Google Merchant Center Suspension

[RobTORRO]

We recently (a few weeks ago) had one of our merchant center accounts suspended. We've gone through all of the policies and checklists from @EmmanuelFlossie  and can't seem to get it lifted. The domain, torro-fr.com is setup as a regional site - cloned from our primary site torro.co.uk but translated to French and with Euro as the currency.

Google Support is unable to help, like everyone one else has previously said! Any advice would be appreciated.

I looked at going down a subdomain route e.g. fr.torro.co.uk with a secondary feed on our UK GMC but am worried that they will suspend this account due to whatever issue they claim to have found the FR store - which we can't allow.

What is the best way to setup regional stores (GMC & Google Ads) whilst adhering to Google policies? We are running multiple shopify stores as it's easier to manage products, currencies and language that way.

We have other regional stores already running on separate GMC/Ad accounts - without issue so the whole issue with the FR store is perplexing.!

[EmmanuelFlossie]

For example, you can not show 18,000+ reviews from another website over to the FR website, as that is considered misleading.

For example, I recommend you add your business details in the footer of all pages, such as business name, address, phone, email, business hours.

Make sure to show if an item is in or out of stock on the product landing page.

You may have more issues, so make sure to check:

https://support.google.com/google-ads/community-video/307426020
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6150127
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6363310/follow-the-merchant-center-guidelines
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/4752265
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/13693865
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6149970
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/9158778
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6150244
https://support.google.com/google-ads/community-guide/241068758

[DaisyVo]

Hi @RobTORRO 

To address the suspension and set up regional stores while adhering to Google policies, follow these recommendations:

Resolving the Suspension

1-Check Google Merchant Center (GMC) Policies Thoroughly:

• Verify the destination URL for all products. Ensure they:
• Match the product feed.
• Do not redirect to a different domain.
• Confirm that the site complies with clear return policies, contact information, and secure checkout protocols.
• Ensure no prohibited or restricted products are listed.

2-Review Cloned Site Setup:

• Ensure torro-fr.com does not have issues with duplicate content. Google penalizes identical content across domains without regional differentiation.
• Double-check the site ownership and verification in Google Search Console.

3-Merchant Center Diagnostics:

• Go to Diagnostics in GMC and address all listed issues, especially feed or crawl errors.

4-Appeal:

• Recheck policies, fix any identified issues, and submit an appeal via GMC. Be transparent and provide clear details about the steps taken to resolve issues.

Best Practices for Regional Stores with GMC & Google Ads

1-Use Subdomains for Regional Sites:

• Implement subdomains like fr.torro.co.uk and ensure:
• Each subdomain has unique, localized content (language, currency, etc.).
• They're verified and claimed in GMC separately.

2-Separate Merchant Center Accounts:

• Continue maintaining separate GMC accounts for each region.
• Each account should target only its designated region.

3-Shared Feed Strategy:

• Use a primary GMC account for your base domain (e.g., torro.co.uk) and regional sub-accounts for subdomains or separate domains (e.g., torro-fr.com).

4-Adhere to Structured Data Standards:

• Use structured data (schema.org) for product localization.
• Include hreflang tags to clarify the relationship between regional versions.

5-Audit Feeds Regularly:

• Verify all attributes (title, description, price, currency) are accurate and comply with the target country’s requirements.

6-Minimize Cross-Suspension Risk:

• Avoid associating the same Google Ads account with suspended GMC accounts.
• Consider using a dedicated Ads account per region.

By addressing the specific suspension reason for the French store and following these best practices, you can reduce the risk of future suspensions while effectively managing regional stores.

If you have further questions, I am willing to answer.

Regards,
Daisy

[EmmanuelFlossie]

@DaisyVo what's with the AI reply? I understand it can be difficult to write your own human written replies, but don't you think writing your own replies is more rewarding? And helps you get better and better at true knowledge?

Just want to help you out, that AI replies may leave you in a vulnerable situation of credibility in skills.