14 DAY TRIAL // Google is introducing a new type of search ad, Product Listing Ads. These ads feature images and prices for the products sold and have been in testing for the past year. Google is now ready to make the ad type available to all US advertisers.
"One year ago today we launched the initial beta of Product Listing Ads. With Product Listing Ads, we wanted to introduce a basic ad format that makes it easy for you to promote your entire product inventory while still providing potential customers with high-quality, relevant results," Google's Dan Friedman writes.
"Today we're announcing that Product Listing Ads is coming out of beta. Starting today, and rolling out completely over the next week, all U.S. advertisers can start using Product Listing Ads," he announced.
The new ads are a big departure from the text, search ads that made Google's fortune. The ads focus on showcasing the product and include pictures as well as prices and additional useful info.
They provide a much better tool for users looking for a certain product or at a broader category since they can get a lot more information from the start.
But the ads also come with quite a few changes for the advertisers. While they will be able to buy the Product Listing Ads on a cost-per-click basis, just like the regular search ads, advertisers will also be able to opt for a cost-per-action payment system.
This way, advertisers will only pay Google when they actually sell a product, rather than when someone just visits the site.
What's more, these ads don't require advertisers to set up keywords to bid for, like it has always been the case in AdSense. Rather, they just provide the product and Google decides which keywords are relevant for it and where to place the ads. This option comes especially handy for large stores. The new ad types will be available to everyone in the US by the end of the week.