There have been many developments over the past few years from Google to enhance the way that we perceive and use search. In recent times Google Shopping was introduced, enhanced campaigns that allow for greater coverage over mobile devices and Remarketing Lists for Search Ads to name but a few. The most recent of which and one that could potentially be a game changer for the way a search engine is used is the announcement of a buy button.
What Does This Mean?
Over the last few years the increasing importance of mobile devices and how they are used in the search environment has become clear. Year on Year their search volumes rise at a much higher rate than more traditional devices like the desktop however the problem is that despite this there has always been a difficulty with making PPC work on mobile. This can be explained by how users are searching on mobile versus a desktop where they are more likely to be researching rather than making a purchase.
From an advertisers perspective who is trying to make a sale this can be a tricky area to spend money on especially if a good level of attribution isn’t in place to show how mobile can influence the final purchase.
That is why the recent announcement by Omid Kordestani the Chief Business Officer for Google could potentially provide a great deal more value for online retailers looking to make use of Search Advertising.
Where Will This Be Used?
The buy button will be visible on mobile devices and will be an enhancement of the already existing Google Shopping Product Ads. This is a big change from the way that users currently interact with a search page where they first search for a product then go to the retailer and then make a purchase.
Kordestani has described this feature as a way to remove friction for users so that they can buy more things online because currently some 90 percent of commerce is still offline. With the difficulty of creating device specific web pages and creating an environment where purchases with a mobile device are encouraged Google would seem to have bypassed the problem and is creating a way for shoppers to buy products within the search engine directly
What Impact Will This Have?
With online retailers like Amazon continuing to grow and introducing their own on site options for advertisers it is no surprise that Google is wanting to expand into this area of the industry. It still remains to be seen how this feature will perform within the search environment but it is clear that Google is wanting to keep product searches within its engine rather than lose it to the big multi-product retailers.
As with any new product launch with Google it can be anticipated that the feature will be launched first in the United States followed by Europe so it might be little bit of time before this reaches South Africa however that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it will give Google a chance to refine the feature in the larger online markets and for Advertisers here to see case studies from the early adopters to determine if this feature will be as big a game changer as it potentially could be or if it has little to no impact.
Cheers,
Meyrick
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Here are a few of my earlier blogs on SEO and AdWords:
1: An Introduction to Paid Search Traffic and Adwords
2: Adwords Campaigns and Keywords
3: Keywords: Which is the right match type for you?
4: Creative: why this is important?
5: Quality Score – What is it Good for?
6: Google’s tools and what they do
7: How to use Google Analytics
8: Ad Extensions – What are they and what do they do?
9: Optimising Your Campaigns – SQR’s and Insights
10: The Importance of Mobile for Paid Search
11: Re-Marketing Lists for Search Ads
12: What is the Google Display Network
13: The Google Display Network – How to Get Started
14: Conversion Tracking For Adwords
