Google Shopping campaigns have really stepped up over the past year or so. They’ve gone from being free, to being paid for (managed through AdWords) and currently there’s the move from the old Product Listing Ads format to the newer Google Shopping campaign type. Advertisers are now really seeing the benefits of Google Shopping ads, often with higher click through rates and better ROI than traditional search text ads for e-commerce sites. Now to make things more interesting, and more competitive, Google have announced that they are to include product ratings in Shopping campaigns. Product ratings have been rolled out in the USA this week and we expect to see the UK follow suit. Here is an example of how Google Shopping ads look with and without the ratings included.
What we currently see in our search results:
What users in the USA currently see in their search results:
By adding product ratings, Google are making Shopping ads more competitive for online retailers, and we predict product ratings will have a big effect in CTR and ROI. Generally, customers are swayed depending on the experience a previous customer has had when purchasing the same product. Online shoppers will have the benefit of genuine impartial reviews to help them in their decision making process. To many, this system will be very familiar. Ratings are already included in AdWords search text ads and any Amazon users out there will vouch for the benefits of the 5 star product rating system.
Where do Google Take the Ratings From?
As of yet Google have not announced when product ratings will be rolled out on Google Shopping ads here in the UK, but it’s best to get in ahead of your competitors and have the ratings reviews gathered ready to go. You can already have the ratings show in your search text ads and benefits have long been proven there. As with Text ads, Google are pulling star ratings from the following third party review sites. We recommend going with one of these providers, though Google are adding to this list.
- Reviews.co.uk
- TrustPilot.co.uk
- BazaarVoice.com/uk
- Ekomi.co.uk
- Feefo.com
- Power Reviews.com
- Reevoo.com.com
- Reseller Ratings
- Shopper Approved.com
- Viewpoints.com
Third party review sites, integrate with your site to automatically collect reviews after a sale. They send an email to each customer asking them to complete a review of both the product and the level of service they received. Find out more about some third party review sites here.
How Do I Include The Ratings In My Shopping Campaign?
If you are currently targeting the USA, you will want to connect your ratings to your Shopping campaigns as soon as possible. To do this, simply submit this ‘product ratings form’ to Google. When completing this form you will be prompted for the details of the third-party review site that you use.
This will likely be the same process for UK users, once this feature becomes available. In the mean time, if you have any queries about Google Shopping campaigns or third-party review sites, please do comment below or send an email to info@searchscientist.co.uk
No comments yet.