Maximize Your Online Visibility with Google Local Inventory Ads

Do you have a physical store and want to attract more customers through the internet? Are you looking for an effective way to promote your in-store products to online users searching for similar items nearby? Then you should consider using Google Local Inventory Ads, a type of ad that lets you showcase your local inventory on Google.

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In this article, we will explain what Google Local Inventory Ads are, how to set them up, how to optimize them, and what benefits they can bring to your business. Whether you are new to digital marketing or more experienced, this guide will help you maximize your online visibility with Google Local Inventory Ads.

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Introduction to Google Local Inventory Ads

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What Is a Google Local Inventory Ad?

A Google Local Inventory Ad (LIA) is an ad that appears when someone searches on Google for a product you sell in your store. For example, if you sell black dresses in your boutique in Paris and a user types "black dresses near me" into Google, they may see your LIA informing them that you have black dresses available in your store.

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The LIA includes a product image, product name, selling price, and your store name. When the user clicks on the ad, they are redirected to a page hosted by Google or your website, called the "local storefront," which shows them more details about the product along with information about your store, such as opening hours, address, phone number, and directions.

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LIAs are part of Shopping ads, which appear in Google search results, the Google Shopping tab, Google Images, and Google Assistant. LIAs are therefore a way to make your products more visible across these different channels.

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Why Use Google Local Inventory Ads?

Google Local Inventory Ads offer several advantages for retailers with a physical store. Here are some reasons to use LIAs:

They let you reach online users who are searching for products you sell in your store and who are likely to visit in person to purchase them.
They allow you to highlight your local inventory and show users that the products they are looking for are in stock.
They help you create an omnichannel experience between your online store and your physical store, offering users the option to reserve or purchase online and pick up in-store (click and collect).
They allow you to measure the impact of your digital ads on in-store sales, using the analytics tools provided by Google.

By using Google Local Inventory Ads, you can increase traffic to your physical store, generate more sales, build customer loyalty, and optimize your return on ad spend.

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Setting Up Google Local Inventory Ads

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Prerequisites for Using Google Local Inventory Ads

To use Google Local Inventory Ads, you need to meet certain prerequisites. Here is the list of requirements:

You must have a Google Merchant Center account, which is the platform that lets you manage your products and data feeds for Shopping ads.

You must have a Google Ads account, which is the platform that lets you create and manage your advertising campaigns on Google.

You must link your Google Merchant Center account to your Google Ads account in order to run your Shopping ads.

You must have a physical store in one of the countries where LIAs are available. Currently, LIAs are available in 21 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

You must comply with Google's policies on LIAs, which cover data quality, price transparency, personal data protection, and legal compliance.

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If you meet these requirements, you can move on to configuring your Google Local Inventory Ads.

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Configuring Google Local Inventory Ads

To configure your Google Local Inventory Ads, you need to provide Google with information about your business, your stores, and your products. To do this, you must create and submit three types of data feeds to Google Merchant Center:

A primary feed, which contains basic information about your products, such as title, description, price, image, and so on. This feed is the same one you use for standard Shopping ads.

A local products feed, which contains information specific to your local inventory, such as the store code, the product code (which must match the one in the primary feed), the quantity available in stock, and the local price.
A local product inventory feed, which contains information about your physical stores, such as the store name, address, phone number, opening hours, and so on.

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You can create these feeds manually or automatically using tools such as Pointy, ProductsUp, or Epicor, which are Google-certified partners that can help you manage your local feeds.

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Once you have created and submitted your feeds to Google Merchant Center, you will need to wait for Google to approve them. This can take up to 3 business days. If your feeds are validated, you can move on to the next step: enabling in-stock products in your Shopping campaign.

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Enabling In-Stock Products in Your Shopping Campaign

To enable in-stock products in your Shopping campaign, go to your Google Ads account and update your campaign settings. Here are the steps to follow:

Select the Shopping campaign you want to update, or create a new one if you do not have one yet.

Click on Settings in the left menu and scroll down to the In-store products section.

Click Edit and check the box to Enable in-store products for this campaign.

Click Save.

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By enabling this option, you allow Google to serve your LIAs across the various channels where Shopping ads appear. You can also choose to serve your LIAs only on specific channels by using exclusive network segments. We will cover how to do that later in this article.

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Congratulations! You have completed the setup of your Google Local Inventory Ads. You can now move on to optimizing your campaigns.

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Optimizing Your Google Local Inventory Ads Campaigns

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How to Optimize Your Ads for Better Performance

To optimize your LIAs and get better results, you should follow a few best practices. Here are some tips for improving your performance:

Regularly check the quality and freshness of your data feeds. Make sure your data is accurate, complete, and up to date. Fix any errors or warnings flagged by Google Merchant Center.

Use high-quality, eye-catching images for your products. Avoid blurry, pixelated, or overly dark images. Choose images that clearly display the product and comply with Google's guidelines.

Write clear, relevant, and compelling product titles and descriptions. Use keywords that match the search terms users are entering. Avoid keyword stuffing, duplicate content, or misleading information.

Adjust your bids based on the performance of your ads. You can use a cost-per-click (CPC) bidding strategy or a return on ad spend (ROAS) bidding strategy. You can also modify your bids based on different factors, such as location, device, time of day, or audience type.

Test different ad formats to see which ones generate the most clicks and conversions. You can use standard LIAs, showcase LIAs, or catalog LIAs. You can also combine these formats with ad extensions, such as callout extensions, promotion extensions, or location extensions.

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By following these tips, you can optimize your LIAs and maximize your online visibility.

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Monitoring and Analyzing the Performance of Your Online Sales Channel

To monitor and analyze the performance of your online sales channel, use the analytics tools provided by Google. Here are the main tools you can use:

Google Ads: lets you measure clicks, impressions, click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), cost per acquisition (CPA), return on ad spend (ROAS), and conversions generated by your LIAs. You can also compare the performance of your LIAs against other Shopping ad types or your Performance Max campaigns.

Google Analytics: lets you measure traffic, behavior, and retention of users who visit your website or local storefront after clicking on your LIAs. You can also measure bounce rate, average session duration, pages per session, and conversion rate.

Google Store Visits: lets you measure the number of users who visit your physical store after seeing or clicking on your LIAs. This figure is based on aggregated and anonymized data from users who have location history enabled on their mobile device. This figure is not available to all advertisers.

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By using these tools, you can assess the effectiveness of your LIAs and determine the return on investment they are generating.

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Segmenting Your Ads by Click Type and Exclusive Channel

To refine your analysis and optimization, you can segment your LIAs by click type and exclusive channel. Here is what these terms mean:

Click type: this refers to the type of action a user takes after seeing your LIA. There are three possible click types: a click on the product image, a click on the product name, and a click on the store name. Each click type has a different impact on your ad performance.

Exclusive channel: this refers to the channel where your LIA is served exclusively. There are four possible exclusive channels: Google Search Network, Google Display Network, YouTube, and Gmail. Each exclusive channel has a different impact on the visibility and reach of your ad.

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To segment your LIAs by click type and exclusive channel, go to your Google Ads account and click on Ads and extensions in the left menu. Then click the Segment button in the top right and choose Click type or Exclusive channel from the dropdown menu. You will then see the data broken down by each segment.

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By segmenting your LIAs, you can identify improvement opportunities and adjust your strategies accordingly.

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Overview of Google Local Inventory Ads

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What Do Google Local Inventory Ads Look Like?

Google Local Inventory Ads appear in different ways depending on the channel where they are served. Here are some examples of LIA formats:

In Google search results: your LIA appears as a thumbnail with the product image, product name, price, and your store name. If the user clicks on the image or the product name, they are redirected to your local storefront. If they click on your store name, they are redirected to your website or to Google Maps.

In the Google Shopping tab: your LIA appears as a thumbnail with the product image, product name, price, and your store name. If the user clicks on the thumbnail, they are redirected to your local storefront. If they click the "In store" button, they are redirected to Google Maps.

In Google Images: your LIA appears as a thumbnail with the product image, product name, price, and your store name. If the user clicks on the thumbnail, they are redirected to your local storefront. If they click the "In store" button, they are redirected to Google Maps.

In Google Assistant: your LIA appears as a card with the product image, product name, price, and your store name. If the user clicks on the card, they are redirected to your local storefront. If they click the "Call" button, they can contact your store directly.

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These examples are not exhaustive, as LIA formats may vary by country, device, and campaign settings.

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Displaying Available Inventory in Your Store

When a user accesses your local storefront after clicking on your LIA, they can see the inventory available in your store. The local storefront includes several elements:

A banner with your store logo and name, along with a "Call" button to contact your store directly.

A map with your store location and directions.

A list of products available in your store, including the image, name, price, and stock quantity of each product.

A filter to refine the search by category, brand, price, or availability.

A link to your website or to a specific page on your website.

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The local storefront therefore allows users to see which products you sell in your store and whether they are in stock. They can also compare prices across different products or stores, and access your website or your physical store if they want to make a purchase.

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Key Benefits of Google Local Inventory Ads

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Opportunities Created by Google Local Inventory Ads

Google Local Inventory Ads create opportunities for retailers with a physical store. Here are some examples of opportunities you can seize through LIAs:

You can attract online users who are close to your store and have strong purchase intent. According to a Google study, 76% of users who search for a product nearby visit a store the same day, and 28% of those visits result in a purchase.

You can build customer loyalty by offering an omnichannel experience. According to a Harvard Business Review study, customers who use multiple channels to interact with a brand spend on average 4% more in-store and 10% more online than single-channel customers.

You can differentiate yourself from competitors by showcasing your local inventory. According to a Forrester study, 50% of online shoppers prefer to buy online from a retailer that also has a physical store, and 39% consider in-store product availability an important factor in their purchase decision.

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By using Google Local Inventory Ads, you can create growth opportunities for your business and strengthen your relationship with your customers.

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The Impact of Google Local Inventory Ads on Your Online Visibility

Google Local Inventory Ads have a positive impact on your online visibility. Here are some examples of the impact you can see through LIAs:

You can increase the number of impressions and clicks on your ads. According to a Google study, retailers using LIAs see their click-through rate increase by an average of 19% compared to retailers using only standard Shopping ads.

You can increase the number of visits and sales in your physical store. According to a Google study, retailers using LIAs see their conversion rate increase by an average of 80% compared to retailers using only standard Shopping ads.

You can increase online sales and average order value. According to a Google study, retailers using LIAs see their online revenue increase by an average of 9% compared to retailers using only standard Shopping ads, and their average order value increase by 11%.

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By using Google Local Inventory Ads, you can improve your online visibility and boost your revenue.

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Success Stories with Google Local Inventory Ads

Many retailers have already adopted Google Local Inventory Ads and achieved impressive results. Here are some success stories:

Sephora, the cosmetics retail chain, used LIAs to promote products available in its French stores. Thanks to LIAs, Sephora increased its in-store traffic by 32%, its in-store revenue by 11%, and its return on ad spend by 32%.

PetSmart, the pet products retail chain, used LIAs to promote its services available in its American stores. Thanks to LIAs, PetSmart increased its click-through rate by 122%, its conversion rate by 5%, and its overall revenue by 6%.

IKEA, the furniture retail chain, used LIAs to promote products available in its German stores. Thanks to LIAs, IKEA increased its local impression rate by 31%, its local click-through rate by 45%, and its local revenue by 14%.

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These examples show that Google Local Inventory Ads are a powerful lever for increasing the visibility and profitability of retailers with a physical store.

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Conclusion

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Maximizing Your Online Presence with Google Local Inventory Ads

Google Local Inventory Ads are a type of ad that lets you showcase your local inventory on Google. They allow you to reach online users who are searching for products you sell in your store and who are likely to visit in person to purchase them.

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They also let you create an omnichannel experience between your online store and your physical store, offering users the option to reserve or purchase online and pick up in-store. And they allow you to measure the impact of your digital ads on in-store sales using the analytics tools provided by Google.

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To use Google Local Inventory Ads, you need to meet certain prerequisites, such as having a Google Merchant Center account, a Google Ads account, a physical store in one of the countries where LIAs are available, and compliance with Google's LIA policies. You also need to provide Google with information about your business, your stores, and your products by creating and submitting three types of data feeds to Google Merchant Center: a primary feed, a local products feed, and a local product inventory feed. You then need to enable in-stock products in your Shopping campaign in Google Ads.

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To optimize your LIAs and get better results, follow a few best practices: regularly check the quality and freshness of your data feeds, use high-quality and attractive images for your products, write clear, relevant, and compelling product titles and descriptions, adjust your bids based on ad performance, and test different ad formats to see which generate the most clicks and conversions.

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You should also monitor and analyze the performance of your online sales channel using the analytics tools provided by Google, such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, and Google Store Visits. You can also segment your LIAs by click type and exclusive channel to refine your analysis and optimization.

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By using Google Local Inventory Ads, you can create opportunities for your business and strengthen your relationship with your customers. You can also improve your online visibility and boost your revenue. Many retailers have already adopted LIAs and achieved impressive results.

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Want guidance on your digital marketing strategy? Feel free to reach out!

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FAQs

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Q: What are Google Local Inventory Ads (LIAs)?

A: Google Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) are a form of online advertising that allows retailers to promote their products directly in Google search results. These ads display detailed information about products available in local stores.

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Q: How do Google Local Inventory Ads work?

A: LIAs use data from a retailer's product catalog to serve relevant ads to Google users who are searching for local products. Ads appear in search results, Google Shopping, and Google Maps.

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Q: How are Google Local Inventory Ads useful for local businesses?

A: LIAs are particularly useful for local businesses because they allow them to promote products available in their physical stores. This helps attract local customers and drive in-store visits.

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Q: How do I set up Google Local Inventory Ads for my business?

A: You can set up LIAs using Google Merchant Center and Google Ads. You will need to create a product feed, upload your product catalog, and configure your ad campaign.