Local Inventory Ads (LIA)

See What’s In Store

By participating in SWIS, your products are shown to shoppers nearby with all store and product information. Your potential customers can see whether the products they are looking for are in stock when you upload your local inventory feeds.
Online shopping has never become more popular. Of all searches on Google, 46% are seeking local information, and of local mobile searches, 76% look for businesses near them resulting in store visits within 24 hours. In addition, 83% of shoppers will be more likely to make a visit if they have researched the item’s availability before they reach the store. It is crucial for local businesses to utilize these ‘micro moments’ when people are constantly looking for products like yours with Google See What’s In Store (SWIS).

Here’s How It Works

Google has introduced this new feature called “See What’s In Store” (SWIS), which allows users to browse your local product inventory when it’s integrated with your Google My Business account. This program is Google’s way of trying to help the local retailers while also competing with Amazon.

Leverage on Micro Moments

Micro moment describes an intent-rich moment where people turn to a device, usually a mobile phone to act on a need to buy, know, go, or do. You need to make sure that your brand captures those micro moments of your customers. By integrating SWIS on your Google My Business profile, your products could be showing up to millions of searches on Google.

Multi-Location Manager

Whether it is small or large businesses, SWIS allows your products to be displayed to people who are ready to make a purchase. Local View helps transmit and refresh your local inventory feed daily – on ALL your locations. Increase in person accessibility to your products.Be confident in providing the most accurate stock to your customers.

Local Inventory

We are a trusted partner of Google that can help you with your local inventory feed verification. While requesting inventory verification from Google takes time, we can provide instant store verification to get you started. Local View will do the hard work of sending your catalog content (includes names, prices, pictures etc) and will have options to turn safety stock on (only display products with 2 or greater stock on Google) or have all products live.

Some common industries that could greatly benefit from Local Inventory Ads include:

Car Dealerships

Grocery Stores

Retailers

eCommerce Locations

Features and Benefits

Pickup In-Store

Customers can now have the option to buy and pick up in store. Your products will feature real-time availability and locations nearby. If they are searching near your location, Google Maps will give them all the contact information of your store and an approximate distance from their location to you.

SWIS

Your customers will know exactly whether certain products are available in store right from your Google My Business profile. They won’t have to leave Google to browse through dozens of your stock.

Prominent Position on SERP

Local inventory ads appear at the top of the search results page just under the search bar. When users enter a specific search term related to your products, they can see right away which local businesses have the product available.

Free Product Listing

Your products are also eligible to show up in unpaid listings on surfaces across Google such as Shopping Tab, and Google Photos. Before, paid products on Google limited the amount of selection to directly purchase, and in turn drove customers away to buy from sites with more variety, such as Amazon. With Google shopping ads, the rank is determined by feed quality and bid value. Since your local inventory listing will be unpaid, Local View works hard to provide an exceptional feed that will be sure to boost your ratings.

User-Friendly

Because your GMB account is linked to your Merchant Center, your complete store information is also shown when your potential customers click on your ad. Without navigating away from Google, users can view product and business description, link to your website, hours, phone number and navigation to your store all at once.

Double Exposure

Your products are able to run on both regular product listing ads and Local Inventory Ads at the same time to increase your online exposure. You have the option to list a selected number of products for local inventory and the rest for your ecommerce website. Your product listing ads bring traffic to your site while local inventory ads can increase in-store sales.

Level With Big Brands

Even small businesses can benefit from Local View’s local inventory. Turn your online local traffic into real time customers! With up-to-date stock and contact information ready to go, your inventory sits on a level playing field with advertisers paying way more for their spot alongside you. Set up with Local View is easy, and will increase foot traffic and clicks just as much as big name brands and e-commerce stores.

How will my products be seen through each Surface across Google?

Google Shopping:

your inventory will be displayed in unpaid listings, and will also include the price, reviews and availability. Having your product shown in an unpaid spot will let customers know that your product has ranked organically and has received recognition it deserves.

Google Search:

A typical Google search for a product can be quite overwhelming for a customer. That’s why visual information can grab your customer’s attention even before they click on a page result. Your local inventory will appear on a Google search with the image of your product, ratings, brand, availability and more. They are given a range of options and will be able to take them to your web store to make a purchase. It is available through mobile on US devices only.

Google Maps:

When a customer searches for a product available in store through Google Maps, your nearest location with that item will appear in the search result. Your listing will include your overall reviews, address, phone number, hours, and how far the searcher is from the store.

Google My Business:

Your GMB profile includes pictures, the title of your business, contact information and reviews of this location. By adding the SWIS feature, your customers will also be able to browse your in-store inventory without leaving Google.

Google Images:

If a customer is generally searching for a product, they might also search directly through Google Images to find what they’re looking for. In this case, your product will be displayed and labeled with a “Product” annotation that enables them to make a purchase directly. These listings will include brand, availability, price and ratings.

FAQ

Generally, Google puts out Product Listing Ads (PLA’s) as advertising for businesses, putting their inventory as the top result, which is the most convenient for shoppers when looking on Google for that kind of product. Local Inventory, on the other hand, allows your products to not only appear when customers organically search for the product, but includes “in-store availability” features that connect your business to customers when they are near your location. PLA’s include the basics, such as the product image, title, ratings, brand and price, but in addition to that, Local Inventory showcases all options available at your store – online and brick-and-mortar.

When a customer searches up the product, they will see an “In store” annotation on the bottom of the listing from any Google Maps, Google Images, Google Shopping, Google My Business and regular Google search result. If they are interested in seeing the product in person, they can click the hyperlink that will take them to the “Local Storefront” page, featuring content specific to the retailer the product is from. There’s options to see the retailer’s contact information, another location they prefer, and generally provide more options for the customer to look into your business and everything else you offer, right on Google. This is available to view for both desktop and mobile searches.

When a customer opens your GMB listing, they will scroll down and see a section titled “See What’s In Store” (SWIS) that will connect to your Local View Local Inventory to display and allow the customer to search through all your products and their availability. SWIS is only seen through your GMB Listing on Google Search or Google Maps. Local Inventory is what is featured on all Surfaces Across Google.
In order to participate in this program, advertisers must have a Google My Business (GMB) account, link your GMB account to your Merchant Center, verify your business and set up your store codes on Google My Business.
An SEO strategy online for brick-and-mortar businesses is essential in driving relevant and local exposure in-store. Adding a local inventory will add benefits such as gaining credibility, sales, lower marketing costs and attracting local clientele. Local inventory allows searchers to see that you have more to offer than regular listings. More time spent on your GMB profile will let customers get familiar with your business. When you have searches for your products that match your inventory and your keywords, your listings will have a high chance of placing at the top – and unpaid. Customers can trust in what you have to offer because they rank from real time clicks.
The Surfaces across Google program will allow your products to visually feature your products for free on Google properties such as the Google Shopping tab, Google Search, Google Images, Google Maps and Google lens. In local surfaces across Google, your in store-products will appear in availability within all Google surfaces, varying by country.
North America: US, Canada
South America: Brazil
Europe: Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden
Asia: Japan; and Australia
Once set-up is complete, it will take 5-7 days to appear. Local View will alert when it is live.
Local View updates your business’ local inventory every 24 hrs.