In Google Merchant is there any difference between google_product_type and product_type

[KentH]

It used to by that we needed to just submit a product type, and now Google wants a google product type that fits within the Google Taxonomy. We always submitted the old product_type in accordance with the Google Taxonomy anyway so now we have 2 columns one for google_product_type and one for just product_type and they are the exact same thing. This seems wrong but does anyone know if there should be a difference?

[Syed1]

Yes ,there is a difference. Product_type is the category that you think fits best for your productand google_product_type is the product type or product category that you think fits best within the category structure specified by Google - i.e. defined in Google product  taxonomy.

Here is Google's product  taxonomy: http://www.google.com/support/merchants/bin/answer.py?answer=160081

Sometimes your category might not be listed in their taxonomy, in which case you might want to list the on you think is closest to what the product is about.