Google is about to test a new form of advertisement called product ad, the WSJ reports. What so different about thsi Google product ad is the fact that it would contain relevant consumer information about the products such as prices and product image. This would be a welcome respite from the tired and tested text ads that we are so use to seeing on Google sites.
Although Google has not yet announced anything about this product ads, the WSJ article reported that Google has already started sending invites to advertisers asking them to try out the new ad format. The said email also stated that product ad would complement standard text ads on Google.com.
While testing the product ad, a Google spokesperson said that it will only be visible among selected U.S. users.
Additionally, product ads would take a different pricing model from those of the regular text ads. More particularly it would be on a Cost-Per-Action basis, meaning advertisers would pay Google only if a purchase was made when a user click on the product ads displayed on Google.com
In accepting the product ads, Google will be basing on the commission set by advertisers as well as on relevant the ads are on search queries, and on how often people click on the product ads.
Whatever Google’s reason is for testing this product out, we can’t discount the fact that it could be another way of fighting back at Microsoft’s Bing, which has online shopping as one of its core components.
