Is Google base that big a deal?

I have looked at Google Base and use Google base but never really considered it to be that big of a deal. I personally have never bought from anyone because of their shopping listing in the SERPS. I notice some of my retailers in there when I check SERPS results for my products.

What makes me think of Google base all of a sudden? Well today a SEO company called me up which is by no means rare and was typically pretty painful. They claimed to specialise in Google base however and this caught my attention. Surely it is pretty simple stuff to just list your products – especially now in the age of data feeds.

I am going to give base some time this week and see if it is worth the effort, and whether there is any real expertise required. I struggle to believe anyone can specialise in Google base however I may be surprised!