Google’s Local Inventory Ads Can Help You Reach Customers Locally

The world we live in today is internet connected, social media active and mobile friendly. Technology isn’t on the rise, it’s already taken over. Fortunately, this is something that enterprising retailers can use to their advantage. All this tech offers whole new angles to spread the word and market your brand and your products.  Retail doesn’t have to rely on word of mouth and expensive newspaper advertising anymore. The tech take-over has opened up a bunch of new avenues for independent retailers to get discovered. Let me introduce you to Google’s Local Inventory ads. One of the best options for independents who want to put their shop in front of consumers searching on Google.

What are local inventory ads?

Google’s local inventory ads show up at the top of pages when users search, based on what they search and where they are. If your shop sells, say, jewellery, then when a consumer within walking distance of your shop searches ‘jewellery’ (or earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.) they’ll see one of your products at the top of the page.

The idea is that Google can give people helpful information about what they can buy near them. Local results are more valuable for Google’s users, so it’s in Google’s interests to promote local shops. Rather than letting a user know that they can find what they’re looking for, many miles away in another town, Google can let users know that your shop sells what they’re looking for and you’re just a short walk away!

Of course, this can only happen if you use local inventory ads. If you don’t, someone else’s ads will show up instead.

What’s Required of Me?

Well not an awful lot as it happens. You need a physical store that customers can buy from. You’re not part of the ‘local inventory’ if you only sell online. Next, you need to have a shop in the same area you want to advertise in. This means you do have to be ‘local’ to your ads. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it actually can be quite valuable to place your advertising area just outside where your shop is. If there’s an area of town where people sit down to eat (and spend a lot of time looking at their phones) you might want to target this area, rather than the exact vicinity of your shop. Just make sure not to stray too far from your physical storefront. Lastly you can only advertise products that customers can actually buy. This means you can’t advertise non-physical things like memberships or extended warranty or payment protection insurance.

And that’s it! So long as you meet these requirements you can start advertising to local customers who are hanging out near your shop. You can drive footfall in your store and get the word out about your business. This really is one of the best ways to market your shop and your products to local shoppers, using new technology.

 

If you have any questions about local inventory ads, don’t hesitate to get in touch.