21 August 2022 IN Digital Marketing, Local Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Local Shopping: Add Your Products On Google With Pointy

Local shopping: searching online and shopping in-store

 Local shopping searching online and shopping in-store

Local shopping is changing. While many shoppers appreciate convenience and the tactile experience of being in a store, more people are beginning their shopping journey online.

They’re checking product availability, prices, and more before ever stepping inside a store.

This is an opportunity for brick and mortar retailers in Toronto, especially if they have a strong online presence. Ultimately, being local is a key differentiator, but only if shoppers can easily find you and your product information.

Imagine this scenario:

a potential customer is at home and they’ve just realized they’ve forgotten their best friend’s birthday. It’s tomorrow and they need a gift now. They search online for “gifts near me” and find a local retailer who stocks the perfect gift. They click on the store details to get directions and head in-store to complete their purchase.

By having the products they carry in-store listed online, local retailers can appeal to these “need it now” shoppers.

Did you know?

  • 59% of shoppers surveyed say they research online before they buy to ensure they are making the best possible choice.
  • 46% of shoppers surveyed confirm inventory online before going to the store.
  • More than half of consumers in surveyed countries say they use Search to research their in-store purchases.
  • Searches for “available near me” have grown globally by over 100% in the last year.
Local Shopping: Add Your Products On Google With Pointy

Michelle runs  Art & Craft Shop in Markham, Ontario. Open since the 1970s, it was originally a TV and repair shop which belonged to Michelle’s grandparents. However, when Michelle’s grandmother began teaching knitting classes, the service took off and the Shoppe became the store it is today.

Over the years, the Shop has changed, growing its online presence and getting increasingly digital so that Michelle can be where her customers are. Michelle uses Pointy from Google to help to build her online presence, turning shoppers who are searching online into buyers in the Shop .

In this post, you’ll learn how she does it – and how you can too.

How to show your products on Google

https://youtu.be/O-jybb02JL0

Pointy from Google attracts local shoppers to your store by showing them what you sell.

Pointy does this by adding your products to Google and showing them to nearby shoppers when they search for a product or store. Pointy connects to your point of sale system (either by a Pointy box or app download), and then pulls the product information from the UPC/EAN barcode.

The information, including the product name, image, and stock availability, is then added to Google.

 When you connect to Pointy, your in-store products will automatically be displayed on your Google Business Profile

Where your products can show up

When you connect to Pointy, your in-store products will automatically be displayed on your Google Business Profile.

Your products also have the potential to appear in organic (non-ad) results across local Google surfaces, including Search, Images, Shopping, Maps and Lens.

Having your in-store products listed on Google makes it easier for local shoppers to find you and offers them a convenient path to purchase.

Just a note: If you have already added products to your Business Profile using the Product Editor, Pointy will replace those products.

 local-shopping-add-products-to-google-with-pointy

Promoting your products

If you’re ready to promote your products to nearby shoppers searching on Google, you can set up a local inventory ads campaign through Pointy in just two clicks. Local inventory ads are high-intent product ads that let local shoppers know that your store has the products they’re looking for, at the moment they search on Google.Remember Michelle from Cook’s Arts & Craft Shoppe? She set up local inventory ads through Pointy with a budget of $3 a day. Her products have been viewed over 1.7 million times on Google.

Why you should use local inventory ads

  • Built for local retailers with physical stores, so you don’t need e-commerce to run them.
  • Two click solution – no merchant center set up, local inventory feed creation or complex bidding strategies.
  • Visual ad format with pin icon that shows that you have the
  • product in your store right now.
  • You control the budget. Only pay when someone clicks on your ad. You can also turn off ads whenever you want.
  • Insights dashboard with a full overview of ad performance and spend

Pointy comes with $100 ad credit to promote your products.In countries where the CSS program is available, Shopping ads can be used with any Comparison Shopping Service (CSS) you work with. The ads will show on general search results pages and on any other surfaces the CSS has opted in to. CSS Program countries can be found in this help center article.

Getting and activating Pointy

You can connect to Pointy in two ways. For retailers with a smart point of sale (see the full list here), you can connect directly via your point of sale. For all other retailers, we’ll send you a Pointy box in the mail to plug in between your barcode scanner and point of sale. Once Pointy is connected, simply scan your products as normal. Pointy pulls the product information from the manufacturer barcode and uses this to create a local product feed for your store.

Pointy automatically creates a free merchant center account for your store and uses this to submit your local product feed to Google.

Note: If you have already set up a merchant center account for your store, this will remain separate to the one created by Pointy on your behalf.

Once your products have been added, you’ll start to see them appear on your Business Profile and other free surfaces across Google. You’ll also be able to start running local inventory ads, view your insights dashboard, and more.

Let Us Do It For You

local consultant in toronto

Volt Studios as Your local SEO consultant can help you get found on Google, increase leads and sales with local search optimization.

We provide full service web design services in Toronto, with high quality local search optimization services including GMB/GBP Optimisation and management for businesses in Ontario.

We are a Top Rated SEO Company Toronto that specializes in helping businesses increase leads and sales with local SEO. We have been helping local businesses since 2010 and have helped thousands of small businesses grow on Google.

We’re available 24/7, so if you need us anytime of the day or night, just call us at 437-747-6976 and we’ll be there to help.Also Check out our full range of Digital Marketing Services in Toronto:

Volt Studios ⚡ Digital Marketing & Local SEO Company Toronto