Google has some advice for sellers during the holiday season: capture the attention of shoppers through product images – not just your own, but your customers’ images as well.
Google Director Raphael Leiteritz highlighted a new feature: user-generated images in product reviews on Shopping ads.
“You can now include review images in your product review feeds, allowing customers to visually connect with what you sell through pictures of previous customers wearing or using your products,” he wrote in a recent blog post.
He said Google is often the first place consumers go to research a purchase they plan to make. “But beyond turning to search to read product reviews, shoppers are increasingly becoming inspired by images, with 50 percent of digital shoppers saying images helped them decide what to buy, according to Google’s Consumer Survey this year.”
Sellers can sign up for Google’s Product Ratings program and should review its policies for user-generated images – see more information on this Google blog post where Leiteritz offers additional advice.
Google has also expanded Shopping ads on YouTube. Nicky Rettke,
Director, Product Manager of YouTube Ads, said Google Shopping Ads are now available on the YouTube home feed and YouTube search results, “making YouTube more shoppable and extending the reach of your Shopping campaigns.”
Rettke said video has become a favorite research tool for holiday shoppers. “Nearly two-thirds of shoppers say online video has given them ideas and inspiration for their purchase. And more than 90% of these folks say that they’ve discovered new products and brands via YouTube.”
Rettke included more information on this Google blog post including images that show how Google Shopping Ads appear on YouTube pages.
