Google recently announced that it is bringing free listings to the Google Shopping tab. Like how it allows websites to be listed on Google Search for free, listings for retailers are now eligible to appear on the Shopping tab free of charge. The details were unclear until recently when Google announced Surfaces Across Google. These new areas include Google Images, Google Search, and Google Lens. Marketers can augment paid campaigns with these free listings, resulting in rich, organic search results. The audience will now see more products from more stores, discoverable through the Google Shopping Tab, so you will want to use all the tools available to be front and center. In order to give their users the best possible experience, Google wants to incentivize companies to at least upload their inventories, even if they’re not ready to launch any paid campaigns.
1. What are Surfaces Across Google?
Hundreds of millions of consumers initiate shopping-related searches on Google every day. The Surfaces Across Google program allows searchers to see in-store products in unpaid product listings across Google Search, Google Images, Google Shopping, Google Maps, and Google Lens. Here are examples of how unpaid listings would appear on each Google surface:
- Google Shopping Tab : Shopping Ads can appear on the main search engine results page or under the shopping tab. To make use of Google Shopping, retailers will need to use two platforms: Google AdWords and Google Merchant Center. This allows shoppers to see more products from more stores. Product attributes such as price, availability, and ratings are eligible to show in unpaid, organically-ranked listings.
- Google Search : When users utilize Google Search to shop for products, they require results that are more visual than a typical listing. Therefore, Google will show listings that include images, titles, brands, ratings, and more product information. Consumers can explore products offered by several brands and retailers, with links directly to their web store where they can make a purchase.
- Google Maps : When a search is performed near a local store for a product that’s available in-store, the location listing will appear in Google Search as a Google Maps result. The listing will include store rating, address, hours, phone number, in-store availability, as well as the approximate distance from the searcher.
- Google Images : When users look for products and brands on Google Images, they will see images labeled with the “Product” annotation. This tells them that the product displayed is available for purchase. Product details including price, availability, ratings, and brand, can display directly on the image as well as in the expanded view of the image.
2. How To Implement Surfaces Across Google?
To become eligible, participating merchants must upload a complete product data feed to Google Merchant Center or implement detailed markup on each product page. The most effective way to make your products eligible is to set up a product feed in Google Merchant Center. All products and behavior need to abide by general Google’s policies and Google Shopping policies. To set up a Merchant Center account, additionally you will need access to various business and tax information. You will also need documented policies such as shipping information, privacy policy, and a return policy.
3. Who is eligible for Surfaces Across Google?
Surface Across Google program is open for all Merchants. Anyone can have benefits of this, they just need to have the following:
- Online Store
- Merchant Center Account
- Product feed with Structured Data Markup
4. What are the advantages of selling on Surfaces Across Google?
- Get Highly Targeted and Qualified Traffic: One of the best things about Google Surface across Platforms is that it will give you highly targeted and qualified traffic. A much more exciting thing about it is that Google will display your product much more like Product Listing Ads.
- Reach the Untapped Audience: Surface across Google will help you to tap the users who are not recognized or are untapped from brand or product. It’s beneficial for companies who are not paying to get traffic to their website, and it will also give additional traffic to companies who are currently running ads. So just optimize your product for Google images with descriptions and enable all steps for “surface across Google” and enjoy completely free customers.
- No need to spend a lot: You don’t have to spend anything, Google offers you greater visibility across Google surfaces for free. You just have to upload your product feed to the Merchant Center. So its a good option for people who are not ready to start spending on ads right away
If you haven’t switched over to Surfaces across Google, it’s high time you utilize the Google shopping feature to generate higher ROI and redefine your e-commerce strategies.
Do you require a more precise plan to help your product stand out when it comes to Google Ads? Our digital marketing team will be happy to help. With profound knowledge, Let’s Goo Social delivers data-driven digital marketing services across various platforms starting from Google to Facebook to Linkedin. We specialize in branding, website development, email marketing, PPC, social media marketing, SEO, influencer marketing. Call us at IN: +91 9087706000 | SG: +65 8008526877 and our team of digital marketing specialists will help you sky-rocket your brand like no other.
