Aside from having a Google Business Profile, you’ll need Google Shopping linked to a Google Merchant Center account to put your products right on the search results.
“Not another tool!” some would bemoan, but we ask you to give this one a chance because it has marketing magic up its sleeve.
Google Shopping in numbers
In 2023, eCommerce is still expected to grow despite more people venturing out of their homes and doing their shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. This calls for retailers to develop or refine a multi-channel experience that meets their customers’ needs at different points of their buying journey.
Despite more people going out nowadays, one major retail trend is that 50% of shoppers still prefer to purchase via online channels.
This means that your bestselling products should ideally be in front of your customer whenever they’re looking for them. But at what cost? Google Shopping tends to be slightly less expensive than your regular Google Ads – the average cost per click (CPC) is just one dollar, whereas, in Google Ads, the average is A$2.50.
Furthermore, according to The Media Captain, with around 1.2 billion monthly searches on Google Shopping, you’re bound to have a higher click-through rate – around 0.86% – especially since the product name and price are already visible.
And as we’ve mentioned in several articles, customers tend to search for products or businesses using their mobile devices. In fact, paid search results on mobile devices get around 65% of clicks.
Benefits of Google Shopping for your business
1. Put a spotlight on your products
One major benefit of having a Google Merchant Center account is that you can advertise via Google Shopping. All essential information will appear as ads for people looking for that specific product – aptly known as Product or Shopping Ads.
It hits two birds with one stone: Customers have access to the correct information and it gives them the chance to purchase immediately.
2. Performs better than regular text ads
As mentioned in the previous section, Google Shopping Ads tend to be a little cheaper than text-based ads and have a higher conversion rate. This is because a Shopping Ad already shows an image to a customer that has a high intent to buy.
Google Shopping ads also display well on mobile, making it easier for customers to find and purchase your products.
3. Easier to manage
Google Shopping is set up in your Google Merchant Center account – read here on how to set one up. From there, you can compile your product data, set up your products, and update your Google Shopping Ads – all while they are still live on search results.
Conclusion
Google Shopping is a boon to local businesses as it complements both your customers’ desire to visit brick-and-mortar stores and order online when they can’t go out. This is going to be more a prominent feature in search engine results pages (SERPs) in the coming years, and digital marketing strategies in 2023 should definitely include this in order to stay visible to your customers.
Got eCommerce data coming in but looking for an all-in-one dashboard to view them all? Sign up to the DigitalMaas Platform and integrate your Google Marketing tools along with your Google Business Profiles and win every smile in every mile with local.
