Google launched its second rebranding initiative of the week on Thursday when it reported that its Product Search would now become Google Shopping. The move has already irked some in the industry due to the imposition of a fee for companies to be included in Google’s shopping SERPs.
Google first got into the shopping game in 2002 under the name Froogle. The service has evolved substantially since then, landing now on an entire shopping platform aimed at driving revenue for both Google and the vendors it works with.
Currently, Google Product Search is still in use, but it’s likely that the shift to Shopping will come over time. To an extent, however, the process has already begun. In its Google Commerce blog, the company reported that it has made images of products on its SERPs larger to allow for easier comparisons of items for consumers. These items are all sponsored ads and are placed directly above organic search results and paid links.
SEO campaigns will not likely be affected by the changes. However, competing without actively using Google Shopping means a well-rounded new media marketing campaign that uses several different channels and efforts to help boost search ranking and visibility throughout the web.
Earlier this week, Google announced its first rebranding move that included similarly substantial adjustments to a service. Google Places has been nixed in favor of Google+ Local, which may help the company make Google+ a more valuable social media marketing tool moving forward, Brafton reported.
