How to Use Google Shopping to Get a Great Deal

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Do you know whether the item you want to buy is a good deal? You can find out by comparison shopping with Google Shopping, formerly called Froogle.

Our ClarkDeals.com team uses Google Shopping with other comparison pricing methods to find and post the best bargains from around the web.

How Google Shopping Works

To use Google Shopping, all you need is a general category you want to research or the name of an item you want to buy. It’s much easier to price compare when you have a precise item in mind.

To search for a specific item, use the name of the item or an identifying number, like a model number.

The model number will be in different places on different websites, but you’ll often find it in the fine print.

google shopping model number
HomeDepot.com

You won’t want to use a retailer’s SKU number because the SKUs are used by individual stores to organize items in their systems.

Google Shopping may also show you related items when you’re searching. Typically, the first item will be an exact match for your search term, but farther down the screen, you might see other things like older models or other relevant products.

You can customize your search with different filters including price and seller.

How to Spot Scams and Fakes

Some retailers that show up on Google Shopping are scammers who are trying to take your hard-earned money.

To identify fake sellers:

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  • Read for misspellings
  • Test the website’s customer service contact info
  • Look for the company’s social media presence — especially on Facebook
  • Check for a security seal (pictured below)
google shopping security seal
HomeDepot.com

You can also go to the Better Business Bureau to help you to determine whether the site is reputable and to see if they have any customer complaints.

How to Know If You’re Getting the Best Deal

So how do you know if you’re getting a great price? Well, you’ll only know if you do your research.

One thing to keep in mind: Google Shopping is not going to show you the price of an item after a coupon is applied. You can find tons of current coupons for a variety of retailers at ClarkDeals.com.

Retailers often have coupons that may make the price even cheaper than the lowest-priced item you find on Google Shopping.

You may also find extra discounts by using a Google Chrome extension like Honey, which applies coupons to your shopping cart. You can also use website-specific trackers like the Amazon price tracker CamelCamelCamel.

Google Shopping also offers a built-in price tracking tool that will send you alerts when the price drops on select items. Once you’ve found an item you’re interested in purchasing, simply toggle the price tracker tool to “on” when available to receive price updates.

These and other browser extensions are a great way to keep track of items you’re interested in buying or plan to purchase multiple times.

Final Thought

Comparison shopping can add up to big savings over time, so always make sure to take that extra step.

Even though Google Shopping won’t always show you the whole picture, it’s a great tool for price comparisons. Of course, you can also find the best deals by visiting ClarkDeals.com and signing up for our deal alerts.

Do you use Google Shopping or another price comparison tool? Let us know about it in the comments below!

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