How Does Google Shopping Work?
GOOGLE SHOPPING: THE COMPARISON SHOPPING ENGINE
When we refer to Google Shopping, we’re actually talking about two interconnected platforms. One is Google’s comparison shopping engine (CSE).
Google’s comparison shopping engine.
Essentially, this part of Google Shopping works as a product research and discovery hub, with many tools and features available to smooth the path to purchase.
GOOGLE SHOPPING: THE COMPARISON SHOPPING ENGINE
What is Google Shopping?
Google Shopping refers both to Google’s comparison shopping network and to their advertising platform. Since the same term is used to refer to both, it can get a little confusing. Here’s how it works:
One in five shoppers starts their product search on Google. This makes Google second only to Amazon when it comes to product searches—and gives sellers a great opportunity.
Google Shopping is the umbrella term covering the different tools and programs that Google provides to help online stores reach shoppers. But how does Google Shopping actually work?
This guide will demystify the ecosystem that is Google Shopping and help you navigate the various programs and opportunities Google offers your business.
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Organic search traffic takes a lot
of time, effort, and luck to build,
especially for ecommerce. Google
Shopping gives you a shortcut to
reaching relevant shoppers with
your product all across the
internet.
The other side of Google Shopping is the search engine’s advertising platform. Google Shopping ads appearing on the Google search results page.
Shopping ads display product details—image(s), star ratings, promotions, local availability, and more—to customers across Google domains. These ads appear on relevant searches on Google, as well as relevant pages on partner sites and Google properties like YouTube and Gmail.
Google Shopping ads uses a cost-per-click (CPC) model (also known as pay per click), which makes it an affordable way to drive traffic to your store. Since you decide how much you pay when a shopper clicks on your ad, you can optimize your advertising strategy to maintain low costs while driving sales. The ad platform also provides you with a lot of control over when and where your ads appear (more on that later).