Google has rolled out updated structured data guidelines, allowing merchants to present more detailed pricing information in search results.
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These improvements enable businesses to showcase sale prices, member-exclusive rates, and original prices before discounts, providing shoppers with clearer and more compelling pricing options directly within their search experience.
Latest Enhancements
The recent updates introduce new properties that give merchants greater flexibility in displaying varied pricing strategies.
These additions are designed to make pricing information more transparent and attractive to potential buyers.
Introducing priceType and validForMemberTier
Google has added two key properties to the JSON-LD structured data format, expanding the ways merchants can present their pricing.
The priceType property allows merchants to mark a price as “strikethrough,” making it possible to display both the original and discounted prices for items on sale.
Meanwhile, the validForMemberTier property, currently in beta, enables merchants to specify discounted prices available exclusively to certain tiers within their loyalty programs.
With these new properties, merchants can effectively communicate various pricing strategies, such as listing the standard and sale prices side by side or offering special rates to loyal customers.
This level of detail helps attract a broader range of customers by clearly highlighting available discounts and member benefits.
Significance of the Update
These changes address the need for more nuanced pricing information in online listings, aligning search result displays with the dynamic pricing models used by merchants.
Reflecting Real-World Pricing Strategies
Merchants often employ complex pricing tactics to attract and retain customers, and these updates allow them to represent these tactics accurately online.
By enabling the display of multiple price types, including loyalty discounts and temporary promotions, merchants can ensure that their online pricing mirrors their in-store or broader e-commerce strategies.
This alignment helps in providing a consistent and truthful representation of their offerings to potential customers.
Consistency Across Platforms
Ensuring that pricing information is uniform across various platforms is crucial for maintaining customer trust and transparency.
The update ensures that the pricing details seen in Google Search results are consistent with those in Google Shopping and the merchant’s own website. This consistency helps prevent discrepancies that could confuse or mislead customers, thereby enhancing the overall shopping experience.
Overall, these enhancements contribute to a more reliable and informative shopping environment, allowing customers to make better-informed purchasing decisions based on clear and detailed pricing information.
The Bottom Line
Google’s update to structured data guidelines marks a significant step in providing merchants with the tools to present their pricing strategies more effectively.
By allowing the display of sale prices, member-exclusive rates, and original prices, merchants can enhance their visibility in search results and offer a more transparent shopping experience.
Businesses should review the new guidelines and integrate these properties to stay competitive and meet the evolving expectations of online shoppers.
