Answer
Jun 22, 2019 - 09:40 AM
Google Shopping focuses on user experience, rather than protecting brands. For a shopper scrolling through lots of product images, it’s easier (and more visually appealing) to make a selection from simple images. If the pictures are overlaid with branding, logos, watermarks, and other elements, it becomes a distraction from the shopping experience.
For the same reason, Google requires that your photo show the whole product, with “minimal or no product staging.” The goal is for users to be able to quickly sift through many products without visual distractions.
There might be a few alternatives or loopholes you can try. However, I’ll start with this caveat: Google Shopping’s photo rules are strict, and have gotten stricter. It is possible that none of these workarounds will get past their algorithms, and you’ll have to make the choice as to whether or not Google Shopping is worth the theft of your photos.
First, is there a way to include your company branding or logo in the image itself? Perhaps you could photograph your products alongside packaging that features your logo or unique branding. Google requests minimal product staging, so this would have to be subtle, but could be an option.
Google’s guidelines explicitly state that you can’t “use an image that contains promotional elements or content that covers the product.” That seems to suggest that as long as your logo or watermark doesn’t cover the product, you’re good to go. However, other users report that Google rejected their images for having a watermark anywhere in the picture, so this doesn’t look like a realistic solution.
You could also consider a backdrop that features your watermark or logo, which would be hard (though not impossible) to crop out. Google does list “Use a solid white or transparent background” as one of their Best Practices, but it’s not a requirement. Of course, if Google decides that even watermarks included in an image background aren’t permitted, this solution won’t work.
Another option is a “digital watermark,” which is a type of secret watermark embedded in the code of the image. Because it’s not immediately visible, Google Shopping might permit it. The lack of visibility also means it won’t deter people from using your images - but the digital watermark will give you a case against them if they do.
Of course, all of this would involve editing or re-shooting your images specifically for Google Shopping. At the end of the day, you may decide that it’s not worth it, especially given the risk that Google might ultimately reject these workaround ideas.
But these are a few things you can try before giving up on Google Shopping (or not getting your photos stolen) altogether. Also, don’t forget that you can always reverse-search your images to see who is using them, if you want to take action.
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