When I say data feed optimization (DFO), I mean any strategy or tactic to achieve better results on the shopping comparison engines (manipulating your data feed, bidding, properly setting up your account, proper categorization, etc.)…thus some companies call this comparison shopping optimization (CSO). Regardless of what you call it, the opportunities are real.

It’s time to think about data feed optimization just as you think about search engine optimization (SEO). It’s a war. You want to test out as many strategies as possible to out-do your opponents (merchants that sell similar products).

You want to take an hour every day to make sure your titles and descriptions contain the keywords that searchers would enter to find your products on the shopping engines. You want to add a customized attribute to your Google Base feed. You want to make sure that your products are categorized correctly. You want to review your click charges to make sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened (and if it did, get to the bottom of it as soon as possible). You want to add that extra optional field to any feed. And you want to track & be smart about A/B testing.

It’s time to realize that you can’t just put up a feed and expect great results overnight. You don’t expect your Adwords ads to have a high click-through rate from hour 1. You don’t expect to get ranked #1 in organic search for all your keywords immediately after making a change.

Yes, some of the placement on the shopping engines is due to bidding (and we’ll discuss bidding) but there’s a huge opportunity beyond or even before bidding.

It’s time to change your mindset and think about data feed optimization as an opportunity as opposed to thinking about the shopping comparison engines as your enemy. It’s time to love your feed.