Google Tests Regional Pricing in Shopping Ads
▼ Summary
– Google has launched a beta feature enabling merchants to show region-specific loyalty program prices directly in their Shopping ads.
– This allows retailers to localize promotions and highlight member perks without needing to create and manage separate offers for each area.
– To use it, merchants must join Google’s loyalty add-on, configure regions in Merchant Center, and add specific loyalty program attributes to their feed.
– When a shopper clicks the ad, the merchant’s landing page must dynamically display the correct member price based on a region ID appended by Google.
– The feature is currently in beta with limited availability, restricted to markets that support both regional pricing (RAAP) and loyalty programs.
Google is currently trialing a new beta feature that empowers retailers to showcase region-specific loyalty program pricing directly within their Shopping ads. This innovation provides a streamlined method for businesses to localize their promotional efforts and highlight exclusive member benefits, all without the administrative burden of managing numerous distinct offers.
This development matters because it hands merchants significantly greater flexibility. They can now fine-tune their pricing strategies to align with specific local market conditions and prominently feature loyalty perks right in the ad creative. The direct visibility of these exclusive prices is designed to capture shopper attention, potentially increasing click-through rates, driving more loyalty program registrations, and ultimately boosting conversion numbers.
Implementing this feature requires a few key steps from the merchant. First, they must enroll in Google’s loyalty program add-on. Next, within the Merchant Center, they need to define their target regions. Finally, they are required to add specific `loyalty_program` attributes, such as the program label, member tier, and the corresponding price, to their regional inventory data feed.
The technical process works as follows: when a potential customer clicks on one of these enhanced ads, Google automatically attaches a region identifier to the click-through URL. It is then the responsibility of the retailer’s website landing page to detect this identifier and dynamically display the correct member price that corresponds to the shopper’s location.
It is important to note that this capability is still in a limited beta testing phase. Its visibility to shoppers is not yet widespread, and it is only accessible in markets where Google supports both its Regional Availability and Pricing (RAAP) system and its loyalty program infrastructure.
In essence, by facilitating region-specific member pricing, Google is offering retailers a more precise and efficient tool. It allows them to tailor incentives and communicate differentiated value across various geographical markets, achieving a localized promotional impact without the need to build and maintain separate campaigns for each area.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
