Google Lens was a shiny new toy when first introduced back in 2017. It is still relevant in 2024. Yet as we get ready to turn the page to 2025, Google Lens is poised to take the next step in its evolution. Google intends to add shopping ads to Lens before the year is out. Every digital marketing agency should pay attention to this.
Shopping ads will soon be launched above and alongside Lens’ visual search results. If you’re interested, Search Engine Land shared some mockups of what it will look like in a post published in early October. It looks interesting, to say the least.
Why Google Is Doing It
Why is Google now getting around to adding shopping ads to a product they launched 7 years ago? No one can say for sure. But there are clues. According to Google:
- 4 billion of the 20 billion monthly Google Lens searches are shopping related.
- Google Shopping Graph tracks more than 45 billion products.
Put the two together and the answer seems obvious: Google already has the product information customers are looking for. And because so many of them are shopping via Google Lens, it makes perfect sense to marry the two. If Google had any other reason for adding shopping ads to Lens, plenty of us in the digital marketing world would be surprised.
How It Can Be Leveraged
This leads us to the question of how a digital marketing agency can leverage Google Lens on behalf of its clients. Let us start with an overview of its key features:
- Visual Search – Point your camera at an object and wait a few seconds for Google to return relevant information.
- Text Recognition – Google Lens recognizes text in images. It can even translate into more than 100 languages.
- Shopping Assistance – Take a picture of a product and let Google find similar objects online.
- App Integration – Google Lens is already integrated with other apps including Google Photos and Google Assistant.
The basic premise behind Google Lens is to utilize sophisticated algorithms capable of analyzing images and identifying objects in them. Identified images are compared against other images and their metadata to glean information.
Your typical digital marketing agency can leverage Google Lens in several ways. Here are just a few suggestions:
1. Optimize Visual Content
First, consider optimizing all visual content. Product images should be clear and well lit. Metadata should include detailed descriptions along with relevant keywords. Company logos should also be included in product and storefront images to take advantage of brand recognition.
2. Engage With Customers
Google Lens can be leveraged to create immersive experiences that engage with customers. Think augmented reality. In addition, gamification is a hot trend that is easily captured through Google Lens.
3. Enhance Local Marketing
A digital marketing agency can help a client enhance its local marketing through storefront optimization, menu and product display, and QR codes. For example, physical signage designed with Google Lens in mind increases discoverability. It also gives Google more information for comparative purposes.
Likewise, QR codes can link offline and online experiences. Ads with codes can direct consumers to online opportunities. Meanwhile, codes published online can be utilized to point customers to a brick-and-mortar location.
There is so much more about Google Lens that we could talk about. Here is the takeaway: every digital marketing agency should at least be looking at this fantastic tool as a way to reach more customers. People live on their mobile phones. That’s where Google Lens works best. So why not leverage it to enhance your marketing?
