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What is Happening?

Google has announced that beginning next week in the US, search results on the Google Shopping tab will consist primarily of free listings.

The expansion of free listings is to be finalised by the end of this month and will be rolled out globally before the end of 2020.

Paid shopping ads will appear at the top and bottom of the page on the Google Shopping tab, just as they do on the main search results tab. The changes will be permanent and fit into the longer-term vision for the company’s role in digital commerce.

What Does it Mean?

It's good!

• 📈 For retailers, this means free organic exposure to millions of users who come to Google every day
• 😊 For shoppers, it means a deeper Google Shopping experience that is more in line with traditional searches inclusion of paid and organic

Google has positioned the change as a gesture to help cash-strapped retailers during a time of economic crisis.

To us, it is clear that with people stuck at home, and physical stores closed, Google is looking to leverage the increases in online shopping and accelerate their ecommerce product development.

For ecommerce marketers, the move adds a new consideration to organic product search optimisation.