Google Shopping listings are now available for free! Once only featuring paid ads on its Shopping tab, the search giant has added free ‘organic’ listings in an effort to expand its stake in ecommerce.
In response to some retailers struggling to find consumers online, especially during the pandemic where advertising budgets may not be at optimal levels, Google has unveiled this option to allow merchants to show their products across Google Shopping and reach millions of shoppers per day. For searches on the Google Shopping tab, results will be primarily free listings, much like on the Google search results page. Google Shopping ads will also still appear in these search results like they do today.
Google further explains that “for advertisers, this means paid campaigns can now be augmented with free listings. If you’re an existing user of Merchant Center and Shopping ads, you don’t have to do anything to take advantage of the free listings, and for new users of Merchant Center, we’ll continue working to streamline the onboarding process over the coming weeks and months.”
Given that Google facilitates the vast majority of search queries submitted online, it makes sense for them to bridge the gap between consumers and products by providing more in-stream buying and price matching options within its toolkit. Google’s further investment into ecommerce can also be linked to an October 2019 Google Shopping update that saw the price tracking feature introduced to all. This feature enables shoppers to keep tabs on items they like, in order to pick them up when the price drops.
Given Google has access to more shopping websites than any other platform, that could give its shopping tools an advantage, especially now that even more retailers will be looking to add free product listings. The appeal of provding free Google Shopping options for all merchants right now is it makes for a more inclusive and comprehensive shopping experience that some may say could rival Amazon – shipping capabilities aside.
For those looking to learn more about Google Shopping, businesses will need to sign up to its Merchant Center to get started. You can also opt into surfaces across Google during the Merchant Center sign up process and start creating your product feed.
PS: For more helpful resources and tools to support your online business, check out our latest Ecommerce Strategies Webinar here. We’ll share actionable tips to set up your brand for success, including key insights on emerging Ecommerce trends, tips on selecting the best advertising platforms and the role of SEO and reporting metrics in your marketing funnel.
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