Own Agency CSS vs. Third-Party Providers: Why Branding Below the Ad Retains Customers

[ 01 ]

The Catch with Standard CSS

If you run Google Shopping campaigns through a Comparison Shopping Service (CSS), you'll see the note "By [Name of CSS]" below each ad. If an agency uses a third-party CSS solution for this, the name of a third-party provider appears there – not the agency's.

This has two consequences: The agency's clients see a third-party brand in their own ads and eventually wonder what role this provider plays. And the traffic flowing from the "By [...]" link to the CSS comparison page lands with a third party who benefits from it.

[ 02 ]

The White Label Strategy

With its own White Label CSS, the agency itself acts as the CSS. "By [Your Agency]" then appears below its clients' Shopping ads. The technical infrastructure – comparison page, Merchant Center integration, Google approval – is provided by a white-label provider in the background.

To the client, this looks like a seamless service package from a single source. For the agency, it means: its own brand is visible in a place that the client sees daily in their campaigns.

[ 03 ]

The Business Advantage

Having your own CSS is a strong argument for customer retention. The CSS advantage is tied to the CSS operated by the agency. Changing agencies therefore becomes more complex and less attractive for the client, as they would have to switch part of their infrastructure.

At the same time, the agency strengthens its authority in e-commerce: it is not just a service provider, but an operator of a Google-recognized price comparison service. This is a clear differentiator in pitches compared to agencies that merely pass on third-party solutions.

And last but not least, the CSS itself becomes a source of income: The agency can charge its clients for the CSS as its own service – how much profit remains is shown by the profit calculator on this page.