How can you expect to build long-term, profitable relationships with your customers if they never even make it to your website? The reality for many eCommerce businesses is a confronting one: if you’re not in the top few results of a Google search, it’s likely you’ll never be found.
A recent study revealed that for organic searches, the number 1 listing receives 33% of traffic. Almost halving to 18% at second, and down to 11% at third. Suppose you’re the eighth result on Google? You’re only walking away with 3% of all of that keyword’s traffic.
You know just how important ranking in those top positions is for your eCommerce business. But it can be hard to compete. Good SEO takes considerable time and resources to do well. Well, now you can add another string to your online bow: Google Shopping…and now it’s free.
What’s changing?
The Google Shopping tab in search will now include unpaid organic listings. The change comes sooner than planned for Google, as COVID-19 accelerates their desire to attain a larger piece of the eCommerce domain. The change positions Google as a rival to Amazon in product search.
The increased exposure from this could substantially benefit your eCommerce business. Google’s President of Commerce Bill Ready said, “For retailers, this change means free exposure to millions of people who come to Google every day for their shopping needs”. And the real sweetener on top of this is that Google Shopping is proven to have 30% higher conversion rates than text ads.
eCommerce managers and business owners rejoice! These changes are exciting, and now is the time to prepare. Your eCommerce strategy requires urgent and ongoing attention to ensure your business is optimised to take full advantage of these changes as they roll out across the globe.
What does this mean for your business?
Google processes 5.8 billion searches per day. It goes to show that when people want something, their first point of call is often Google. Online shopping changed our lives. It brought us a level of convenience that we’d never had before. But for business owners, it's a double-edged sword: you’ve got the world at your feet but if you don’t maintain the health of your online strategy, it could be the end of the line.
If you run an eCommerce business, but have never invested in SEO, now is the time to either get started or vastly improve on what you’ve been doing. While Google’s algorithms are some of the most closely guarded secrets on the planet, we’re confident that Google Shopping rankings will now be treated similar to that of search. That means the overall health of your SEO strategy is important not just for your website to rank, but your product pages too.
We’re putting in the hard yards now so that when the changes to Google Shopping arrive in Australia, our clients will be best placed to reap the rewards. We expect that there will be a rush when the free listings roll out, and Google will have algorithms in place to filter out results that don’t have accurate data in the Google Merchant Centre. So whether you’ve been thinking about moving your business online, getting started with SEO, or anything in between, lets get your business ahead and on top of your competition.
Why this is a win for eCommerce
Not only does having your products appear on Google Shopping give your business exposure, but it also gives your brand credibility. Say you’ve got a business that sells running shoes. Previously, giants like Adidas and Nike would leave you in the dust as they outbid you for ad space…but now your product appears alongside them.
Google Shopping even gives you the chance to consider new markets as the playing field levels out (even if just a little bit!). There’s so much to play out in this space, and we predict there’ll be many opportunities for eCommerce businesses to tweak their digital strategy and see big returns.
The full effects of this roll-out are beginning to take place in the US, and it's expected to be global by the end of the year. You’ll have the ability to list more products without the fear of running up costs. If your business has never invested in SEO, it’s time to get cracking. The SEO health of your entire website (and the traffic it generates) will now take into account how well each product ranks.
How can you get started?
If you’re looking to get your business the exposure it deserves, we’d love to help. Our SEO experts analyse the small tweaks Google makes on a daily basis, and we ensure our clients’ strategies keep up.
If you want to take advantage of the changes to Google Shopping, and ensure your organic listings don’t take a dive when the changes come into effect, get in touch.
