.html

uk by middle of next year I understand

[Chunkford]

"Building a better shopping experience"..... yea right, for who!

[I, Brian]

What a clever Google Whore.

I can hear those words by Sergey and Brin echoing in my head now, warning how commercial pressures undermine the user experience.

[Gurtie]

aside from the direct revenue, its a nice way to push non revenue generating links down the page again isn't it? People are used to seeing them, now they will seamlessly become paid not free placements but who will notice aside from the people paying the bills?

Promoted videos next, would be my guess. 

[hungrygoose]

The boat may have sailed now for clever people to make money using Google, it's mostly about who has the biggest pockets now.

[Leona]

Wow first product pages being demoted on natural serps now this ouch.

I have already seen changes on google base in the UK recently, unless it is just the category I am submitting to but my products have been 'waiting for review' for nearly a week now, I have never had that before (but then never submitted to this particular category before either.)

It's all very well squeezing for investors, I get that, (I don't like it but I get it) it happens to most public companies at the expense of the actual company but to screw the product so badly and give Bing such a wide doorway to get their act together and catch up seems incredibly risky.

[Chunkford]

You don't think Sergey and Brin have brought shares in Bing do ya, I can't understand why anyone would ruin their core business?
Someone a GHQ needs to pull their finger out and think of a totally new way to make money instead of squeezing the life out of their only cash cow.

[Chunkford]

Promoted videos next, would be my guess. 

Nope it will be cars - https://www.google.com/cars
Ling better watch out :p

[hungrygoose]

Leona you reminded me about an issue I had a few weeks ago.  Basically G kept emailing saying they will ban us because we were lying about our product prices and they didn't match our site.  Now the prices are taken from the main database, there is no manipulation, and it's updated daily.  But they kept emailing... Bloody useless.  If these are the same "top brains in the world" working on their biz dev then G might go the way for the floppy disk.

[Leona]

Thats weird!

Well finally noticed they are now showing on product search so have been approved but there is a message above saying that they need to be part of an ad campaign to stay live, looks like they rolled it out to the UK sooner than thought.  

1 nil to the big brands again and the divide gets bigger.

[Gurtie]

I've been promised it won't hit our accounts till next year.... I really do hope thats true!