4 Search Trends Retailers Need to Watch Out For

Across all of the different search landscapes, retailers will likely see some of the biggest changes in years to come. Google is trying everything it possibly can to make up ground in the commerce space. This has resulted in more aggressive testing in what types of results it shows users—in other words, it's attempting to provide its user base with a much more robust shopping experience than it ever has before. While the inability to fulfill orders leaves a lot of questions as to how much of the market it can claim, you can be sure that Google will continue to push hard for advances in the way it handles retailer search results. Here are four changes we're already seeing. Google search is getting more visual You’ve likely noticed how Google’s search results are much more complex than they used to be. Long gone are the days of text-only results. Searches today provide users with a much more visual experience. This is especially true for retailers. For example, Google Shopping ads, those large carousels of product images, are a staple of retailer search results that give users a much more direct and robust commerce experience. However, these aren’t the only ways that Google is making its product more visual. Back in 2020, Google started showing “Popular Products” directly in retailer search results. Similar to Shopping ads, these results feature large product images that are prominently displayed directly in the search engine. Google understands that visuals are the most important components of the commerce experience; one can expect it to continue to double down on these types of features. Inside Google’s Plan to Make Ecommerce More ‘Interesting’ An emphasis on localization If you search for something like “spring dresses,” chances are you’ll see more than just commerce sites appear. Some of the first results might be a map that lists all of the physical retailers near your specific location. These results contain reviews, directions and even in-store availability. This is because Google understands that a search can have multiple purchasing intents. While some users are perfectly fine shopping while never leaving the comfort of their own home, others need to physically interact with products first. Thus, Google blends the online and retail commerce experiences by showing users stores near their location. This gives a major advantage to retailers with physical storefronts. Traditional retailers need to be sure they’re managing and optimizing their storefront information in order to take advantage of these features. Informational content is performing better Something really interesting happens when you look at how search results have changed over time. Take, for example, the term “couch.” Back in 2019, the top-performing pages were category pages from all the usual suspects: Ashley Furniture, Ikea, Raymour & Flanigan and others. Fast forward to 2022, and the types of results have shifted. Instead of commerce-focused category pages, informational buying guides are now performing better. Top-performing pages include listicles from publications like The Spruce and Forbes, and the search results have changed to show more product review pages as opposed to retailers themselves. This is because the intent behind this search is split. Customers might be looking to make a purchase or they simply could be researching more information. Google has noticed this behavior and changed the results over time to accommodate. This means that retailers need to adapt their content strategies. Creating new pages that are more informational and review-focused can help them adjust to the changes Google is making on retailer search results. Larger pushes to integrate commerce It’s no secret that Google is threatened by Amazon. When you think about the monopoly Google has established in the search landscape, it’s easy to see why its biggest competition isn’t another search engine—instead, it’s Amazon's commerce engine. Think about the times you’re likely to look for information online and opt not to use Google. Chances are that making a product purchase accounts for many of those instances. In these instances, consumers know that Amazon provides a better experience. Google is taking steps to change that. By making search results more visual, it's attempting to provide a more robust commerce experience to users. But this isn’t the only change it's making. Retailer search results now contain much of the information a consumer needs to make a purchase—pricing, availability and reviews. The search giant has even tested adding “Buying Guides” directly in the results. Although it has historically lost in commerce, Google is looking to change that. It's expected to continue to test and add more features that give users the ability to make purchase decisions directly on the platform. Why Google Divesting Its Ad-Tech Stack Won’t Dent Its Dominance