eCommerce | July 23, 2015
Purchases On Google Coming Very Soon, Plus More!
There was a big announcement from Google last week and no, it wasn’t regarding a black and white animal. Users will soon be able to buy things straight from Google making the buying process easier than ever!
Get the lowdown on this latest online shopping development, plus other PPC news, here:
Purchasing On Google Through Product Listing Ads
For years it has been rumoured that Google has been working on adding a ‘Buy’ button to their search ads and this much-anticipated change may be happening sooner rather than later. Google announced this month that a pilot will be rolled out very soon with a small selection of online retailers.
However, it won’t be as simple as just clicking a big, bold button. ‘Buy on Google’ messaging will appear on the selected ads when users search using iOS and Android smartphones. When a user clicks on these ads, they’ll then be taken to a purchase page where they can enter their payment details and store them with Google for future purchases. The order is then passed onto the retailer who provides their regular service.
So, what is Google getting out of this? The search engine has no interest in becoming a retailer after all. It simply wants to act as a middle-man helping out with the order and payment process. The theory revolves around encouraging mobile users to carry out transactions on their mobile devices rather than a more traditional desktop. Google wants to be an authority on fast product discovery and speedy mobile purchasing in order to encourage marketers to spend more on mobile ads in search of higher conversion rates.
Whether this works or not is yet to be seen, but we’ll be paying particular attention to Google news once the trial has been rolled out.
Voice Controlled Search for Mobile Shopping
Do you use voice search to find products online? Then you may have noticed these changes already. Google has begun changing the format to the ads which appear as a result of this kind of search. These ‘new’ ads include rankings and ratings, something that Google says has seen click-through rates increase by 11%.
Much of this data will appear when a user swipes the product listing ad (PLA) and these new review cards will also show snippets of trusted online product reviews and product details in a similar way to Google’s knowledge panel results. Here users will also find nearby availability that links to Google Maps.
A Boost for In-Store Cards
There’s also going to be some changes when it comes to Local Inventory Ads. They’ve been performing well so far, so Google will be making sure more of these begin appearing in mobile search results. Plus, they’ll be given a little extra; when a user is near a store, a Google now in-store card may appear.
These in-store cards will detail sales, closing hours and loyalty card information, as well as a link to ‘Search Store Inventory’ which will take the user to the retail branded Google local storefront.
Also, Google Now users may spot a price drop card which will highlight any significant price drop on a product they have already viewed. Something that is sure to help current remarketing campaigns considerably.
Book a Hotel Direct Through Google
Last but not least is Google’s latest test, taking hotel reservations. Traditionally Google would have referred searchers to a third party, but they’re now attempting to get in on the action themselves. Google is currently testing direct booking capabilities which would work in a similar way to ‘Buy On Google’.
Essentially, Google will become an online travel agent, something that may prove hard as hoteliers would prefer bookings to be completed directly with them. So, watch this space. We’re not sure how this one’s going to work out.