Every product with a ‘deals’ badge in Google Shopping will be included in searches, with Google’s algorithms cherry-picking only the most lucrative discounts to display. Not only will customers get better bargains, but smaller businesses will have a higher chance of getting their products seen.
New integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce are giving retailers an added advantage, enabling them to benefit from Google’s Free Listings without the time and effort of having to transfer data.
Why Should Retailers Use Google Shopping?
For businesses looking to bounce back from the pandemic, there are plenty of good reasons to use Google Shopping. From a variety of listings options and increased audience reach, through to the newly improved analytics in the Google Merchant Center and the ability to sync with other surfaces.
- Flexibility – Whether you opt for free listings or pay for smart campaigns, Google Shopping will help you engage with more customers and increase the prominence of your products.
- Visibility – It’s fair to say that Google is a worldwide phenomenon. Trusted by millions of web users, Google Shopping alone is used in over 90 countries, with many shoppers looking abroad for better buys and specialist retailers. You can also make the most of Google’s other features such as Reviews, Search, YouTube, and Maps to connect to your target audience.
- Performance tracking – A valuable tool and one which Google has improved on yet again. View data reports to accurately measure your most popular deals and successful sales.
- Integration – As well as being able to pull through product information from Shopify and WooCommerce, the Google feed can also be expanded to other Google programmes, such as Shopping Ads, Buy on Google, Merchant Promotions, and Local Inventory Ads.
How Will the Latest Changes Help Shoppers?
While Google are well known for continually working on their functionality and improving the user experience, these updates to Google Shopping are intended to be beneficial for both shoppers and businesses alike. As we all still strive to come to terms with the impact of Covid-19, finding ways to resume simple pleasures, such as Christmas shopping, now seem even more important.
With safety remaining a priority for many customers, online options will be as popular as ever, as well as finding those all-important best prices as the financial impact of lockdown continues to take its toll. The bonus of using Google Shopping in the coming few weeks will not only be cheap prices but the best deals, featuring products based on ‘the attractiveness of the offer and the discount’.
The search functions on Google Shopping will aid consumers even further. For example, bargain hunters can filter the results by base price (without postage) or total price (with postage) so they can easily see whether it will be more worthwhile buying online or visiting a store for a discounted item.
What About Advantages for Retailers?
As Black Friday looms, retailers are putting everything in place to try and attract those early sales. For companies planning on using the platform, here are some top tips for even better deals:
- Check your products – Become familiar with the Google Shopping Merchant Center product tab and make sure you know which of your goods qualify for a ‘deals’ badge. You can also use different types of special offers to make your promotions even more appealing.
- Research your competitors – With Google algorithms on the hunt for the most substantial deals and beneficial reductions, check out what your main competitors are up to and find ways to offer something even better. Remember, it’s not always about the cheapest price.
- Keep track of your progress – With the updates to the Merchant Center dashboard, there’s no excuse not to evaluate your progress and amend your listings. Performance is divided into impressions, clicks, and click-through rate, and can be further arranged into promotion type, product, brand, and category. Need support with your data? Bobble Digital can help.
- Integrate your Shopify and WooCommerce listings – As we’ve mentioned, Google has made integrating with these sites easier and quicker, so don’t hang around to sync your listings. As well as appearing in searches on Google Shopping, your products will also feature across additional Google surfaces such as Search, Images, and Lens, further widening your visibility.
- Consider using Shopify and/or WooCommerce as well – The more places you can put your products online, the more likely they are to be seen. Platform integration can also help build loyalty: the seller has full control of the product details so there’s little risk of error or fraud.
- Update your feed regularly – Keeping an eye on your account every day will take up considerable time and effort, but it will be worth it to make sure your products remain eligible for organic leads on Google, helping you to tempt further prospective customers.
More Ideas for Boosting Business this Christmas
While Google Shopping will prove profitable for many merchants this festive season, there are plenty of other ways to improve your digital marketing strategy in time for the new year. Use the next few weeks as a test period to help your business identify the areas you need to work on.
Video adverts, for example, are a great option at this time of year, especially when used on social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, and can help you stand out from the crowd. Another avenue you might want to try is paid social adverts, which as well as increasing leads will also contribute to building your brand identity. Take a look at our recent Bobble Digital blog for ideas.
For digital support designed with your business objectives in mind, get in touch with our team.
