Emails have gone out as of today with Google announcing that image search will now be part of the Search Network by default for Shopping Ads.
Previously, the images section of Google was eligible to display Shopping Ads, however only when advertisers enabled the Search Partner Network as part of their campaign setup.
The Search Partner Network enables ads to display on other Google properties such as YouTube.
This is a very exciting announcement for retailers utilizing Google Shopping as part of their PPC strategy. Within the emails sent to advertisers, Google even noted that “your ads will start showing on Google Images and as a result there may be a 3-10% increase in traffic at lower cost-per-click and comparable conversion rates.”
Here’s the full email:
Google Images is now a part of the Search Network for Shopping ads
Hello,
Google Images is a visually rich surface and a key part of millions of users’ shopping journeys every day. Users frequently turn to Google Images for idea exploration, how-to guidance, product discovery and visual imagery related to key shopping categories like fashion, home and beauty.
We are excited to announce that we will be integrating Google Images into our core Search Network in late March. This means Shopping ads, that you are already familiar with, will now automatically be eligible* to appear in Google Images results when users are searching for relevant keywords.
What this means for your Shopping campaigns:
All of your Shopping ads will be automatically eligible* to serve on Google Images. You will no longer have to opt into the Search Partner Network to show Shopping ads on Google Images.
*For Europe only: if you are unsure what surfaces your ads show on, please check with your CSS.
If your campaigns currently run on the Search Partner Network – you may see a decrease in traffic coming in from Search Partner Network and an increase in traffic coming from the Search Network. This is because Google Images was previously a part of the Search Partner Network. Note: Historical Google Images traffic will not be re-categorized from the Search Partner Network to Search Network.
If your campaigns are not currently opted into the Search Partner Network – your ads will start showing on Google Images and as a result there may be a 3-10% increase in traffic at lower cost-per-click and comparable conversion rates.
Sincerely,
The Google Ads Team