Last week, Google announced they were introducing a new feature to Google Images that will present advertisers with more opportunities to engage with users.
The new feature allows advertisers to use sponsored images, that the user will be able to interact with, to receive details of the buyable products within the image.
If you’re familiar with Pinterest, you’ll be aware they rolled out the same concept three years ago and have achieved great success with their product identification shopping tags.
The new feature has stemmed from a rise in visual search with 62% of Millennials favouring visual search over all other new technology. This can also be seen by the success of shopping tags on Instagram, which is very popular in combination with their Instagram stories.
So what does this new feature mean for users?
The user experience is greatly improved by this new feature, by presenting them with items ready to buy based upon their initial image search.
Many users admit to looking for inspiration for their purchases through Google Images and therefore by having the shopping feed present, this can aid their user journey allowing them to reach their desired purchase faster.
Also by combining Google Images with sponsored posts, there is a less intrusive nature about the advertisements as the user has the option to interact with the images for further details.
And how does this impact advertisers?
Through highlighted shopping feeds present on Google Images, image queries can now allow advertisers to promote their products and be able to capture the consumer’s attention at the early stages of their purchase journey.
The shoppable ads on Google Images also create more opportunities for businesses to achieve conversions and engage with the consumer, other than through Google Shopping, Google Ads and their website.
Once the new feature has been implemented for a while, we should be able to assess how beneficial the new feature is to both users and advertisers.
However, following the success of similar concepts on Pinterest and Instagram, it is anticipated that the new feature will be popular on Google too.
