This is a fast moving topic and I’ve been adding snarky updates accordingly – making this a messy read. I intend to update the entire Merchant Center topic with a definitive overview. But as soon as I think that is possible, another change is rolled out.
In the meantime, the original article starts further down the page. Then read the updates above the article.
Oops: You were migrated to Next and it is not possible to switch back to Classic. (and where did all those Programs go?)
You just cant hit this moving target. However, I’m starting to see the future – which I will write about in a later post about. There are two competing methods at play (or on-ramp and destination). The DIY of Merchant Center Next leading to the very inaccessible API. It will be interesting to see how this evolves (for the next post)
Update: It is now possible to switch between Merchant Center (Classic) and Merchant Center Next
Remember the warning about the danger of switching back to Classic from Next?
That was soooo March of 2024!
Update: “This article is intended for BOTH Classic and Next. But NOTE: VLAs are not available in Next.“
Makes sense to me!
Original Article
Agencies are still marketing these, what I’ll call “obsolete” VLA programs. (Vehicle Listing Ads)
Lets start at the beginning, because if you don’t know Google, this is priceless insight into how products are developed; seemingly via experimentation. (I’d complain, but I get paid to immerse myself in this chaos.)
Merchant Center (now called Classic) is a Google inventory service that allows anyone to advertise their online inventory in Google Shopping Ads. There is a special program for automobiles called VLAs or Vehicle Listing Ads.
Merchant Center Classic VLAs have always been a complex on-ramp for automotive dealers. The back-end integration (API) required someone with technical ability to get your DMS to send your inventory to Merchant Center once a day. With the Paid Ads integration, that meant $ and agencies are all over it.
Can a dealer do it in-house? Yes. But there are few people inside the dealership with the know-how. So…
Now: Google started to roll out a new Merchant Center Next in May 2023 on the heals of the AI craze, but you and I hadn’t been told. There is a reason for that. Google isn’t going to loudly announce something that bites the (agency) hands that feed it. And the Agencies are not going to tell you how to save your $$$. Crickets! Thats why Google made only one announcement.
With Merchant Center Next there is no “integration”, nor expense.
I stumbled onto this because the other day Google would not allow me to setup a Merchant Center Classic account. I could only setup a new Merchant Center Next account. I couldn’t find any Google documentation about any of this. No agency blogs of course. I had to get most of my information for this post from Google Gemini, which told me:
Google plans to phase out the Classic version eventually.
Google Gemini
Gemini confirmed there was only one Google post about Next in May 2023 and it did not say much.
How it works
The new Merchant Center Next takes your inventory directly from your website – automatically. Is something like a scraper, but with AI help. Its now possible to get your online inventory into Merchant Center Next seamlessly and for free. Do it yourself simplicity and Free clicks. What’s not to like?
Gemini warned me that Merchant Center Next is currently missing some features found in Classic and goes on to say “Google plans to add these features to Next over time.” But what is is missing, it makes up for with real-time edit capabilities.
You can now edit details of products directly in Merchant Center Next. That is a big deal because editing a product in Classic required a manual update in the DMS (about 5 emails) and then wait a day to see the updated information. Big deal indeed!
Bottom Line
Merchant Center Next will get your inventory into your Google Business Profile box for free – that is where you get the free clicks.
Both versions of course are focused on Paid Ads. You are likely interested in Paid Ads to get your cars into the top of SERPs. So I recommend that you do not sign up for the expensive Merchant Center Classic if the almost cost-free Merchant Center Next will get you free clicks, and then if you opt to do Google Ads, Next will still get you into the top of page Ads.
Who else would have saved your $$$?
***Merchant Center was once called Froogle; started it’s automotive heartbeat using a feed from a search engine I developed way back @ 2003 AutoBaron.