Google recently opened the virtual doors of Google Shopping in the Netherlands. This gives online stores the opportunity to upload their products to Google and subsequently have them displayed in the organic search results.
Consumers
You are looking for a product. When you search for the product name on Google, the results immediately show where the product is for sale and at what price. Isn't that handy? Certainly. For consumers, searching for a product is made even easier and faster this way. When you click on the link, you land directly on the right product.
Advantages and disadvantages for webshops
For webshops, this is an excellent opportunity to offer their products in a different way. They have direct contact with the consumer, who can find and purchase the right product very quickly. However, there is also a downside to Google Shopping for online stores. The Shopping results are displayed above the standard organic search results. As a result, these results drop down and quickly fall out of view. This is, of course, disadvantageous for these companies. They will therefore have to make an extra effort to remain visible.
Comparison sites
Comparison sites are gaining a serious competitor. After all, Google has a reach of over 90%, while Beslist.nl, Kieskeurig.nl, and Vergelijk.nl have to make do with 10%. It seems only a matter of time before these sites go under. However, there is one party that stands a chance of becoming a formidable competitor to Google Shopping: Bol.com Plaza. This online store allows competitors to leverage its large reach to bring products to the consumer's attention. Bol.com receives a percentage of the revenue for this.
Verschil
The difference between Google Shopping and comparison sites is that with Shopping, Google does not rank products based on the lowest price, but on the quality of information. Think primarily of having reviews, unique content, and product availability.
Power
With all those new products from Google, I wonder how long it will be before Google has the entire internet under its control. Do you think Google will gain control of the entire internet? Or do you think consumers or businesses will put a stop to that sooner or later? Let me know in the comments!