Launched in 1998, Google has become the world’s largest and most popular search engine. According to Statcounter Global Stats, Google has 80.74% of the desktop search engine market share worldwide. It far surpasses other search engines like Bing (11.9%), Yahoo (2.75%), and DuckDuckGo (0.75%).
Google has become more than a search engine — it’s a verb that’s permanently entered our lexicon. While most of us use Google to answer our daily quandaries like “What will the weather be like today?” it only makes sense that the search engine became a primary shopping destination.
Here’s how to prepare your products to sell on Google, with tips and tricks for ensuring the best possible experience for your customers.
How Can Brands Sell on Google?
According to Salsify’s “2024 Consumer Research” report, 49% of consumers turn to search engines like Google to discover new products and brands.
If you want to capture the attention of these consumers, you must optimize your products to sell on Google. You must also ensure that you offer a consistent, accurate product experience. Otherwise, customers will turn elsewhere — and there’s certainly no shortage of options on Google.
Consider this: Bad product content such as incomplete product information has dissuaded 42% of consumers from completing a purchase, according to Salsify’s consumer research.
Signing up for Google Merchant Center is the answer to perfecting your Google shopping experience.
What Is Google Merchant Center, and How Do Brands Use It?
Google Merchant Center is a free tool designed to help brands promote and sell their products to millions of shoppers on Google Search, Maps, YouTube, and more.
To create a site, you must be a retailer that sells products online and/or in-store. You’ll need a Google account. Once you’ve created an account, you’ll proceed to the Merchant Center, where you’ll tell Google about your business and expand on whether or not you sell online or have a physical store. Google’s beginner guide will walk you through each necessary step.
Adding Your Google Products
Once you’ve confirmed your Merchant Center account, you can begin adding products that will show up organically for consumers when they search for similar businesses or products to yours.
There are three different ways you can add products to your Google account:
- Google can sync them automatically from your website;
- You can upload and add them via a detailed file; or
- You can link your ecommerce store.
Where Will My Products Be Displayed on Google Merchant Center?
Products can be displayed and promoted on various Google surfaces when customers search for similar items. These Google surfaces include:
- Google Search
- Google Maps
- YouTube
- Google Shopping tab
- Google Images
Once customers click on your products, they’ll be directed to either your online store or brick-and-mortar store to finalize their purchase.
How Can I Gauge Success on Google Merchant Center?
Google Merchant Center will provide personalized insights and reports showing how customers find your business and which products are the highest traffic drivers.
You can also create a Performance Max campaign by linking your Google Ads account. You can set an affordable budget and only have to pay when customers interact with your ads, site, or inventory. With only one campaign, you can reach customers across all of Google’s advertising channels.
Performance Max campaigns employ Google AI (artificial intelligence) to ensure that your ads show for the right customers at the right time, increasing your return on investment (ROI).
For brick-and-mortar sellers, Performance Max will promote your local store inventory to shoppers searching for similar products to yours.
You’ll get access to reports that will help you understand what you’re doing well and what needs improvement.
Learn How To Sell on Google — and Unlock Your Limitless Potential
Regardless of how small your corner of the internet (or street corner) is, Google offers an opportunity to share your products and services with customers in every corner of the world.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with a worldwide audience and gain valuable insights that will help you drive conversions and increase traffic. Learn how to sell on Google and unlock the limitless opportunities that await.
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