Author Archives: Bill Ready

New ways to find shopping inspiration on Google

Shopping online is as much about inspiration and discovery as it is about the final purchase. People are shopping across Google more than a billion times a day, and we have been working to make those experiences even more helpful by expanding your options. We’re here to help you find new ideas, discover unique products or get the best value from the widest possible range of merchants — from large retailers, marketplaces and well-known brands, to local stores and new direct-to-consumer companies.

We’ve made a number of changes over the last couple of years to improve your shopping experience, including giving you more choice when you shop on Google. For example, we’ve made it free for merchants to list on Google and made it easy for sellers on Shopify and other digital platforms to start selling on Google, so their products and inventory are discoverable for shoppers.

And today, we’re adding new tools to make it easier for shoppers to browse for inspiration, find new products and brands and ultimately find what they’re looking for in a more visual way.

Shop in the moment with Google Lens

We know that inspiration can strike at any time. Whether it’s an image that you see online, a photo you saved on your phone or something in the real world that catches your eye, Google Lens makes the products you see instantly shoppable.

Starting soon, iOS users will see a new button in the Google app to make all the images on a page searchable through Google Lens. Now, finding this lamp or that shirt (and ones like it) is just a tap away.

We’re also bringing Lens to Chrome on your desktop. Soon, you will be able to select images, video and text content on a website with Lens to quickly see search results in the same tab — without leaving the page you’re on.

Looking at ApartmentTherapy.com from the Google app for iOS, tap the “search images” button at the bottom in order to see information about the products on the screen, as well as similar products.

Shop in the moment with Lens in the Google app for iOS

Window shop right from Search

Starting today, we’re making it easier to browse for clothing, shoes and accessories on mobile right from your Search results. For example, when you search for “cropped jackets,” we’ll show you a visual feed of jackets in various colors and styles, alongside other helpful information like local shops, style guides and videos. From there, you can easily filter your search by style, department, brand and more – and when you find something you like, you can check out ratings, reviews and even compare prices to get the best deal.

This new experience is powered by Google’s Shopping Graph, a comprehensive, real-time dataset of products, inventory, and merchants with more than 24 billion listings. This not only helps us connect shoppers with the right products for them, it also helps millions of merchants and brands get discovered on Google every day.

A search for “cropped jackets” shows a visual, scrollable results page with products and helpful information like styling guides

Browse and explore options for cropped jackets on mobile right from Search

Search in-store inventory from home

Shoppers are increasingly starting their in-person shopping experience online. Before heading out the door, you can find local stores that carry the products you want right from Search. And starting today, when you are looking for products like “kids bike helmet” or even a specific brand, you can select the “in stock” filter to see only the nearby stores that have it on their shelves.

A search for “kids bike helmet near me” using the new “in stock” filter shows retailers in San Francisco with kids bike helmets on their shelves, clicking into Mike’s Bikes of San Francisco.

You can now use the “in stock” filter to see only the nearby stores with a specific item on their shelves.

Showing in-store availability is especially valuable for small businesses, helping them attract new local customers. For example, a mother-daughter duo in Greenville, South Carolina discovered local toy store Hollipops Fine Toys and Gifts after searching for “squishmallows” near them. Check out their story (and find out what a "squishmallow" is).

Hollipops Fine Toys and Gifts got discovered by shoppers looking for Squishmallows, a plush toy

Throughout the entire process — from the first spark of an idea, to the final purchase — Google is helping to breathe new life into shopping experiences.

Source: Google Ads & Commerce

New ways to find shopping inspiration on Google

And today, we’re adding new tools to make it easier for shoppers to browse for inspiration, find new products and brands and ultimately find what they’re looking for in a more visual way.

Shop in the moment with Google Lens

Shop in the moment with Lens in the Google app for iOS

Window shop right from Search

Browse and explore options for cropped jackets on mobile right from Search

Search in-store inventory from home

You can now use the “in stock” filter to see only the nearby stores with a specific item on their shelves.

Throughout the entire process — from the first spark of an idea, to the final purchase — Google is helping to breathe new life into shopping experiences.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Get discovered and build your brand on Google

There are now over one billion shopping sessions happening across Google every day. More consumers are shopping online than ever before, and they’re meeting a brand-new generation of digital-first retailers, each with their own unique products, stories and values to share. At Google, we’re working on more ways to bridge the connection between retailers and consumers, so that retailers can build direct and lasting relationships with their customers.

Last week at Google I/O, we announced a new Shopify integration, and today, we’re sharing that retailers on WooCommerce, GoDaddy and Square will soon be able to integrate with Google easily and for free. This open ecosystem approach means that retailers will have even more ways to get discovered across Google, and shoppers will have even more choice.

As this generational shift to e-commerce accelerates, having a digital presence is just the minimum — it’s now imperative for you as a retailer to stand out and speak directly to your customers. That’s why today at Google Marketing Livestream, we’re introducing new tools that will help tell your unique brand story, from the point of discovery to checkout.

Build your brand and highlight what makes you unique

We’re reimagining entirely new ways to help you connect with your customer at decision making points in the journey - across Search, Shopping, Images, Maps and YouTube. Soon, you’ll have the ability to curate how your brand appears on Google through videos, rich lifestyle imagery and interactive story formats, for free.

This past year has made consumers more aware than ever that who they buy from shapes the world they live in. 71% of consumers want to identify and buy from companies aligned to the values that matter most to them, according to a recent study by 5WPR. We’ve listened to this feedback, and following the successful launch of a Black-owned business attribute earlier this year, we’ll launch new identity attributes, including a women-led attribute, soon.

An animation showing a search for planter stands and a store that identifies as Black-owned in the shopping tab results.

Nine in 10 shoppers say they spend more or the same on beauty products online than before the pandemic, according to a PowerReviews Survey. What if you could use digital to offer the kinds of “hands-on” experiences that inspire consumers in real life? We launched an AR (augmented reality) makeup kit try-on experience for lipstick and eyeshadow, and soon consumers will be able to find that perfectly matching foundation, from brands like L'Oreal and Estee Lauder.

Consumers also want to visualize how clothing will look on them. We’re rolling out a new AR apparel experience to show shoppers how different tops appear on people like them.

Once you’ve attracted a new customer by highlighting your unique benefits, you have the opportunity to turn them into a loyal customer. We’re piloting a merchant loyalty program integration that lets customers see your special loyalty pricing and benefits — including free shipping — when they first start shopping on Google.

If a consumer has a loyalty account with you, they will be able to instantly link it. If a consumer doesn’t, they’ll be able to easily join your loyalty program with a click of the “Create Account” button. You can see how it works in the Sephora Beauty Insider example below.

The power of branding has never been more important, but we also know sometimes consumers are just looking for a good deal. Searches for “discount code” have increased 50% since last year, and these searches are great moments for you to drive more sales.

Later this year we’ll make it easier for shoppers to discover your brand’s promotions, just in time for seasonal shopping. We’ll launch a deals results page on Search and the Shopping tab. New real-time, deal optimization reporting is also coming to Merchant Center.

These are just a few examples of how we’re innovating to help you differentiate and make a deeper connection with consumers shopping across Google channels billions of times each day.

An animation showing Black Friday deals on Google Shopping

Attract customers by offering flexible checkout options

The bar is high for consumers who now expect more buying options than ever before. Over the past year, “available near me” and “curbside pickup” searches surged, and searches for "in stock" have grown globally by over 800% year over year.

That’s why we’re offering new ways to show consumers all the buying options you offer — online, in-store and across Google. Your local inventory ads can now show products that are available for immediate store pick up, curbside pickup or pick up later.

Curbside pickup and in-store shopping labels are now extending to YouTube and Maps local ads, to help you reach even more nearby shoppers, in more places.

From left to right: An image showing curbside pick up, and pick up later options, for a classic toaster. An image showing In-store shopping and curbside pickup labels for YouTube local ads. An image showing In-store shopping and curbside pickup labels for Maps local ads

We’re also building a new free experience that will help you show your customers all the ways they can buy products from you. When a customer discovers your products on Google, they’ll see a summary of all the buying options you offer in one place. Whether it’s your e-commerce site, nearby store, or Google’s native checkout flow, this new cohesive format will make shopping easier for customers who expect convenience, and help you neatly showcase your brand’s expanded omni channel offerings. Coming soon, merchants will have the option to enable Shop Pay as a buying option, giving their customers more options for an easy checkout experience.

We’re currently testing this new buying experience on Search and the Shopping tab, and plan to bring it to YouTube and Images later this year.

Together, we’re building a better future for e-commerce: a future where your brand’s unique products, services, stories and values are front and center to the consumer. We’re incredibly excited to deliver these features to you throughout the year. Learn more about these product updates today at Google Marketing Livestream. Check out our keynote at g.co/gml2021.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Working with merchants to give you more ways to shop

We want to help people discover, learn about and shop for the products they love — whether those products come from a big-box retailer, new direct-to-consumer brands or the mom-and-pop shop down the street. We're supporting an open network of retailers and shoppers to help businesses get discovered and give people more options when they're looking to buy. Two concrete steps we’ve taken to support discoverability for all merchants are eliminating commission fees and making it free for sellers on Google.

To show you the most relevant shopping information, we must have a deep understanding of the products that appear across Google and in the world around us — from images and videos to online reviews and inventory in local stores. That’s why today we shed some light on the technology behind our Shopping Graph: our most comprehensive, real-time dataset about products, inventory and merchants.

The Shopping Graph is a dynamic, AI-enhanced model that understands a constantly-changing set of products, sellers, brands, reviews and most importantly, the product information and inventory data we receive from brands and retailers directly — as well as how those attributes relate to one another. With people shopping across Google more than a billion times a day, the Shopping Graph makes those sessions more helpful by connecting people with over 24 billion listings from millions of merchants across the web. It works in real-time so people can discover and shop for products that are available right now.

An animation showing blue and gray tiles coming together to form the Google Shopping Graph — The Google Shopping Graph.

Having a deep understanding of the world’s products is just one piece of the puzzle. To help more merchants get discovered, it’s important that we support like-minded partners who share in Google’s mission to democratize e-commerce. That’s why today at Google I/O, we announced that we’re expanding our partnership with Shopify, introducing a new, simplified process that will let Shopify’s 1.7 million merchants feature their products across Google in just a few clicks. This new collaboration with Shopify will enable merchants to become discoverable to high-intent consumers across Google Search, Shopping, YouTube, Google Images and more.

As we eliminate barriers like fees and improve our technology, we’ve seen a 70% increase in the size of our product catalog and an 80% increase in merchants on our platform. But exactly how do these sellers and their products show up across Google? Search, Shopping, Image Search and YouTube are popular ways for people to research and discover products. Today we announced even more ways to get discovered by people shopping every day.

Discover more with new shopping experiences

We know it’s easy to get inspired just by strolling your neighborhood, browsing a magazine or taking note of something online. That’s why we’re building new, more integrated shopping experiences to meet you where you already are. For instance, one of the most popular ways people take note of things they like is by taking a screenshot — but it’s not always easy to take action on those screenshots afterward. Now, when you view any screenshot in Google Photos, there will be a suggestion to search the photo with Lens, allowing you to see search results that can help you find that pair of shoes or wallpaper pattern that caught your eye.

An animation showing a screenshot of an athlete, and Lens searching that screenshot for the sneakers he is wearing. — Using Lens to find that perfect pair of sneakers.

We also know that shopping isn’t always a linear experience. You may open your browser intending to shop, but switch your focus to an email or news article or you might not be ready to buy yet. That’s why, along with other new modules in Chrome that help you pick up where you left off, we’re introducing a new feature in Chrome that works locally on your device to let you see your open carts when you open a new tab. So when you step away or browse on other sites, you can pick up your shopping right where you left off.

An animation showing the Chrome browser highlighting shopping carts from four retailers — Reminders for your shopping carts in Chrome.

Once you’re ready to make your purchase, we want to make it easy for you to get the best value for the products you’re buying. Coming soon, we’ll let you link your favorite loyalty programs from merchants like Sephora to your Google account to show you the best purchase options across Google, helping brands and their customers foster a stronger, more direct relationship.

We’ll continue to work toward bringing you a better shopping experience. Be sure to tune into Google Marketing Live (GML) next week to hear more updates.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Working with merchants to give you more ways to shop

Discover more with new shopping experiences

We’ll continue to work toward bringing you a better shopping experience. Be sure to tune into Google Marketing Live (GML) next week to hear more updates.

Source: The Official Google Blog

3 ways to help shoppers find the latest holiday deals

Last holiday season in the U.S., Google was used by more shoppers related to their shopping than any other source.¹ In fact, when looking for competitively-priced products, 40 percent of global shoppers say they turn to Google to find the best deal.² As more people are already shopping online for the holidays, retailers will have to adapt quickly to be ready for this consumer demand.

In light of these shifting consumer behaviors, we’re offering more ways to help you capture increased holiday demand by making it easier and faster to apply product promotions, boosting your visibility to new customers, and providing new tools to uncover meaningful insights from your performance.

Easily highlight promotions to stand out

To help retailers maximize exposure of their deals—doorbusters or evergreen—promotions will be available to all U.S. retailers and will be significantly easier to use for the holidays. You can expect faster average approval times and easier editing features for promotions. This means that you are now able to better react to shopper demand, like extending an existing promotional period or participating in a flash sale.

"Running promotions on Google helped us exponentially grow demand and ROI," says Emily Kulcyk, Manager of Search Marketing at Urban Outfitters. "The faster approval times also drove sales volume for our flash sales because we didn’t miss a portion of the day awaiting review."

We’re also expanding our promotions to more surfaces across Google. Products on promotion will now have an annotation when they appear on both free listings and ads in the Shopping tab, Google Images (mobile-only) and local inventory ads on Search. This means that your promotions will show up in more places, helping you connect with potential customers regardless of whether you advertise with us or not.

Example of Shopping ads on Google Images (U.S. only). Shows sales price annotation and promotion annotation. — Example of Shopping ads on Google Images (U.S. only)

Get your products in front of new shoppers

58 percent of U.S. holiday shoppers bought from at least one brand last holiday season that they hadn’t before.³ To get in front of these new customers, you can now list your products on Google for free around the world. Retailers can also opt-in to free local listings in the Merchant Center, enabling your in-store products to appear in free listings across Google surfaces, like Search and the Shopping tab.

In addition, we’ve introduced new ways for businesses to engage local customers looking to pickup nearby, and to highlight fast and free shipping. Now, verified retail merchants in the U.S. can add links to their online store directly to their Business Profile on Google, so shoppers can easily place a pickup or delivery order for the holiday season when researching local businesses.

You’ll also be able to elevate your paid advertising by optimizing for new customers via the new customer acquisition goal and creating more compelling display creatives in your Smart Shopping campaigns.⁴ These new layouts can help you showcase your top products, feature your own uploaded videos or highlight auto-generated videos from your product data.

Customers continue to see success when using Smart Shopping campaigns for reaching new customers. Merkle was able to drive new traffic to more than 36 percent of in-stock inventory and increase revenue by 13 times in the dresses category for a large multi-category retailer by switching to Smart Shopping campaigns. Find out more about how Smart Shopping campaigns can help you easily respond to real-time holiday demand.

Get the full picture of your performance with more insights

Last month, Performance Planner expanded to Shopping campaigns and Smart Shopping campaigns to help you plan your budgets more effectively during peak season. In addition, within the next month, you can expect auction insights, like impression and outranking share, to show how you’re performing in specific product categories compared to others. This can be found in the Google Ads Report Editor for your Search and Shopping campaigns.

Screenshot of auction insights within Google Ads Report Editor — New auction insights within Google Ads Report Editor, available for retail categories.

In Merchant Center, you’ll also be able to use the new Report Editor and see additional metrics, like impressions and click-through rate, across your free listings and ads. Using these tools, retailers can soon get the full picture for their performance so they can adapt and adjust to holiday traffic changes.

While this year has posed many challenges for retailers, we’re committed to helping you be prepared to sell online this holiday season and connect with new customers. Ready to get started? Check out our insights and best practices for driving holiday sales this year.

^{1. Google/Ipsos, “Holiday Shopping Study”, November 2019 – January 2020, Online survey, United States, n=6122 online Americans 18+ who shopped for the Holidays in the past two days.
2. Google / Ipsos, Global Retail Study, Feb 2019. Base: Total sample (n=14206) Global (excl. China) online 18+ who shopped in the last week. Countries included: AR, AU, BR, CA, CZ, FR, DE, IN, ID, IT, JP, KR, MX, NL, PL, PT, RU, SA, ZA, ES, SE, TR, UA, UK, US, AE, VN
3. Google/Ipsos, “Holiday Shopping Study”, November 2019 – January 2020, Online survey, United States, n=6122 online Americans 18+ who shopped for the Holidays in the past two days.
4. In Europe, Smart Shopping campaigns can be used with any Comparison Shopping Service (CSS) you work with. The ads will show on general search results pages and on any other surfaces the CSS has opted in to.}

Source: Google Ads & Commerce

Consumers are already holiday shopping online. Are you ready?

According to research we began with Ipsos over the summer, consumer behavior is showing a surprising trend: 1 in 4 US holiday shoppers said they had already started shopping for the season as early as July. This means businesses need to be ready to reach consumers earlier than ever before as they look for inspiration for everything from new home office equipment to the perfect gift—as they research and shop on Google, watch product videos on YouTube, scroll for new ideas in Discover, or browse the web.

With the pandemic fundamentally changing how consumers worldwide shop in 2020, retailers will have to adapt quickly to meet holiday demand. To help you stay ahead of the curve, we've identified five big shiftsin shopping behavior that retailers will need to anticipate. For more insights and solutions, be sure to check out the full guide.

Be ready for 5 shifts in shopping behavior

A month-long Cyber Monday: 62 percent of US shoppers say they'll start holiday shopping earlier to avoid crowds. This means retailers will need to rethink the usual timelines for Cyber Monday and Cyber Week to help shoppers already looking for special offers and deals this October.

Digital newcomers driving growth:69 percent of US shoppers plan to shop online for the holidays more than in previous years, with more people going online to browse and buy for the very first time. Due to this overall trend toward online shopping this year, retailers will need to be ready to offer helpful, frictionless shopping experiences for more first-time online shoppers.

A skew toward online SKUs:77 percent of US holiday shoppers say they intend to browse for gift ideas online, not in-store. With more purchase decisions being made online, retailers will need to bring the best of their store online and be ready to help customers complete their purchase journey offline—whether they visit in-store, pick up curbside, or choose delivery to their door.

The purpose-driven shopper: 66 percent of US holiday shoppers say they will shop more at local small businesses—retailers are being called to action to help local shoppers identify them and make it as easy as possible to discover their products and make a purchase.

Something new & something known: With a third of US shoppers having purchased from a brand that was new to them during COVID-19, shoppers are ready to discover new brands and retailers as they shop for what they already know. To connect with new or repeat customers, retailers should get their products front and center with shoppers on the lookout for ideas and inspiration.

Help more holiday shoppers find you easily—online and offline

73 percent of US holiday shoppers have told us they plan to shop online more for the holidays during COVID-19. This week, it will be even easier for businesses to reach holiday shoppers with the global launch of free listings on the Shopping tab. Retailers are already seeing positive results: Woodland Direct, a large e-commerce retailer for outdoor products in the United States, was able to drive an estimated 5% increase in revenue without increasing their budget, based on internal benchmark data. And Sharper Image, a global retailer for consumer electronics and home gadgets, saw a 3.8% increase in website traffic at no additional cost by listing their products for free.

If you're a retailer with a physical storefront, make sure shoppers on Google can find the most up-to-date information about your store hours and locations, products and promotions, and pickup or in-store service options. Just create or update your Business Profile on Google or update your listings through Google Merchant Center. You can also use Local campaigns to reach nearby shoppers in more places across Google, including on YouTube, Maps, Search and Display.

For leading pet specialty retailer Petco, adjusting to meet expectations from pet owners sheltering-in-place has been key for successful holiday planning. After seeing a surge in searches for “curbside pickup,” Petco shifted to offer more delivery and pickup options. The brand then used Search, Shopping and Local inventory ads to promote its new offerings, driving a 100 percent increase in its e-commerce business and a 66 percent decrease in customer acquisition costs year-over-year.

Whether you’re a major retail chain or a small business, holiday shoppers are already on the lookout for compelling offers and products from you on Google. We look forward to helping you be ready for them during the biggest shopping season of the year with our new 5 shifts in shopping behavior guide.

Source: Google Ads & Commerce

Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

Over the past few months, we’ve made significant changes to help businesses reach more consumers and help people find the best products, prices and places to buy online. We made it free for retailers to list productson Google Shopping in the U.S., and we brought these free listings to Search as well.

Today, we’re taking another important step to make it easier for retailers to sell on Google. Soon, sellers who participate in our Buy on Google checkout experience will no longer have to pay us a commission fee. And, we’re giving retailers more choice by opening our platform to third-party providers—starting with PayPal and Shopify.

These changes are about providing all businesses—from small stores to national chains and online marketplaces—the best place to connect with customers, regardless of where a purchase eventually occurs. With more products and stores available for discovery and the option to buy directly on Google or on a retailer’s site, shoppers will have more choice across the board.

Here’s more on what’s new for retailers:

Zero commission fees when customers buy your products on Google

While retailers have several options for driving traffic to their website with free listings or with Shopping ads, many also use Buy on Google to give shoppers a convenient way to purchase something right when they discover it. By removing our commission fees, we’re lowering the cost of doing business and making it even easier for retailers of all sizes to sell directly on Google, starting with a pilot that we’ll expand to all eligible sellers in the U.S. over the coming months. Learn more about the requirements for the pilot and sign up to join the waitlist.

Bring your own third-party providers, starting with PayPal and Shopify

We’ve heard from retailers that they want the ability to choose their preferred services for things like payment processing, inventory, and order management. That’s why we’re opening our platform to more digital commerce providers, beginning with Shopify for inventory and order management and PayPal and Shopify for payment processing. So, if a retailer wants to sell directly on Google, they can get started even faster and continue using the tools and services that already work for their business. Or, if they’re new to selling online, they’ll be able to choose from multiple options when they sign up in our Merchant Center.

Import your inventory with just a few clicks

To simplify our tools and make them more compatible with merchants’ existing processes, we’re enabling commonly-used product feed formats. This means retailers can connect their inventory to sell directly on Google without having to reformat their data. We’re also adding a new option to let retailers add product information (like images or technical specs) by pulling from our existing database rather than having to upload it themselves.

More products, more sellers, more choice

As we’ve made it easier for a broader set of retailers to sell on Google this year, we’re also seeing a significant increase in demand to buy from and support small businesses. To help people discover these smaller merchants, we also plan to add a new small business filter on the Google Shopping tab and will continue adding features to help small businesses participate in online commerce.

Everything we’re announcing today will roll out first in the U.S., and we’re looking toward international launches later this year and in 2021. While we still have much work ahead of us, our goal is to make digital commerce more accessible for retailers of all sizes all around the world, giving consumers more choice and more ways to find the best products, stores, and prices.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Bringing free retail listings to Google Search

When shopping online, it can be daunting to find the right product, the best seller, or the best value. People often have many high quality choices available but aren't always aware of them all or don't have an easy way to access them. For many merchants, connecting with customers in a digital environment is still relatively new territory or a smaller part of their business. However, consumer preference for online shopping has increased dramatically, and it’s crucial that we help people find all the best options available and help merchants more easily connect with consumers online.

Free listings on Google Search

We recently announced that product results on the Google Shopping tab in the U.S. will consist primarily of free listings. This change has already produced a significant increase in user engagement, with both clicks and impressions up substantially for merchants, meaning consumers are finding more of the products they’re looking for from a wider range of options. Sellers of all sizes are benefitting from this incremental traffic, particularly small and medium-sized businesses. And we already see that these changes will help generate billions of dollars in sales for retailers and brands in the U.S., on an annual basis.

Now, we’re bringing free listings to the main Google Search results page in the U.S., helping shoppers choose the products and sellers that will serve them best, from the widest variety of options.

More business for your business

Free listings in Google Search results makes your offers more accessible to the hundreds of millions of people who shop on Google each day, connecting you to more customers in more places—whether they’re across the country or across the street. Initially, free listings on Google Search will appear in a product knowledge panel that shows buying options for a particular item, like this tea kettle:

Today, the buying options in this panel are all sponsored links. Starting this summer, these listings will be free. We’re rolling this out in the U.S., first on mobile, followed later by desktop. Learn more about listing your products for free across Google surfaces in our help center.

Finally, Shopping ads continue to be a great tool for merchants to engage with consumers and will appear separately at the top of the page, clearly marked like Google’s other ad units. Merchants can choose how to show up and shoppers can choose where to click.

Another step towards more choice

Free listings on Google Search are a big step forward in democratizing access to digital commerce, benefitting shoppers and merchants with more choices across the board. We’ll have even more updates soon, so stay tuned.

Source: The Official Google Blog

It’s now free to sell on Google

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, we’re advancing our plans to make it free for merchants to sell on Google. Beginning next week, search results on the Google Shopping tab will consist primarily of free listings, helping merchants better connect with consumers, regardless of whether they advertise on Google. With hundreds of millions of shopping searches on Google each day, we know that many retailers have the items people need in stock and ready to ship, but are less discoverable online.

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. 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.

These changes will take effect in the U.S. before the end of April, and we aim to expand this globally before the end of the year. Our help center has more details on how to participate in free product listings and Shopping ads.

We’re also kicking off a new partnership with PayPal to allow merchants to link their accounts. This will speed up our onboarding process and ensure we’re surfacing the highest quality results for our users. And we’re continuing to work closely with many of our existing partners that help merchants manage their products and inventory, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, to make digital commerce more accessible for businesses of all sizes.

Solutions during this crisis will not be fast or easy, but we hope to provide a measure of relief for businesses and lay the groundwork for a healthier retail ecosystem in the future.