Today, Google unveiled significant updates to its shopping search results pages (SERPs) in Europe, aligning with the European Union’s new Digital Markets Act. Users will now find additional tabs labelled “Products” and “Product Sites” situated just beneath the search bar at the top of the results page. This development introduces features directly linked to organic search results, specifically, organic product tiles. These tiles bear resemblance to the paid or sponsored product tiles familiar to users for many years.
However, they now emphasise a more organic presence within Google’s search results, marking a noteworthy shift towards enhancing the visibility of non-sponsored content. This change aims to foster a more competitive and diverse online marketplace, ensuring that users have access to a wide array of product choices without the direct influence of advertising.
Key takeaways:
- Google’s Compliance with EU’s Digital Markets Act: Google introduced organic product tiles and tabs (“Products” and/or “Product Sites”) in Europe to comply with the new regulations. This aims to enhance the visibility of organic search results in the shopping domain.
- Emphasis on Organic Listings: Unlike the traditional focus on paid or sponsored listings, Google is now promoting organic product listings, which are free and ranked based on relevance and quality. This change is significant in the U.S. and is expected to expand to Europe.
- Opportunities for eCommerce Sites: The introduction of organic product listings provides a new avenue for eCommerce websites to gain visibility on Google. By optimising their listings and following Google’s guidelines, sites can improve their chances of appearing in these organic search features.
- Strategies for Optimisation:
- Structured Data Implementation
- SEO Best Practices
- Google Merchant Centre Utilisation
- High-Quality Images
- Performance Monitoring
- Customer Reviews
- Impact of Organic Product Displays: These changes make it easier for users to find relevant products, potentially leading to higher conversion rates for businesses. Google is effectively taking over the consideration phase of the buying journey, showcasing a variety of products directly to consumers.
- The Evolving eCommerce SEO Landscape: With the introduction of Google’s Search Experience Guidelines (SGE), the focus is shifting more towards optimising product display pages for organic success. This underscores the importance of keeping product pages optimised with clear content, strategic keyword placement, and a streamlined purchase process.
- Call to Action for Continuous Optimisation: The importance of keeping content updated, monitoring algorithm changes, and adapting strategies to maintain and improve product visibility in Google’s organic search results.
Google’s Shopping SERPs Update
Today, Google unveiled significant updates to its shopping search results pages (SERPs) in Europe, aligning with the European Union’s new Digital Markets Act. Users will now find additional tabs labelled “Products” and “Product Sites” situated just beneath the search bar at the top of the results page. This development introduces features directly linked to organic search results, specifically, organic product tiles. These tiles bear resemblance to the paid or sponsored product tiles familiar to users for many years.
However, they now emphasise a more organic presence within Google’s search results, marking a noteworthy shift towards enhancing the visibility of non-sponsored content. This change aims to foster a more competitive and diverse online marketplace, ensuring that users have access to a wide array of product choices without the direct influence of advertising.
The evolution of Google’s shopping SERPs is particularly notable in the United States, where the eCommerce landscape exhibits stark differences from that of Europe. In the US, Google has taken a dominant role in shaping product listing pages, curating its unique compilations of products from various brands and retailers. These product listing pages are enhanced by diverse filtering options on the left-hand side, enabling users to refine their searches based on specific criteria.
This approach, which integrates a broad selection of products and user-friendly filters, is anticipated to be introduced across Europe in the near future. This expansion suggests a strategic move by Google to unify the online shopping experience, providing users with a comprehensive, streamlined platform for discovering and comparing products from a multitude of sources.
How to make the most of Google’s new organic listings
So, how can businesses capitalise on this new opportunity within Google’s search landscape, ensuring their products gain visibility in these emerging product tiles and carousels? To navigate this evolving digital marketplace effectively, we’ve compiled a concise checklist designed to position your eCommerce site advantageously in anticipation of the forthcoming updates.
This list will guide you through essential steps to optimise your online presence, from ensuring your product listings are detailed and accurate to adopting SEO best practices that align with Google’s organic search priorities. By proactively adjusting to these changes, businesses can enhance their visibility on Google’s platform, connecting with a wider audience and driving more traffic to their sites. Implementing these strategies will not only improve your chances of featuring prominently in the new product-focused SERPs but also set a solid foundation for future growth as eCommerce continues to evolve.
- Optimise Structured Data:
Implement structured data on your product pages using Schema.org vocabulary. This involves adding specific HTML tags to your web pages, providing Google with detailed information about your products, such as the name, description, price, and availability. Google uses this information to display products in rich results, including carousels. You can use the free tool available on schema.org to validate your product structured data.
- Follow SEO Best Practices:
Ensure your website follows Google’s general Webmaster Guidelines, which emphasise the creation of high-quality sites that provide a good user experience and comply with Google’s best practices.
- Optimise Product Pages for SEO:
Beyond structured data, optimise your product pages with SEO best practices. This includes using relevant keywords in your product titles and descriptions, optimising your images, and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly and fast-loading.
- Submit a Product Feed through Google Merchant Centre:
For broader product visibility, set up a Google Merchant Centre account and submit a product feed. The markup throughout your GMC should mirror that of your structured data, and be an accurate representation of your product offering.
- Provide High-Quality Images:
Use high-resolution images for your products, and follow Google’s image guidelines. High-quality images can improve your chances of appearing in product-rich results and carousels.
- Monitor Your Performance:
Use Google Search Console to monitor how your products are performing in search results. This provides insights into how often your products appear in search, which products are getting the most visibility, and what improvements can be made. We should determine how performance has changed over time, which pages perform / underperform, and what trajectory we’re on.
- Get Reviews:
Product reviews can also influence your visibility in organic product carousels. Encourage customers to leave reviews of your products, and use structured data to mark up those reviews so they can be recognised by Google.
- Stay Updated:
Ensure your product information, whether stock, price, availability, is all up to date and an accurate reflection of your offering. In addition, Google frequently updates its algorithms and guidelines, so it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest SEO practices and adjust your strategies accordingly.
Implementing these strategies will significantly enhance your prospects of having your products displayed organically by Google in the newly introduced product tiles and carousels. It’s crucial to bear in mind, as with all organic SEO efforts, that results won’t be instantaneous. The nature of SEO is such that it demands patience; improvements in visibility and performance will manifest over time, rather than immediately following implementation.
However, once these efforts begin to take effect, you’re likely to observe a steady, exponential increase in your products’ performance in search results. This gradual improvement underscores the importance of consistency and persistence in SEO practices. By diligently applying the outlined strategies and maintaining up-to-date optimisation practices, you position your eCommerce site for sustained growth and enhanced visibility in Google’s evolving search landscape.
The importance of organic product displays
It’s important to recognise the strategic value that these featured snippets and product tiles in Google’s search results pages (SERPs) offer. Google is fine-tuning its search algorithms to match user intent more closely, displaying products that users are actively seeking. This approach signifies a shift away from search results predominantly filled with ads and generic links, which often required users to embark on a more extensive research phase during their consideration stage of the buying journey. Now, with Google effectively curating a selection of products that align with the user’s search intent, the platform is assuming a more integral role in the consideration phase.
This means that when users click through to your brand’s site, they are doing so with a higher intent to purchase. The direct consequence of this change is a likely increase in conversion rates, as the pathway from discovery to decision has been streamlined, making it easier for potential customers to find and buy the products they want. This evolution in search dynamics underscores the importance of optimising your eCommerce presence to align with Google’s focus on user intent, ensuring your products are prominently featured and positioned for conversion.
It’s crucial to acknowledge the transformative shift occurring within eCommerce SEO, driven largely by Google’s evolving approach to product discovery. With the spotlight increasingly on product display pages (PDPs), optimising these pages has never been more essential for maintaining and enhancing organic success for brands. This is particularly relevant in light of Google’s upcoming Search Generative Experience (SGE), which, although details remain speculative, suggests a potential pivot away from category pages in favour of highlighting PDPs. Such changes underscore the necessity for eCommerce sites to adapt swiftly to remain competitive.
Final thoughts: Maximising your eCommerce success
In this dynamic landscape, ensuring that your product display pages are as optimised as possible becomes paramount. This entails crafting content with clear intent, strategically incorporating keywords to align with search queries, and refining the conversion journey to provide a smooth and seamless shopping experience. Such optimisation not only boosts visibility but also enhances the likelihood of conversion, contributing to increased revenue and overall brand success.
As the digital marketplace continues to evolve, staying informed and adaptable is crucial. Should you have any questions regarding Google’s latest updates or wish to delve deeper into the future of eCommerce SEO, we invite you to reach out to us at [email protected]. Our team is dedicated to providing insights and strategies to navigate these changes, ensuring your brand not only adapts but thrives in the ever-changing eCommerce landscape.
