Google recently changed Product Ads to include the ability to show five separate products at a time. The improvement give users more information and pricing details and lets advertisers showcase more of their inventory at the same time.
Product Listing Ads show product images, prices, and merchant name without using extra keywords. When users conduct an online search related to a product in a Google Merchant Center account, the company will show the products with their images in the ad space.
The change takes place in all countries with Product Ads. This month the company added the United Kingdom to that list, along with Germany and France. Since the program was launched with a U.S. beta, studies shows users were twice as likely to click Product Ads as a regular text ad in the same location on the page.
In addition, the leads were higher quality resulting in higher ROI. Google has seen over 600% increases in traffic to retailers using Product Listing Ads in relation to the previous year. The company expects the holiday season to be even more productive.
Product Ads draw their data from Google Merchant Center accounts. Retailers considering Product Ads can benefit from the recent changes:
- Use all of the inventory- select the “All Products” option when setting up your product target to make sure the entire inventory is shown.
- Check quality control- the Merchant Center has a Data Quality tab that merchants should review which helps make sure Google has enough of the right data to line-up products with online searches.
- Improve your copy- shoppers still respond to classic sales copy with details such as “Limited Time Only” or “Extended Guarantee.” Make sure ads use an appealing call to action.
- Maximize bid opportunities- the holidays are an especially competitive ad bidding season. Ensure that bids are placed competitively with enough budget firepower behind them.
Product Listing Ads make it easier for retailers to show their entire inventory. They have proven more engaging as users are better educated on each product even before they get to the website.
Advertisers pay for listings on a Cost Per Action (CPA) basis. This provides a low risk way to find a larger audience as they only pay when a user clicks an ad and buys a product on-site. Because shoppers can see the product, price and image before they click, they are more likely in a buying mode when they arrive at the merchant’s site.
Going my Way?
Go the CPAWAY
