Google is rolling out a new way for ecommerce stores to list deals in search results, which is currently free for all merchants.
The company reports people are looking for ways to save money even more than usual, with searches for “discount code” increasing 50% since last year.
Ahead of two major shopping seasons — back-to-school and winter holidays — Google is giving retailers in the United States more tools to reach deal-seeking customers.
Here’s more about the new features retailers can start using right away.
Free Deals Listings in Google Search Results
As of today, Google is highlighting deals in the shopping tab of search results.
When searching for a product, the shopping tab will now organize and show product listings that are competitively priced or discounted from retailers across the web.
In October, Google Search will start showcasing the most popular deals for major retail sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When people search for deals during major sales events, like “Black Friday deals” or “Cyber Monday sales,” they will see a new section highlighting relevant deals, alongside other related sales information.
When retailers upload promotions and deals in Google Merchant Center will be automatically surfaced for relevant queries in the Shopping tab.
Google will surface offers based on factors such as the discount itself, how popular a product is, how popular the site it’s listed on is, and more.
In the coming months, deals will also appear on the main search results page. Retailers can take advantage of this feature regardless of whether they pay for advertising on Google.
This creates opportunities for ecommerce stores to move inventory, drive sales, and attract new customers during important shopping events and peak holiday season.
Customize Promotions in Google Merchant Center
Another update launched today in Merchant Center allows retailers to customize their promotions.
It’s now possible to indicate if a deal is only available to first-time customers.
For example, the title of the promotion can now say “10% off for new members.”
The promotions will be shown to all shoppers, but only those who meet a retailer’s specified criteria will be able to access the promotional price.
Better Merchandising Insights
In one last update rolling out now, Google is adding two new features to the best sellers report:
- Historical best seller data: Helps retailers predict sales trends for the upcoming season with insights into popular products from previous shopping events.
- Relative product demand: Helps retailers gauge the relative demand between products in the same category and country, as well as the potential opportunity when stocking new products.
Merchants can access the best sellers report after opting into market insights within Merchant Center.
Source: Google
