Standards
Today’s consumer is an informed consumer and is likely to research a product online while standing in the middle of a store aisle or before even leaving the house.
GS1 SmartSearch brings the world of standards to online search so that business can optimize how, when and what product content is shown in search results, potentially increasing sales whether going direct-to-consumer or through a retailer.
SmartSearch uses GS1 Vocabulary Standards. The vocabulary standards will include the definition of parties and of a trade item. Their properties and definitions come from existing GS1 standards including Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) and Global Product Classification (GPC). The exceptions to this rule include the definition of Offering and Thing which do not exist in any of the above standards.
Specifically designed standards and guidelines create structured data about a product. This organizes your product data into logical, consistent categories that make it easier for search engines to understand and display to potential customers.
This information can be linked to a product’s GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), which generates search results that are more accurate and detailed, giving online shoppers the information they are looking for.
GS1 pilot research indicates that products with structured data appear three positions higher in search results and that higher positions lead to a 30% increase in web traffic.
Read the GS1 FAQ (Document link opens in new tab.) to understand how SmartSearch is being rolled out to market, and how it works with GTINs and search engines such as Google.
Join the pilot program (External link opens in new tab.) to test GS1 SmartSearch on your own web pages.