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Google Checkout button removed from SERPs

2 June 2011

Google has recently decided that as from today, June 2nd 2011, all merchants who accept the Google Checkout payment method will no longer benefit from the Google Checkout logo displaying along with their Google Adwords ads.

The news has come as a shock to many online merchants who were notified by a post on Google’s merchant support site literally days before the change took place https://checkout.google.com/support/sell/bin/answer.py?answer=1323905

According to Google the decision to remove the Checkout badge was “to improve the user experience on Google search results pages”. This de-cluttering of the SERPs adds weight to the rumours that the decision may have been made to support Google’s efforts to raise the visibility of their new +1 button, it’s attempt to enter emulate the success of Facebook’s ‘like’ button.

Whatever the reason most Google Checkout merchants are not happy or impressed by the lack of communication or notice relating to the decision. Many merchants only chose to accept Google Checkout as a payment method due to the extra visibility and credibility offered by displaying the Google Checkout logo in their ads in the SERP’s. Many also saw a significant increase in the click through rates when displaying the Google badge.

All this makes you wonder if this decision may backfire and cause a decline in the signup rate for new Google Checkout merchants.

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