Online Advertising has evolved and marketers around the globe are facing many challenges when it comes to promoting products online and offline. Things like targeting the right audience and driving relevant traffic to your website as well as to your store can sometimes be difficult to achieve. Also, you might get your products lost in the volume of offerings, especially when users are searching for similar products at a nearby location.
Large retailers have to showcase their stores if they want to reach more customers at the local level and allow them to fully experience their products. After all, people still crave the instant gratification of purchasing in-store.
Even if they intend to visit a local store, consumers often start their purchase journey online as they are searching for products and services. That’s where you need to be, to grab their attention at the right time, and become part of their mindset, exactly when they’re looking to get the necessary information to pursue their purchase.
To refine your customer’s in-store path to purchase journey, Google has further improved features of Local Inventory Ads since its launch in 2014.
Let’s take a look at what Google LIAs are to truly understand all you need to know about this powerful marketing solution and get you started with creating successful Local Inventory Ads.
What are Google Local Inventory Ads (LIA) and Why Should You Use Them?
The Google Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) Solution is one of four options offered by Google to help retailers to promote products online to potential customers.
This tool helps you create powerful:
- Local Inventory Ads
- Search Campaigns
- Smart or Standard Shopping Campaigns
- Shopping Campaigns with Partners
If you have many physical stores with products that are locally available, people will be more interested in choosing your products rather than the others.
Here are some benefits of Local Inventory Ads:
- Promote your in-store inventory: Let local shoppers know that your store has the products they’re looking for, at the moment they search on Google
- Bring your local store online: Use the Google-hosted local storefront as a robust, digital local storefront experience
- Measure performance: Monitor the impact your digital ads and free local listings have on online and in-store sales
Find out how REI used Google Local Inventory ads to bring customers from online to in-store.
What Countries Support Local Inventory (LIA) Ads?
Local Inventory Ads are available globally in select countries.
Currently, Google is working with the retailers in the following countries using this ad format:
Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.
Check out this up-to-date list of countries to get full details on where LIA ad format is accessible to advertisers.
How to Setup Google Inventory Ads (LIAs)?
The general setup details are listed below. If you need more specific information click on the links to view a more detailed version on Google’s website.
Ad Set up Instructions
Step 1: Setup your accounts
Step 2: Enable local inventory ads or free local product listings
Step 3: Add your business information
Step 4: Link your Google My Business account and select your location group
Step 5: Create, register, and submit feeds
- Create a primary product data feed
- Create a local product inventory feed (special caveats when running both online and offline campaigns)
- Register and submit local feeds
Step 6: Verify your about page (Austria, Germany and Switzerland only)
Step 7: Request inventory verification
Step 8: Set up Google Ads for local inventory ads
- Link your Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts (optional)
- Enable local products in your Shopping campaign
For the full guide and more detailed information on how to set up your Google LIA , visit the Local inventory onboarding guide
Need help updating your local inventory in a more timely manner?
Find out how RFID technology can help track your store product inventory for more accurate product inventory data.
How do Google Local Inventory Ads Work and What Do They Look Like?
As an online shopper, you can find LIAs through Google Search, Google Assistant, and Google Images. Different from Google Shopping Campaigns (Product Listing Ads), this ad format combines product details, local inventory, and store information so local shoppers can find what they are looking for in proximity to where they are.
Google Search
Google Assistant
Google Images
Once a LIA is clicked on in search, the user is directed to a Google-hosted landing page for the local store selling the product. At a minimum, a shopper can view the in-store inventory, get store hours and find directions to the store.
Once you click on the ad you’ll be directed to a landing page that includes more information about the product, where to buy it, and how to get there. There is a big emphasis on the mobile search experience. The landing pages have a clean and intuitive display of related products nearby with all the information the user needs to find what they are looking for in-store.
Some of them are:
- Google Shopping listing that includes the distance to a local store
- Store Landing Page for the product which could include:
- the language “in stock nearby at ” with the map embedded in the listing
- call button
- link to directions
- link to their website
- Local Store pages with a map and items that are available at that store
How Highstreet.io Helps You Get Started
To truly succeed in promoting your global products at a local level, you need to create the necessary feeds to effectively run your ads.
Working with big brands and retailers around the world, Highstreet.io helps you create Google product data feeds, local inventory feeds and Google My Business Store feeds that are optimized to get your store’s products maximum exposure.
Let us help you better promote your products. Contact the Highstreet.io Team for further details and get your free consultation.