Retailers stand to get shoppers on their own product page in a single click: Google is testing a version of its Search product listings that links directly to the merchant or retailer website. In the current experiment, clicking a free product grid listing sends the shopper straight to the retailer’s product page instead of opening the side panel that displays the product with multiple retailers. Google began the test in the core web search results after trying the same behavior inside Google Shopping earlier.
What is Google changing in the product listings?
Product and shopping results that appear inside Google Search currently open an overlay when clicked. That side panel shows more details about the product along with several retailers that sell it. The test replaces that step: a click on a free product grid listing now loads the retailer’s product page directly, skipping the overlay experience with multiple retailers.
The change was described this way by the person who spotted it: clicking product grid free listing results takes you directly to the product page instead of displaying the product overlay with multiple retailers.
How does this differ from the current experience?
Today, a shopper who clicks a listing sees the product overlay first. That panel keeps the shopper on Google, presents product details, and lists competing retailers side by side before the shopper chooses where to go. Under the test, that intermediate panel is removed for free product grid listings, and the click resolves as a direct visit to the merchant’s page for that item.
For a retailer, the difference is where the click lands. The overlay routes attention through a comparison view that surfaces rivals. A direct link places the shopper on the retailer’s own product page from the start.
Where has Google tried this before?
This is not the first place Google has experimented with direct linking. Google tested the same behavior within Google Shopping in June before extending the trial to the core web search results. Running it in core Search reaches a wider set of queries than the Shopping surface alone.
What should retailers watch for?
Because this is a test, the behavior may appear for some shoppers and not others, and Google can change or roll it back at any time. Retailers who rely on free product listings can monitor how their Search clicks resolve and whether shoppers are arriving on product pages directly rather than through the overlay. Tracking landing pages and referral patterns for product listing traffic will show whether the direct-link behavior is reaching a given store.
FAQ
What is Google testing with product listings in Search?
Google is testing linking product and shopping results in Google Search directly to the merchant or retailer website, so a click on a free product grid listing loads the retailer’s product page instead of opening the side panel that shows the product with multiple retailers.
What does the current side panel show?
When a shopper clicks a product result today, Google opens an overlay with more details about the product and a list of multiple retailers that sell it, keeping the shopper on Google before they choose where to go.
Has Google tried direct linking before this test?
Yes. Google tested the same direct-linking behavior within Google Shopping in June and is now testing it in the core web search results.
This article summarizes reporting from seroundtable.com.