Another Google PLA Test Targets Low-Priced Products

Screenshot courtesy of ChannelAdvisor

A new test spotted in Google’s product listing ads highlights low prices on select products.

A twist on the Value Alert test seen in May, this version tells shoppers about the percentage discount compared to the average price of a product in the promotional copy in the ad (seen when the user hovers over it).

ChannelAdvisor, which first noticed this new iteration, speculates that Google is pulling the average prices of the product across Google Shopping.

Update 7/7: It initially looked as though, unlike the Value Alert notice, there was nothing to distinguish this “percentage lower” language from the typical promotional copy advertisers can append to their product listing ads. Aaron Putnam tweeted the screenshot below, which illustrates how this test appears before the user hovers over the ad. The “19% off average” text in this Target ad appears in the line below the retailer name.

A Google spokesperson would only say, “As part of our efforts to help people find great deals and useful pricing information, we’re currently running a small test of a feature that highlights particularly good prices for products.”