Back in May, the Mannix Marketing team found out that Google would be eliminating Google Product Search and unveiling Google Shopping- a new search feature dedicated to providing shopping results. Upon its launch, Google Shopping will only affect e-commerce businesses that target U.S. searchers. On May 31, 2012, Google Shopping went live, and its implications could drastically shake up the way your company markets itself on the web!
How the new Google Shopping differs from Google Product Search
Before the switch to Google Shopping, companies had the ability to submit their product feeds from merchant accounts- such as a company shop on Etsy- to Google Product Search. This option, which had always been offered as a free service, will no longer be available, as e-commerce businesses must now pay to get their products listed in Google Shopping search results.
Google Shopping, which helps people find product-specific information from around the web, is based on a pay-to-play model. This means that businesses that want their products featured here will need to have a Google AdWords account and, naturally, start funding that account to target search phrases related to their product. The results that you will see on Google Shopping are technically paid results, since competing businesses must begin managing paid ad campaigns to get their products listed before your eyes.
How this can Impact your E-Commerce Website
With the rollout of Google Shopping many businesses may feel confined to selling their goods solely on their merchant or marketplace accounts. However, if you are listing your products on your own company website, then it’s time for you to explore the value of Search Engine Optimization. Here’s why.
Today, a mere 15% of the people who use search engines will click on Paid search results. This means that a massive 85% of people will select the free, Organic search results! What do you think people will do when they realize that Google Shopping results are really just paid listings?
My hunch is that people will quickly opt-out of the Google Shopping section, only to return to Google Search and repeat their original search there. After being drenched by a tidal wave of Paid results, those Organic website listings will look especially tempting and trustworthy.
Getting your product pages found in the Organic section of the search engine results page is critical for e-commerce websites. If your goal is to bring quality traffic to your company’s website, then contact Mannix Marketing, Inc. today. Our team will sit down with you to determine the best SEO strategy for getting your site found on the web.
Closing thoughts on Google Shopping
When people search for products on Google Shopping it is believed that they are looking for product-specific information, such as price, special deals, features, and which sites sell the product. In essence, these are the traditional “4 P’s of Marketing” (Price, Promotion, Product and Place). As a result, businesses can say that these people are qualified traffic. When they visit a product page on your website directly after seeing your product on Google Shopping, they are probably farther along the buying process than someone who is searching for product reviews.
On the other hand, when people use Google Search to find product information, their goal may be to read a mix of product information and customer reviews. So, their intentions -and the information they are interested in obtaining- here are broader and less defined.
This new feature may simply be another experiment on behalf of Google, as the search giant looks to develop new revenue generating platforms. At the same time, it may be an attempt to dissect their overall search platform to fit the various stages of the consumer decision making process- meaning an easier way to identify how qualified the incoming traffic is to your website.
Get Your Company’s Website Found Today
Regardless of Google’s motives, website owners should continue optimizing their product pages for the millions of daily search engine users. Increased visibility can lead to more website traffic- and the more traffic coming into your site, the more opportunities you have to boost sales!
Contact Mannix Marketing’s online marketing experts today to learn how we can optimize your website and grow your online presence!
