Google is now offering free listings into its Shopping results as part of an evolution to better compete against Amazon in product search.
The retail sector has faced many threats over the years, which have only intensified during the coronavirus pandemic. With physical stores shuttered, digital commerce has become a lifeline for retailers. And as consumers increasingly shop online, they’re searching not just for essentials but also things like toys, apparel, and home goods. While this presents an opportunity for struggling businesses to reconnect with consumers, many cannot afford to do so at scale.
In light of these challenges, Google has advanced their plans to make it free for merchants to sell on Google.
Search results on the Google Shopping tab consists primarily of free listings, helping merchants better connect with consumers, regardless of whether they advertise on Google or not.
For retailers, this change means free exposure to millions of people who come to Google every day for their shopping needs. For shoppers, it means more products from more stores, discoverable through the Google Shopping tab.
What is Google Shopping ?
Google Shopping is a Google service that allows consumers to search for, compare, and shop for physical products across different retailers who have paid to advertise their products. This is also known as a Comparison Shopping Engine (CSE). Google Shopping results show up as thumbnail images that display each product’s retailer and price.
Why use Google Shopping ?
Why use Google Shopping? In short, it works.
- Google Shopping adds a visual touch to an otherwise text-heavy searching and shopping experience.
- Google Shopping allows you to show up multiple times in Google SERPs — as a website result, a text-only PPC result, and a Shopping result.
- Google Shopping is proven to have 30% higher conversion rates than text ads.
This is a great initiative by Google by making Google Shopping listings free for merchants and is the right time for every merchant to take advantage of this, without any delay.