Google just came out with a new feature that will forever change the results of broad non-brand product searches. Now searching for terms like “Summer Dresses” or “Winter Coats” will yield Google’s Showcase Shopping Ads where there will be one main image complimented by two smaller related images to the right of it. Right under these images you can find a small area for a promotional message or for local retailers to include distance from the store to the user.
Image source: Google
When a user clicks on any of the Google Showcase Shopping Ads, the user is taken to a landing page with other related products that are being sold by the seller. Advertisers will only be charged when a user clicks to an actual product landing page, not by a click from search results. Retailers should be wary of the effect this change may have on their advertising campaigns and should prepare to make changes. Showcase Shopping ads will be the standard Shopping format in the US, UK, and Australian market.
The premium version of Showcase Shopping Ads is still in the works, and premium price has not yet been figured out. On another note for merchants using TrueView, product ads that show up next to instream Youtube videos, get excited for additional branding opportunities. Now you can have a companion banner which allows for a carousel scroll of products for viewing. Additionally, advertisers can pick products and arrange them in whatever way they want with the new product picker feature, instead of depending on Google’s dynamic product featuring.
Lastly, international sellers will be happy to hear that an automatic currency conversion will show product price both in user’s current location’s currency and in currency of merchant’s location. If a product is sold in the US and internationally, the currency will therefore show up in a PLA.
Brian Roizen is the Cofounder and Chief Architect of Feedonomics, a full-service feed optimization platform that optimizes product data for hundreds of channels. He has been featured on numerous podcasts and eCommerce webinars, and regularly contributes to Search Engine Land and other industry-leading blogs. Brian graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
