Google Marketing Live 2022.
Starting a chat directly from an ad, search queries made up of images and text, and augmented reality in search and shopping ads. Just a handful of developments discussed during Google Marketing Live 2022.
Listed out
Google Marketing Live 2022, my first experience with this event. Unfortunately still online for me, but we’re gradually getting used to that. The event had a lot of speakers and countless real-world examples. I’ve chosen to list the five most interesting ones for you.
1. Multisearch
Open the Google app, upload a photo and simultaneously enter a text or spoken search query. Your written search query combined with a photo should, if all goes well, produce specific results. Your search query does of course need to match the photo. The question ‘how do I install these sliding doors?’ does need a photo of your sliding doors, otherwise you won’t get much further.
This new way of searching fits perfectly with Google’s new interface updates. Google is going for a more intuitive way of searching by linking certain things together in a logical way. In addition, Google is going for a visual and easy interface. This is happening purely because most information is now also being presented visually. A simple case of bringing supply and demand together.
2. Chatting directly from an ad
Being able to chat with advertising businesses right after entering your search query. This is made possible with the newest extension within Google Ads. The ‘messaging’ extension means you, as an advertiser, can add a chat function to your text ad. This way potential customers can get in touch with you directly from the ad about important, or less important, matters.
Is this a recommended feature for every business? No, I don’t think so. Do you have your customer service well in order and is there someone who can quickly respond to incoming questions? Then it’s definitely recommended. But if your customer service consists of a part-timer who spends more time on his own phone than the business’s, I’d hold off on it for a bit.
When you do have everything in order in terms of customer service, you can get a lot out of this. You can address your potential customers directly and convince them of your expertise. At the same time, you can make sure this potential customer clicks on your ad. What’s not entirely clear yet is where you receive these messages and how you can respond to them. The beta will be rolled out at the end of 2022, and then everything will quickly become clear.
3. Augmented Reality in Google Search and Shopping
The biggest advantage of offline shopping, in my view, is still seeing the product in the shop. The exact dimensions, the real colour and, of course, trying out that chair for a moment. Now, with Google’s newest Augmented Reality (AR) update, you still can’t actually sit down in a digital chair. But you can see how it looks in your house or office. And so online shopping has come one step closer to offline shopping once again.
A number of interesting partnerships that Google has entered into to make all this possible are with parties like Shopify, Bigcommerce and Woocommerce.
Besides the AR developments, there’s another interesting update within Google Shopping. Namely the ‘carousel ad’, an ad made up of multiple products that you can scroll between and click on. This feature will also be rolled out towards the end of 2022.
4. Google Lens
Taking a photo of your empty hand soap bottle and immediately getting shown an offer for a new bottle. Google Lens isn’t a new feature anymore, but it’s definitely still worth mentioning. Scan a product via the Google app, and Google immediately shows you where you could buy this product. I quickly tested it out at the office and immediately learned the value of, among other things, my stapler, keyboard and water bottle.
Besides the option to take your own photo, Google has now also made it easier to use photos from your ‘camera roll’. Where previously you could only choose between the ‘screenshots’ and ‘images’ tabs, you now also have the option to go through all your albums. This saves quite a bit of searching around.
5. Simplified tagging & privacy
To wrap up, let’s dive a bit deeper after all. A new Google Tag is namely coming for conversion measurement. This probably doesn’t mean much to you if you’re not a marketer, but it’s in any case a good development towards the privacy of your target audience.
Through on-device conversion measurement, data from publisher and advertiser is no longer shared with each other without privacy safeguards. Put a bit more simply: there’s no longer a server in between that stores this data. The data stays on the device on which the action is carried out. To still be able to retain this data, Google is coming with simplified tagging.
According to Google, it’s extremely important to use tagging correctly for a privacy-focused future. Simplified tagging makes sure you still achieve your goals within your ads, without violating your customers’ privacy.
And much more…
So there I’ve been able to throw around a hefty dose of industry jargon after all. Nothing makes a marketer’s ego grow faster than working expensive English words into a text. But let’s not stray from the ultimate goal: informing.
Besides the five developments mentioned, there’s a whole lot more developments I’d love to share with you. But no one is waiting for a text 20 pages long either. That’s why for now I’ve shared the five that appeal to me most. Are you waiting for the rest of the developments? The various presentations that came up during Google Marketing Live 2022 can all be watched back online via the following link: https://www.googlemarketinglive.com/americas/en/home.