Google understands the power of images. To remain competitive with visual platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram, Google is introducing a feature called shoppable ads on Google Images. With this new format, shopping online through image search just became easier than ever.
Shoppable Ads
According to Google’s blog, half of online shoppers say that images of a product inspire them to make a purchase. And Google has responded to that input with shoppable ads on Google Images. The format, which allows advertisers to highlight multiple products for sale within a sponsored ad appearing in Google Images results, is currently being tested with select retailers.
The format works as follows:
- A shopper searching for, say, home office ideas on their desktop or mobile device, can pull up a series of sponsored ads in Google Images.
- Retailers have the ability to tag several products in an ad.
- When the consumer scrolls through these ads, they can hover over items for sale in any given image and learn specific details—like price and brand—about those items.
Being There for the Consumer
The new development is significant. By making it easier to make purchases using the power of visual search, Google demonstrates a real understanding of how consumers shop. According to Adweek, it also makes Google competitive in an arena in which Pinterest and Instagram are making headway. (On Pinterest alone, people conduct hundreds of millions of visual searches monthly.) As Daniel Alegre, president, retail shopping and payments at Google, said during a keynote at the retail conference Shoptalk, “No journey is exactly alike. With so many choices and awareness, awareness is about being there when the consumer is looking for you.”
For more information about how to use images in your online advertising, contact True Interactive.
Image source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-introduces-shoppable-ads-on-google-images/296551/
