Over a decade ago, I was the founder and CEO of a thriving international price comparison company. Back then, our business was booming: seven-digit monthly ad spends with Google, eight-digit revenues, and over 100 million paid leads delivered annual

Over a decade ago, I was the founder and CEO of a thriving international price comparison company. Back then, our business was booming: seven-digit monthly ad spends with Google, eight-digit revenues, and over 100 million paid leads delivered annually to thousands of online shops worldwide. Google was our closest partner—until they decided to go against us.

When Google launched Google Shopping , their goal was clear: dominate the price comparison sector by pushing existing providers out of the market. Overnight, I had to shut down my company, lay off employees, and liquidate our business. Like many others, we were forced to sue Google for abusing its dominant position. Those lawsuits eventually led to the Google CSS program , which required Google to pay billions in penalties.

Advertisers should monitor these changes closely as they may impact campaign performance, bidding strategies, and return on ad spend.

Fast forward to today, and I run adstrong , a company helping others maximize the benefits of the Google CSS program—benefits I fought for over a decade ago. Currently, we manage over 20% of all Google CSS accounts globally.

In this article, I’ll explain what the CSS program is, why it matters, and how businesses can leverage it to dominate their niche on Google Shopping in 2025. The Google CSS program (Comparison Shopping Services) emerged from the antitrust lawsuits against Google, ensuring fair competition in the price comparison sector. Essentially, it provides Google-certified price comparison companies with a unique status and privileges. If you run shopping ads in Europe—including the UK and Switzerland—you are using a CSS provider.

Key points

  • Those lawsuits eventually led to the Google CSS program , which required Google to pay billions in penalties.
  • Early estimates put this fee at around 20%, though today it’s likely slightly lower but still substantial.
  • Essentially, it provides Google-certified price comparison companies with a unique status and privileges.
  • If you use the default provider, Google Shopping Europe, they take a hidden percentage of your ad spend.
  • Whether you’re an agency or an online shop, the right strategy can turn a simple CPC boost into a powerful marketing tool.

Why it matters: May affect campaign performance, policy compliance, or optimization tactics.

Source: PPC Hero

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