How Google Is Changing Online Commerce

How might online shopping behaviors evolve in coming months? Well, for one thing, shoppers are going to be conscious of their budgets. According to NPD Group, 29% of American consumers are considering a tighter spending budget this holiday season because of pessimism about the economy and concerns about their personal finances. But something else equally as interesting is happening: how people search for things to buy online is getting more visual and immersive. At Google’s recent Search On event, the company announced several features to make shopping more immersive and intuitive. 

What Google Announced 

At Search On, Google previewed a slew of updates that will make online commerce more fun and interesting. For example: 

• Shop in 3D. Google said that it’s making it possible for shoppers to enjoy a 3D product browsing experience with home goods and visuals of shoes, starting with sneakers, as they search on Google. (Google noted that people engage with 3D images almost 50% more than static ones.) Google also said it’s going to help merchants build 3D visuals of products easier with an automated process that relies on machine learning. That way, merchants will require only a handful of photos (instead of hundreds). This new technology will be available in the coming months (alas, not in time for holiday shopping). 

• Search with the word “shop.” In the United Sates, when people for the word “shop” followed by the item they’re looking for, they’ll see to a visual feed of products, tools, and inventory for that product. Google is also expanding the shoppable search experience beyond apparel to all categories — from electronics to beauty — and more regions on mobile (and coming soon to desktop). 

• Shop the Look. This tool will allow searchers to see options of where to buy the products they see in search. The “shop the look” feature show links to the exact product being searched for, as well complementary pieces and where to buy them. Let’s say someone is looking for a new fall wardrobe staple, like a bomber jacket. The tool will show the shopper images of bomber jackets and complementary pieces, plus options for where to buy them, all within search. 

• Get help with complex purchases. For more complex purchases, Google will roll out a new buying guide feature that shares helpful insights about a category from a wide range of trusted sources, all in one place. If someone is shopping for a mountain bike, for instance, the buying guide might show them information about size, suspension, weight and materials. With this information, the shopper can research and make quicker decisions with confidence without having to open up countless browser windows and web pages.  

• Shop your way with new filters: Whole page shopping filters on search are now dynamic and adapt based on real-time search trends. For instance, if someone is shopping for jeans, they might see filters for “wide leg” and “bootcut” because those are the popular denim styles right now. But those filters may change over time, depending on what’s trending. Dynamic filters are now available in the U.S., Japan and India, and will come to more regions in the future.  

These features come on the heels of some updates designed to make it easier for online commerce merchants to adapt their paid search strategies depending on how consumer searches change. For instance, Google’s demand forecasts on the Insights page predicts upcoming trends relevant to one’s business so that the merchant can adjust its budget and bidding strategy to capture spikes in demand. And businesses can use Performance Planner to understand how changes to their advertising spend will affect their predicted clicks, conversions and conversion values. In addition, Product-specific insights are available at the account level in the Google Ads products tab.  

How These Changes Affect Online Commerce 

These changes mean that online merchants more than ever need to make their inventory findable via both visual and text search. They should: 

• Optimize their product descriptions for search with in-depth, keyword-based content. When Google shows searchers more complete product information to help shoppers make decisions about complex purchases, Google will draw upon information provided by merchants down to detailed product specs. The more information a merchant provides, and the more accurate it is, the more likely Google will include it. 
• Offer numerous images. Don’t rely on one image of your product. Offer multiple perspectives, including back, front, side, and overheard shots. This will increase the likelihood that your content aligns with the image a searcher has used to initiate a search.  
• Use great photos. High-quality images will represent your brand in the best way possible in search results. Crisp, beautifully shot images obviously add to the appeal of your product, service, or setting. And they also help a business have more ownership over its brand.  
• Optimize image titles and descriptions. If a merchant posts a photo of a hitch bike rack on its website, use a descriptive file name like hitchbikerack. Avoid generic file names such as img or Screenshot. Descriptive file names will help Google find your content. 
• Optimize product descriptions and captions. Make sure the actual description of the content itself sparkles. If an automotive dealer lists a 2024 Lexus RX, don’t forget to complement those great photos with descriptive content that people are likely using, too, such as the price, year, special features, and names of similar makes/models in stock.  
• Use alternative text. Include alternative text, or an alt tag, with your image. The alternative text will make your content more findable for the visually impaired. (They can use screen readers to read the alt tag and understand your image better.) This meta data makes your content more accessible and inclusive. And it helps Google find your products. 

Bottom line: to win with online commerce, merchants need to up their game with their product descriptions and visual content.  

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