Two years ago, Google made a new Google Merchant Center policy named Website needs improvement. Well, now free listings accounts with this issue status are still active, but their products have limited visibility on Google.
Google posted that they have updated the Google Merchant Center Editorial & technical requirements policy and the enforcement for the account issue “Website needs improvement” has changed.
Google wrote “Previously, Merchant Center accounts with the “Website needs improvement” issue status were automatically disapproved. Now, free listings accounts with this issue status are still active, but their products have limited visibility on Google. This change applies to free listings only.”
The “Website needs improvement” issue status means that your website is missing basic requirements to ensure customers have a seamless shopping experience. The policy is intended to protect customers from poor shopping experiences, such as incomplete websites, confusing or inaccurate product information, broken links on the website, etc, Google added.
Websites that aren’t fully-functional, don’t have business specific content, have information that is difficult to understand, or display product content that is incomplete Examples of this include websites that has broken links, templated content, placeholders of text or placeholders for images.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
