Have You Seen Google Shopping’s AI Makeover Yet? Here’s What’s New
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From AI-powered ads to its Gemini research feature, Google hasn’t shied away from expanding its AI capabilities. This is all the more clear with the company’s latest release: an AI-powered overhaul of Google Shopping.
Backed by Google’s AI research and accessible for all shoppers in the United States, users now have a smarter way to shop online thanks to personalized product recommendations, price comparisons, and even virtual product try-ons through augmented reality.
But what might this mean for ecommerce store owners? I’ll take you through the new features and explain what this means for your business if you’re an active merchant.
What Are Google Shopping’s New Features?
The new features were based on data from Google’s Shopping Graph (featuring 45 billion product listings) paired with Gemini’s learning models. As a result, here are the useful tools that shoppers and store owners can take advantage of today:
- AI-driven product briefs – When a shopper types a query into Google Shopping (e.g. “best winter boots for women”), they’ll receive an AI-generated brief that summarizes what they need to consider when looking for a product. For a winter boot, that might include weather-appropriate materials or a warm lining.
- Improved categorization – Google has added dynamic filters to make it easier for shoppers to find specific products. Filters can be used for categories like location, availability, and color.
- Price comparison – Shoppers are now able to compare prices from different companies and find the best deal for them.
- Deals page – Users can click on a new “Deals” tab to browse personalized deals they may be interested in.
- Virtual try-ons – Visual industries like fashion or beauty will benefit from the virtual try-ons feature. Through augmented reality, shoppers can try on specific products and see what they might look like. For instance, they could use their smartphone camera to try on a lipstick shade or necklace.
What Does This Mean For My Online Store?
If you’re at the helm of an online store and are interested in reaping the benefits of Google Shopping’s new AI features, here’s what Google had to say about the change:
“No new actions are required for merchants to participate in the new Google Shopping. Continue optimizing your presence on Google.”
Though there are no explicit actions you need to take to participate in Google Shopping, it’s still worth auditing your current ecommerce SEO strategy to make sure that you appear in search results.
Ensure that your store’s product descriptions are well optimized, feature keywords your audience are looking for, have clear imagery with alternative text, and contain any key product attributes – like size, color, or key features – that are clearly listed.
Your content should be explicit and scannable, so Google’s AI can pick up on your products and present them to users if they’ve entered a relevant query.
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