Helping shoppers decide with product ratings on Google Shopping

Product reviews provide critical information to shoppers making purchase decisions. To help shoppers easily find this information when searching for products, we’re introducing product ratings on Product Listing Ads.

Shoppers in the United States will see product ratings appear in the form of stars and review counts on Product Listing Ads across google.com and google.com/shopping. This 5-star rating system represents aggregated rating and review data for the product, compiled from multiple sources including merchants, third party aggregators, editorial sites and users.

Product ratings for juicers as indicated by stars and a count of total reviews below Product Listing Ads

We believe these ratings will help differentiate products across google.com and google.com/shopping and will help merchants drive more qualified traffic through Product Listing Ads. In initial tests, product ratings also helped increase click-through-rates of Product Listing Ads.

How to enable product ratings on your Product Listing Ads

Product ratings are available to merchants targeting the United States who choose to share all of their product review content with Google, either directly or through an approved third party aggregator.

In order to give merchants time to share their review content, we’re offering a grace period from late July through October, 2014. During this grace period, we’ll allow product ratings to be shown across all Product Listing Ads where we have product review data available. After the grace period, we’ll only show ratings for products from merchants who choose to share their reviews with us.

Product ratings are one of several extensions we may show with Product Listing Ads, so please note that just because a product has reviews does not mean that we’ll always show ratings.

How to share your review content

If you would like to enable product ratings on your Product Listing Ads, please begin the process of submitting your review content to us by completing our product ratings form. During the initial launch, we expect high inquiry volumes and appreciate your patience as we work to address all inquiries.

We also plan to open up product ratings to merchants targeting countries outside of the United States in the coming months, so please stay tuned.


Posted by Mike Capsambelis, Product Manager, Google Shopping

Manage your gift cards, request money and send money for free from your debit card with the Google Wallet app

Today, we’re introducing several new features to the Google Wallet app* for Android and iOS devices that make it easier to shop in stores and get paid by friends and family. First, you can now easily manage your gift cards and redeem them in stores using the Wallet app. Never worry about forgetting your gift cards at home again. You can also request money from friends, which means you can settle the dinner bill while you're still at the table. Lastly, sending money with your debit card is now free, making it even easier to pay your friends or the babysitter using Wallet.

Store gift cards and instantly check your gift card balance

You can already store your loyalty cards and offers in Google Wallet, and now you can easily keep your gift cards in Wallet too. Add your cards to Wallet just by snapping a picture of them or typing in the card info. Then, when you want to use the gift card at the store, just show your phone to the cashier at checkout.

For certain gift cards, you can check your gift card balance in real-time and get reminders to use your card when you are near stores. Participating merchants with these features include:

If you received a gift card electronically, you can also save it to your Google Wallet directly from the e-gift by clicking “Save to Google.” This feature is currently available through merchants including Sephora, TGI Friday’s, Whole Foods and more.

Request money from friends with the Google Wallet app or Gmail

For all those times when your friends forget to pay you back for dinner, you can simply request money using the Google Wallet app (for U.S. users, 18 years and older). They will receive a notification and can instantly pay you back. If they need a reminder, you can send them a friendly nudge from within the app. You can also send your friends a message right within Gmail, and request money just like you would attach a picture.

Send money fast and for free using your debit card

You can now send money for free in Wallet by using your debit card. No more searching around for a checkbook or waiting for your funds to arrive. With Google Wallet, your money is at your fingertips.

Use Google Wallet in Spanish

If you’ve activated Spanish language settings in your Android or iOS device, the Wallet app will now display in Spanish.

Download the new version of the Google Wallet app on the Google Play Store and the App Store rolling out this week in the US, to use these new features.


Posted by Glenn Thrope, Product Manager, Google Wallet


*Android devices v. 4.0+, USA only, iOS devices v. 6.0+, USA only

Scale your Shopping campaigns with bulk uploads and AdWords Editor

With less than eight weeks left until regular Product Listing Ad (PLA) campaigns retire, we're excited that the majority of PLA advertisers have already started taking advantage of Shopping campaigns, and 85% of these have already fully upgraded. Advertisers who’ve upgraded like Farfetch, US Mattress, LiBoutique and ValuePetSupplies are seeing great success thanks to the retail-centric interface, item-level reporting and competitive benchmark data.

For those of you who’ve upgraded, we’re excited to introduce two new tools to make campaign management, specifically bid optimization, easier.

• Bulk Uploads: You now have the ability to download a product group report, edit your bids and destination URLs, and import your changes using bulk uploads. 
• AdWords Editor: We’ve heard your feedback, and with the latest version of AdWords Editor, you can edit your bids and destination URLs for individual product groups at scale. At this time, AdWords Editor doesn’t support the creation of Shopping campaigns or product groups, so please plan time to create your campaigns and subdivide your product groups directly in AdWords.

If you haven’t upgraded to Shopping campaigns, we strongly encourage you to start as all regular Product Listing Ad campaigns will retire at the end of August.

Many third-party agencies and platforms are upgrading advertisers to Shopping campaigns, so if you work with one, reach out and see how they can help. Here are a few resources to answer questions and get you started:

• Shopping Campaign Tutorial Videos
• How to create a campaign
• How to prep my data feed
• How to optimize my product groups
• Upgrade Hangouts on Air
• Shopping Campaigns Upgrade 101: Where and how to start (beginner)
• Shopping Campaigns Upgrade 201: What to do now (advanced)
• Help Centers
• AdWords Help Center
• Merchant Center Help Center
• AdWords Community

Posted by Eric Tholomé, Director of Product Management, Google Shopping

Win the digital shelf with our new guide to Shopping campaigns

We introduced Shopping campaigns in February to make it easier for you to manage your Product Listing Ads (PLAs). In late August, Shopping campaigns will be the default campaign type for all PLA advertisers.

To help retailers make the most of their Shopping campaigns, we’re excited to introduce a new best practices guide, “Shape Up Your Shopping Campaigns.” It addresses important questions like:

• How should you structure your campaigns: by product line, performance, or both? 
• Which feed attributes have the best chance of improving CTR?
• Are you adjusting bids quickly enough during peak seasons?

Download the “Shape Up Your Shopping Campaigns” guide now to ensure you’re making the most of your PLAs and data feeds.

 For additional help, here are a few resources:

• Tutorial Videos to help you get started
• AdWords Help Center for more detailed information on Shopping campaigns
• Learn With Google Webinar (April 15) for upgrade tips
• Learn With Google Webinar (May 22) for more advanced upgrade best practices

Posted by Matt Lawson, Director, Performance Ads Marketing

Let your shoppers speed through checkout on iOS apps with Google Wallet Instant Buy

Typing shipping and billing information on mobile devices can be a difficult experience, which is one of the reasons why 97% of mobile shoppers abandon their shopping carts. We introduced Google Wallet Instant Buy to make checkout on mobile sites and Android apps easier and help shoppers speed through the purchase process - often in as few as two clicks.

Today we're bringing this same technology to iOS apps. iOS developers in the U.S. can now sign up to integrate the Instant Buy API and bring a fast and easy checkout experience across iOS, Android and web.

Merchants and developers selling physical goods and services can use Instant Buy to take advantage of the following:

• Easy integration that works with existing payment processors
• Secure payments with 24/7 fraud monitoring
• No Google fees

Merchant success with Instant Buy

Many merchants have used Instant Buy to simplify their mobile checkout and turn visitors into customers on their mobile sites and Android apps. For instance:

• RueLaLa saw a 4X increase in purchase conversion for Google Wallet users on their Android app after integrating Instant Buy. More than half of Google Wallet users came back and made repeat purchases within a matter of weeks.
• Eat24 integrated Instant Buy and saw that Google Wallet users had an 11% higher average order value than that of credit card purchases on their Android app.
• Fancy experienced a 20% conversion increase on their mobile and desktop sites, as well as Android app.

We've been working with select early partners, including Wish, B&H, Eat24, Fancy, Newegg and Sionic Mobile to integrate Instant Buy into their iOS apps. We are excited to open the Instant Buy iOS API and welcome more developers to sign up today.

Easy integration process

Developers can now review the Instant Buy iOS SDK documentation and integration process. Integrating is fast and easy, with most merchants finishing the process in less than a week.

Learn more about Google Wallet Instant Buy. For the latest Google Wallet updates, follow us on Google+.

Posted by Justin Wong, Product Manager, Google Wallet

Google Shopping Express now available to Northern California shoppers with overnight service

Attention Northern California shoppers -- Need a quick birthday gift from Toys"R"Us but there isn’t one nearby?  Or heading out on a camping trip tomorrow and need some last-minute gear from REI?  Google Shopping Express is introducing convenient overnight delivery to shoppers throughout Northern California - from Fresno and Porterville in the south to Eureka and Crescent City in the north.  This new overnight service complements Google Shopping Express’ growing same-day offering which recently expanded from the San Francisco Bay Area to West Los Angeles and Manhattan.

Overnight delivery coming throughout Northern California

Overnight service is available today in East Bay cities including Berkeley, Concord, Danville, Dublin, Fremont, Oakland, Pleasanton, Richmond, Walnut Creek, and more.  We’ll be rolling out Google Shopping Express’ overnight service to most of Northern California over the next few months, from the California-Oregon border to cities like Fresno and Visalia in the south.  Customers will even be able to get products delivered to places like Big Sur and Yosemite.  Visit our website to see if overnight delivery service is available where you live today.

And if we’re not yet in your area, let us know and we’ll notify you when Google Shopping Express becomes available in your neighborhood.

Fast, convenient delivery from stores you love

With overnight delivery from Google Shopping Express, customers are able to shop from some of their favorite retailers on one site (google.com/express) - from well-known brands like Target, Walgreens and Whole Foods Market, to San Franciso-based favorites they might not have convenient access to, like Blue Bottle Coffee, Dodo Case, PhotoJojo and Timbuk2, among others.  

Simply place your order by 7:00 PM and you’ll receive your delivery the next day.  You can also easily shop while you’re on the go through our Android and iOS apps.  Once you’ve ordered your items, we’ll work with major shipping carriers to deliver them from the store to your doorstep.

Shoppers in Northern California can order from a range of stores including Blue Bottle Coffee, Cole Hardware, Costco, DodoCase, Fry’s Electronics, Google Play, Guitar Center, Hassett Hardware, L’Occitane, Nob Hill Foods, Office Depot, Palo Alto Sport Shop & Toy World, PhotoJoJo, REI, Smart & Final, Staples, Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us, Target, Timbuk2, Walgreens, and Whole Foods Market.  We continue to add more stores to the service, so stay tuned.

Same prices as in stores

With Google Shopping Express, there are no surcharges or mark-ups, products cost exactly what they do in stores.  You can also take advantage of in-store discounts and accrue loyalty points by providing your store rewards card information.

For a limited time, we’re also offering shoppers six months of free, unlimited deliveries.*  And shoppers in our new overnight delivery area can also enjoy a free $10 to spend on us.**  Happy shopping!

Posted by Brandon Trew, Product Manager, Google Shopping Express

*Six-month subscription of free delivery. Your account must be in good standing to remain eligible. Subscription offer expires 6/30/2014.

**Applies only to first purchase (whether or not it is the coupon amount or more) made before today's end and not to delivery fees or in-app purchases. Valid while delivery slots last. Your account must be in good standing to remain eligible.

For complete terms and conditions see g.co/shopexpressterms.  

Google Shopping Express expands same-day delivery to Manhattan and West Los Angeles

Suddenly realize that you’re designated snack mom tomorrow and don’t have time to run to the store? Or need to bring a new board game to this week’s game night but would rather avoid traffic altogether? Whether you’re in need of some pretzels or a game of Monopoly, Google Shopping Express offers convenient same-day delivery from some of your favorite local stores, delivered to your door in a matter of hours. We opened the service to shoppers in the San Francisco Bay Area last year and now we’re ready to bring the service to both coasts, starting with West Los Angeles and Manhattan.

See it, click it, get it today

With Google Shopping Express, there’s no need to schlep around town in a cab or sit in traffic while carrying home clunky, heavy items. All you have to do is browse products from many of your favorite local stores at google.com/express, select a delivery window that works for you, and receive your order later that day. You can also order easily through our Android and iOS apps to shop even when you’re on the go.

Low cost, everyday affordability

With Google Shopping Express, there are no surcharges or mark-ups, products cost exactly what they would in-store. You can also take advantage of in-store discounts and accrue loyalty points by providing your store rewards card information.

For a limited time, we’re also offering shoppers six months of free, unlimited deliveries.* So order as much as you want, as often as you’d like.

Your favorite stores, brought to you

In the Los Angeles area, shoppers in Culver City, Inglewood, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Venice, West Los Angeles, and Westwood can now shop from some of their favorite retailers like Costco, Guitar Center, L’Occitane, Smart & Final, Staples, Target, Toys“R”Us/Babies“R”Us, and Walgreens. In the coming months, we’ll be expanding delivery to other parts of Los Angeles, Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista and West Hollywood.

In New York, we’re starting with service to the entire island of Manhattan with Babies“R”Us, Costco, Fairway Market, L’Occitane, Staples, Target, and Walgreens. We’re also working to bring Shopping Express to shoppers in Queens and Brooklyn in the coming months.

We're looking to add even more national and local merchants to bring more of your favorite brands and products right to your doorstep - so stay tuned. And if we’re not yet in your area, let us know and we’ll notify you when Google Shopping Express is available in your neighborhood.

Ready to try?

If you live or work in one of our new markets, you can enjoy a free $10** to spend on us. Big or small, rain or shine, we’ve got it covered. So kick back, relax, stay in your comfy loungewear and start shopping.

Posted by Jenna Owens, General Manager of Operations, Google Shopping Express

*Six-month subscription of free delivery. Your account must be in good standing to remain eligible. Subscription offer expires 6/30/2014. For complete terms and conditions see g.co/shopexpressterms.  

**Applies only to first purchase (whether or not it is the coupon amount or more) made before today's end and not to delivery fees or in-app purchases. Valid while delivery slots last. Your account must be in good standing to remain eligible.

A look at the Bay Area's same-day shopping list

In today’s fast-paced world, many of us are looking for ways to get the things we need fast, and checking off our shopping lists with same-day delivery services is no different. To better understand what kinds of products people are getting delivered same-day, we took a look at what San Francisco Bay Area shoppers are buying from some of their favorite local stores using Google Shopping Express.

Some of the most popular items that Bay Area shoppers get with same-day delivery are everyday essentials like toothpaste and toilet paper, as well as heavy or bulky items like canned soup and potting soil. In fact, in a single day, people around the Bay Area buy enough cat food through Google Shopping Express to feed about 1,500 cats! While a lot of people are buying everyday essentials, they’re also using the service to buy some rather unexpected items like Sriracha hot sauce and tennis balls, which are among some of the most popular products ordered.

But not all neighborhoods around the Bay Area are filling their carts with the same items. For instance, in San Francisco, people in Potrero Hill buy more cereal than any other neighborhood, while shoppers in Bernal Heights buy the most sunscreen. People in The Marina love getting protein powder delivered on the double, while Mountain View shoppers buy the most rock climbing gear. And when it comes to same-day spreads, people in San Jose buy more mayonnaise than any other city, while Palo Alto tops the list of Nutella purchases.

Check out the full infographic below for more:

Want to give it a try? For a limited time, you can get six months of free, unlimited same-day delivery when you sign up for our free membership.* To get started, visit google.com/express.

Happy shopping!

Posted by Jenna Owens, General Manager of Operations, Google Shopping Express

*Six-month subscription of free delivery. Your account must be in good standing to remain eligible. Subscription offer expires 6/30/2014. For complete terms and conditions see g.co/shopexpressterms.