Google didn’t become the world’s biggest search engine by standing still. Over the past two decades, they have been in a constant state of innovation. The goal – to be the number one search engine. So, what’s next?
In 2017, Google released another exciting development to enhance the experience for users and retailers alike which goes by the name of Showcase Shopping.
Read on as we look at how Showcase Shopping works and how it could help your ecommerce business to thrive.
Introducing the showcase
Showcase Shopping ads are a way to advertise your products on Google when people search for relevant but broad terms. Like the already-used Product Shopping ads, they appear at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) and allow retailers to include product images and prices.
However, while conventional Product Shopping ads only show one product per ad slot, Showcase Shopping ads are designed to target broad searches with typically lower conversion rates such as “outdoor furniture”. And rather than sending users through to a landing page on your site when clicked, showcase ads expand to reveal a range – or “showcase” – of your products.
Here’s an example of an expanded showcase, using the search term “Hasbro Games”:
Cost-effective
As it doesn’t take visitors through to your site, the first click on a Showcase Shopping ad is free. The advertiser is charged when users spend ten seconds or more within the expanded ad or if they click on specific product link.
Translation? Low quality interactions are free of charge. Bonus!
With more carefully selected images of multiple products, it puts e-commerce companies completely in control of their content – allowing them to create a more branded ad. In our experience, this new type of search engine ad has proven very useful in industries such as fashion, furniture and appliances.
Take a look at the following Showcase Shopping ad for the search term “Designer T-Shirts”, for instance:
The user hasn’t actually decided what product they want or even where to buy it from. That’s exactly why they have used a broad search term – “designer t shirts” – which doesn’t include specific stores or products. Showcase Shopping ads allow stores to reach these potential customers and showcase their products while the customer is undecided.
How it works
When creating a Showcase Shopping ad, retailers can choose to advertise a few specific products or a whole category of their product catalogue. You’ll need one large product image (1090 x 566 px) to appear on the SERP before users click to expand the ad. On the expanded ad, you can include a headline (maximum of 24 characters), description (70 – 120 characters) and URL (maximum of 35 characters / 25 on mobile). You’ll also be asked to provide a final URL, where your traffic will be directed should they click on products.
To succeed with Showcase Shopping ads, images should be attractive and high in quality. They need to show off the best of your products and make customers want to see more. To complement them, your description should be simple, relevant and include a call to action. Here’s another perfect example of how it’s done:
Showcase your ecommerce store
Showcase Shopping ads are a great feature to capitalise on undecided potential customers. But product shopping ads are still highly useful for specific product searches. In either case, you can make the most of your pay-per-click (PPC) budget with expert input. The feature is still not prominent across all verticals, but this is prime opportunity to take advantage of it.
That’s where Fluid Digital comes in. With an abundance of experience in PPC, we know all the ins and outs, tips and tricks and best ways to optimise your ads on Google AdWords and Bing Ads. The results speak for themselves. Our PPC ads for ecommerce clients have produced an impressive average return on investment of 10:1. Get in touch with our team to discuss your PPC campaign today.