Merging Products or replace old Product without losing SEO/Link-Power

[Otayfer]

Hello,

I have 2 products which were listed for >2 years. Both are ranked pretty good in Google + Google Shopping. Because of some technical changes (introduction of a WMS) I have to create a new product within the new software which then will be pushed into Shopify.

Now I am afraid  of losing the rankings when I create the new and exactly same product again only due to a technical challenge.

Is there a way to ...

- delete the old product

- and bring all the links and seo power back to the new product (exactly the same as the old deleted one)?

Thank you.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

The ranking, historic data etc, is linked to the product ID. If you can ensure that the old product id is used for the new product id, then this will have little negative effects.

Assuming the product is identical.

If you can not match the product ID, then regretfully there is nothing that can be done from the perspective of Google Merchant Center.

However, there is possibility that you could use feedrules to say. If product id equals xyz2, then set it to the old id xyz1

Never tried it, as it is not recommended, but logically it could work.

More info: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7450276?hl=en

[Otayfer]

Thanks a lot for your reply.

The Product ID is however a given information randomly generated by Shopify or am I wrong?

[EmmanuelFlossie]

That depends.

If you are using default settings or you are using the free google channel app, then this id is re-generated for every product yes.

However, if you are using the SKU in the feed, then this does not change, assuming you use the same ID.

So if it changes, consider using the feed rule tip.

[Otayfer]

Okay, understood. That covers the Merchant-Center implication.

How about the regular Google Search Result implications?

The current product is listed under ....com/products/product-OLD --> This URL is ranked well.

When I delete the old product is there a way I can takeover this URL 1:1 and use it for the new product?