Retailers may soon get shoppers landing directly on their product pages from Google Search. Google is testing a change that sends a click on a product or shopping listing in the core web search results straight to the merchant or retailer website, rather than opening the side panel that shows more details and multiple sellers.
What is Google changing in product listings?
When a shopper clicks a product grid free listing today, Google usually opens a product overlay experience. That panel shows details about the item along with multiple retailers offering it. In the current test, clicking one of those results takes the shopper directly to the product page on the merchant’s own site instead of surfacing the overlay first.
The behavior applies to product grid free listings within the standard web search results, the same organic product placements retailers already appear in without paying for the position.
Where has Google tried this before?
This is not the first place the direct-link approach has shown up. Google ran the same test inside Google Shopping in June, and the current test moves it into the core web search results. Bringing it to general Search widens the set of queries and shoppers who could see listings that skip the overlay.
What does the direct link mean for merchants?
Sending clicks straight to a product page shortens the path between a search result and a retailer’s own site. A shopper who would have paused on Google’s overlay, where several sellers appear side by side, instead arrives on the merchant’s page and stays inside that retailer’s experience.
This is a test, so the layout and behavior can change or be rolled back before any wide release. Google runs many experiments on how product results look and where clicks lead, and not every test becomes a permanent feature. Merchants who rely on product listings can watch how their listings behave in Search and how a direct link affects the traffic reaching their product pages.
How the two experiences differ
- Current overlay: clicking a listing opens a side panel with product details and multiple retailers.
- Tested direct link: clicking a product grid free listing goes straight to the merchant’s product page.
- Scope of the test: the direct link is being tried in the core web search results after an earlier run inside Google Shopping in June.
FAQ
What is Google testing with product listings in Search?
Google is testing making a click on a product or shopping listing go directly to the merchant or retailer product page, instead of opening the side panel that shows product details and multiple retailers.
Which listings are affected by the test?
The test involves product grid free listings within the core web search results, the organic product placements retailers appear in without paying for the spot.
Has Google tried this direct-link approach before?
Yes. Google tested the same direct-link behavior inside Google Shopping in June, and it is now being tried in the core web search results.
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This article summarizes reporting from seroundtable.com. See our editorial disclaimer for how our articles are produced.
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