Recently, after logging in to Google Base, I noticed a new feature that appears on the “My Items” tab underneath “Active Items,” “Inactive Items” and “Bulk Upload Files” (see screenshot below). The feature asked me to answer questions about my items like “In the following product description, does ‘Silk’ refer to fabric such as a silk tie?” The answers it provided for me to choose from were, “Yes,” “Not Applicable” and “No.” Since the word ’silk’ on my site refers to a material which fake plants are made from I answered “No.” The note Google leaves states that “a record of your answers will be retained by Google and used to improve the quality for your feed as well as our own products and services.”

Note From eCopt: This article has been updated since it originally posted. It now features answers directly from Google about the Base Question feature. See eCopt's questions and Google's answers at the bottom of this page.

This isn’t the first time Google Base has tried this feature out, however it looks like it is appearing more often now and under a wider variety of products or items. I think it’s a good thing and should be something Google considers keeping around permanently. They can even use it similarly with other Google services such as images, local, video, Webmaster tools and more.

(Unfortunately, I didn’t grab a screenshot when I was logged into Base. Luckily, when I searched on this topic I found I wasn’t the only one to notice this new feature and was able to find a screenshot of what the feature looks like. It comes from a post on Marketing Pilgrim. I deleted all the references made to the users account on the screenshot, so it may not look exactly like how it appears when you see it after logging in.)

It’s interesting to me to see Google using human interaction and feedback from merchants to get more detailed and accurate information about the products offered in individual Google Base accounts. It shows they really care about relevancy and goes to show that there are just some things that cannot be automated at this time. Obviously, they have taken their technology to it’s potential and it does a rather good job of producing accurate, relevant results, especially on common searches. In an attempt to go beyond what their technology can do, they have now began to ask questions and gather answers about products that may have multiple meanings, brand names, confusing terminology or uncommon items. It makes me wonder what other things Google will attempt to learn by asking for feedback and answers from human users and how they will use that data in with their current algorithms.

There are just some items that cannot be accurately described within the product description using text, but the best way to make sure Google knows what your items are is to use all the product attributes and include detailed information including the most relevant keywords along within your data feed file. This will help keep them from becoming confused by the way in which you word your descriptions and should keep your items appearing under relevant queries. I wonder, if by seeing this feature, that they are having trouble understanding certain items within certain accounts and if it could be a sign that your data feeds and product attributes need to be re-worked (hint, hint). Also, it isn’t clear as to how they plan on using the information they gather. It could be related to certain accounts, certain items or even possibly Google Base/Product Search as a whole. Only time will tell, but a post on Google Base blog would be nice. I am sure they will state something on their soon.

Here are some more tips on getting the most from data feed files.

I am glad Google has decided to implement more features like this. We have seen it with Webmaster tools in the past and now it appears they are expanding into new Google services. There are just some things that need a human touch and I think its a really smart way to learn about what actual people think, whether it’s about shopping, sites, or anything else. I urge our readers to participate if you use Google Base. If you notice Google asking you several questions about your products and it makes sense to you that wording is unclear, then consider tweaking your data feed file to reflect what they want to know. For instance, if they ask you if a word refers to a brand name, add the brand name attribute into your data feed and they shouldn’t have to wonder in the future. Makes sense, right?

Note from eCopt: I heard back from Google about the Google Base Question feature. Below are the three questions I asked and the three answers Google provided.

What is the new Google Base Question feature used for?

The question feature provides another level of detail which allows us to produce more relevant search results for our users. We are constantly trying to improve our understanding of data from providers and this feature is another way we are able to do so and provide higher quality search results.

This new feature also increases the content provider’s awareness of attributes in general, which in turn delivers a higher-quality user experience. With the additional detail around each provider’s item, search results are even more accurate as the user can enter a variety of search queries and receive the specific information he/she is looking for based on the extreme detail around each item contained within Base.

When the provider is actually answering questions about their items, they are giving the system additional tags for each search making it more able to classify and extract the accurate attributes for each individual product search.

What are your goals for this new feature?

We are constantly looking for ways to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. By improving the way providers are detailing their items within Base, we’re able to provide the right information for our users through more refined search results.

We’d like to encourage the providers using Base to list as many accurate descriptions of their items as possible in order to continuously improve on this product search area. The question feature is one way we are promoting this detailed itemization.

Do the search results show all items or just products?

The Base Question feature is just for products at the moment. As we improve on product search results with this feature, we are also working to expand this feature into other search areas.

Ah, finally some light has been shed on Google Base Question feature. Thanks Google. We appreciate the informative answers and your eagerness to inform Base users about new features, future goals and other feature questions.