A report from Reuters states that Google is partnering with big brands in a new program called Google Shopping Actions. The listings appear in the Google Shopping results and do not affect the rankings or listings in regular organic Google search.
Contrary to the Reuters article, Google will receive a percentage of each sale from the Google Shopping listings but not from Google’s organic search listings. The new program was announced by Daniel Alegre, President for Retail and Shopping at Google via an exclusive news report at Reuters. This program does not affect or influence Google’s organic search for desktop, mobile, and Google Voice Assistant.
Danny Sullivan Expresses Doubt:
Although Google did not officially make an announcement, Google’s Danny Sullivan informally expressed doubts that Google was monetizing Organic Search.
Here is what was reported:
Under a new program, retailers can list their products on Google Search, as well as on the Google Express shopping service,
and Google Assistant on mobile phones and voice devices.In exchange for Google listings and linking to retailer loyalty programs, the retailers pay Google a piece of each purchase. Reuters has updated this to clarify that it’s not affecting Google Search.
Who is Google’s Daniel Alegre?
Daniel Alegre is the President for Retail and Shopping at Google. He was previously President of Global Partnerships, and previously served Google in Tokyo and Latin America according to his LinkedIn profile. He’s unknown to the SEO community but with this program I suspect he may gain importance, since this new program affects Google Shopping
What is Google Shopping Actions?
There has now been an official announcement from Google. What was reported is that it is a merchant program that appears to be affiliated with Google Express.
Contrary to Reuters initial reports, Google is not getting paid from Google’s organic search listings. This program does not impact or crowd out the organic search listings.
Organic Searches are Not Impacted
The news story mentioned specifically that listings in Google Search were a part of the program. This is not Pay Per Click. This is a performance based payment. There is a good chance the report may be mistaken, as noted above.
“For example, a shopper looking for sneakers on Google on his phone can see a retailer’s listing and add that to his Google Express cart. Later, the customer can stand in the kitchen, and use the Google Home voice device to add paper towels to the same cart and buy everything at once.”
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