Google’s System For Safe Online Shopping

Google reminds shoppers and merchants that it has several tools to establish consumer trust.

In a recent blog post, Google highlights three key ways it helps people shop safely.

1. Automated Vetting Process

One of the main ways Google ensures shopper safety is through its automated vetting process.

Before a product or merchant can list on Google, it goes through an in-depth safety review.

This process is aided by the Shopping Graph, which is Google’s vast data set of the world’s products and sellers.

Thanks to this technology, Google’s systems can quickly and accurately determine whether a business is legitimate and whether its products are in compliance with Google’s policies.

Google has strict shopping policies to ensure that product listings and shopping ads on its platform adhere to certain standards.

The policies cover what is and isn’t permitted on Google and give shoppers confidence that they see products that meet Google’s quality standards.

In January alone, Google stopped over 100 million product offers from being shown and disapproved nearly 300,000 accounts for having quality issues or not following its policies.

2. Store Badges & Other Visual Cues

For extra reassurance, shoppers can look for store badges on Google’s platform.

Google’s ‘Trusted Store‘ badge is granted to merchants based on their Shopping Experience Scorecard.

If your business offers an excellent shopping experience, you may be eligible to display a Trusted Stores badge on your product listings.

The Trusted Store badge is based on four performance metrics: shipping speeds, shipping, return costs, and return windows.

These performance metrics are compared with other merchants in the same category to determine eligibility for the badge.

An example of the Trusted Store badge can be seen below:

Automated & Human Review Teams

Google’s safety efforts don’t stop once a product listing goes live. The company has automated systems in place to monitor violating activity.

Additionally, a team of human reviewers is on standby to review issues that require a more nuanced perspective.

Shoppers can help others stay safe by reporting any suspicious behavior. If you see anything that doesn’t look right, you can report it to Google through the “report a listing” link on the bottom right of a product page.

In Summary

Google’s commitment to consumer trust and safety is evident through its rigorous vetting process, strict shopping policies, and trusted badge system.

With the vast amount of products and sellers on the platform, it’s reassuring that Google is taking the necessary steps to ensure people can make purchases without worrying about fraudulent activity.

By reporting any suspicious activity, you can play a role in helping Google maintain a safe and reliable shopping experience for everyone.

Featured Image: Vladimka production/Shutterstock