Introducing New Google Shopping Ad Rank for Top Product PLAs
Google Shopping Ad Rank for Top Products
Google recently introduced a scrolling carousel for desktop and a new ranking format for top rated products.
1) Scrolling Carousel for Desktop
The test, now live on mobile and desktop provides desktop shoppers with a scrollable carousel of product listing ads (PLAs). An arrow will appear on the right side of the PLA results. Users can scroll all the way to the right and then back to the left to start from the beginning again.
2) New Ranking Format for Top Rated Products
The new ranking format for “top-rated” products appears in the search results as seen below. Now, when a shopper uses the word “top” or “best” in their search, the product listing ads are likely to be ranked and numbered (1-5).
Pro-Tip: On mobile, the numbered results use blue flags numbered instead of grey circles.
The Importance of Google Shopping Reviews & Ad Rank
So, if someone searches “best” or “top”, does that mean they will be served the product with the best or highest rating?
Product and seller reviews enhance Product Listing Ads because they provide social credibility to interested customers. Keep in mind that product ratings are different from seller ratings.
Product ratings (as seen below) refer to the product being advertised, while Seller ratings refer specifically to the merchant advertising the product.
Product ratings show on Product Listing Ads with a 5-star rating system and a count of total reviews.
According to Google, these star ratings represent aggregated rating and review data for the product, compiled from multiple sources, including merchants, third party aggregates, editorial sites and users.
A product must have at least 3 reviews in order for product ratings to be eligible to show on Google.com. A merchant must also have 50 reviews total across all products in order to participate in the program.
According to Google, when a user searches for “best”, Google will display products ordered based on the highest user ratings.
Because product and seller reviews are so valuable to shoppers, there are a variety of services available to help retailers build up this specific type of credibility on Google Shopping.
How to Increase Google Shopping Ad Rank
“Enhanced data on Google Shopping and PPC ads, particularly reviews, have provided an incredible way to stand out from your competitors with trust signals built right into the ad, also increasing your footprint in the search results,” Jordan Garner, Global Director, Product Marketing for Trust Pilot said.
“Providing this trust and brand assurance right in the ad makes you stand out from the crowd and increase clicks on the ad, but can also introduce efficiency to the overall channel.”
“Increased traffic, particularly from qualified traffic, can drive up Quality Score, thereby helping to increase Ad Rank and decreases CPC, getting better positioning for your ads even for very competitive keywords for the same or less cost.”
“This efficiency becomes cyclical in nature, increasing ROI for this channel where often, margins can be tight. Take it one step further by taking those same trust signals and putting them on landing pages, shopping carts, and other critical conversion areas, and you’ll see a similar uptick in conversion.”
For more information on Google Shopping Ad Rank, email [email protected]
Additional Google Shopping Ad Rank Resources:
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