Google Image Ads

Overview

Have you ever used Google Images to find a better view of the product you want to purchase online? Better yet, do you optimise your Google image ads for increased search traffic on Google? Do you get targeted traffic to those images? If you answered yes to two of the three questions above, then you are going to want to know more about the new Google Image Ads. Google Images Ads are the latest product addition to the Google Ads platform. A way for marketers to visually present their products to customers.

What are Google Image Ads?

Google Image Search is the tab you click on to see all of the images on Google of a specific keyword. The new Google Image ads are sponsored images. These ads are currently focused exclusively on retail products. However, the product just launched, so it could easily expand to other images in the future. Also, image ads are geared specifically for mobile shoppers. As Google stated, mobile shopping searches increased 30% over the past year. This new ad product is a direct attempt to garner some of that traffic.

Why Google Image Ads Matter?

Google and Amazon right now are fighting for dominance over mobile shopping. Right now a little over 44% of retail buyers go straight to Amazon to find their products. 34% use Google Images to find their products, while the remaining 22% go straight to retail stores.

Google is looking to compete for mobile shopping searches in an attempt to take some of that business away from Amazon for the holiday season. By using Image Ads, they can strategically increase the number of ad displays while not taking away from the searchers experience. Currently, Google has over 100 Billion searches every month. Over 40% of these searches show images results of some sort. This gives you an idea of the power that Google Image Search Ads can have for retailers. In general, this is a win-win for Google. They now have a competitive visual ad product that can compete more with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other image-heavy ad platforms.

Key Points to Using Google Image Ads

If you are going to use Google Image Ads for your business, here are a few specific points you should remember.

1. Monitor Your Costs- Image Searchers are not used to using image searches for finding products. Therefore, you need to keep a close eye on your CPC’s like you would with other ad products.

Otherwise, your expenses may balloon, because consumers do not realise they are clicking on your ads.

2. Keep it simple- These ads are shown on mobile devices. Therefore, you need to have simple images and simple copy to lure customers into your website.

Often advertisers want to pack everything into their ads. However, visual ads should appeal to customers’ emotions and intrigue them to learn more about your products. When they get to your website they can learn more about the details. The initial image should be clear, concise, and compelling. Note: Do not just use click bait. Use quality images that describe your products.

3. Create awareness- Google Image ads can be great at the top of the sales funnel. Because of this, they might not cause an immediate spike in sales. However, the ability to influence image results with paid searches can be beneficial for retail outlets. 

The more customers see a retail outlet’s ads, the more they will remember them when ready to purchase. 

4. Understand the Google AdWords Platform- If you never used Google AdWords before to market your business, you might not want to start with Google Image Ads. The platform can be challenging for beginners.

If you are interested, contact us to see how we can help you.

Other Google Announcements

Google also announced new Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) as well. This is great for local retail stores who want to add pick-ups to their Google ads. Kohl was one of the first to test out this LIAs. They received a 50% increase in clicks when they added the pick-up option to their ads. Along with the Image Ads, it shows how committed Google is to helping retail stores find more customers.

Final Thoughts

This is a move that Google should have done years ago. In fact, it is surprising they waited so long to monetize this much real estate on the search engine. With the rise in retail shopping, it makes sense to show more image ads to consumers to increase their awareness of the products you offer. With so many other sites relying on visual medium for their ads, this helps Google compete against the Instagram’s and Pinterest’s of the world. If you are looking to actively compete against your competitors with Google Image Ads, then let us know how we can help. Our team of specialists have the experience with digital marketing strategies like Google Ads and Google Image Ads to optimise your campaign results. Set up a free Google Image Ads consultation by Contacting Us Today!