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The Google Digital Commerce Ecosystem
The Google Digital Commerce Ecosystem

A quick breakdown of Buy On Google, Google Free Listings, and Google Ads, the differences between them and how they work.

Ziggy avatar
Written by Ziggy
Updated over 3 years ago

With the start of the new year, Google is excited to launch the new Google Digital Commerce Ecosystem, consisting of three main programs:

  1. Buy on Google (Formerly known as "Google Express" or "Google Shopping Actions")

  2. Google Free Listings (Formerly known as "Surfaces Across Google")

All three of these programs draw from your data in the Google Merchant Center, so if you're interested in participating in any of these you'll first want to connect Zentail to your Merchant Center (How to Connect Google and Zentail). Keep reading for a breakdown of each program and what it entails.

Buy on Google

Buy on Google is an in-Google checkout experience where you are selling your product directly on Google. It has a zero commission model, which means you do not need to pay commissions for orders from this program. It is a Universal cart, and inventory will appear in multiple places including the Shopping tab, Google.com, Google image search, and more. More on Buy on Google here.

Google Ads

Google Ads consist of advertisements you can run to for paid traffic to your website. Ads are driven by your ad campaigns, and the ads are pay per click. The image below showcases the difference between Ads and Free Listings. Learn more about Google Ads and setting up campaigns here.

Google Free Listings

Google Free Listings consist of free traffic to your website, and is triggered based on the user query relevancy. Listings will appear across Google platforms and devices, primarily based on Google searches and within the Shopping tab. See screenshots below of where these listings appear and what they look like:

The Google Merchant Playbook

If you are a Zentail customer and you are interested in obtaining a free copy of the Google Merchant Playbook, or if you have questions about going live with all or any of the programs mentioned in this help article, reach out to our support team to schedule a 15-30 minute call with a Channel Adoption Specialist and receive your copy.

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