Google rolls out new AI features in SGE to boost product visibility and conversions

Google is introducing new generative AI capabilities for advertisers in SGE to mark the start of the holiday season.

The new features include:

• New SGE subcategories.
• Photo search shopping.
• The expansion of its virtual try-on technology.

Why we care. These updates offer fresh opportunities for brands to enhance product visibility and drive potential customers towards making purchases. Advertisers should stay abreast of Google’s latest capabilities to ensure their campaigns are optimized for maximum return on ad spend.

New SGE features. Google is simplifying holiday shopping by offering curated subcategories for specific gift ideas. For example, searching “great gifts for home cooks” will serve a variety of subcategories to explore like speciality tools, artisanal ingredients, culinary subscriptions, and cooking classes. Users can easily browse and purchase products within these categories.

AI-generated images for shopping. SGE will also soon offer an image generation feature for apparel searches, allowing users to create photorealistic images inspired by their search terms. This AI-powered tool connects with Google’s Shopping Graph, comprising 35 billion listings, enabling users to shop for products based on the generated images and find the desired style.

Starting in December, Google will introduce the image generation feature for apparel searches on mobile in the U.S. Those already opted into SGE will automatically receive this update. If not opted in, visit Search Labs in the Google app (available on Android and iOS) to access the new capability.

Virtual try on expansion. Google is expanding its generative AI-powered virtual try-on tool to include men’s tops after observing increased user engagement and interactions with the feature for women’s tops. When searching for “men’s tops” in the Google app or mobile browser (and soon on desktop) in the U.S., users will see results from various brands with a “try-on” icon. This feature allows users to visualize how clothing looks on real models, with a selection of 40 models representing diverse characteristics such as skin tone, body shape, height, and size.

What Google is saying. Julie Black, Director of Shopping Product, said in a statement:

• “With SGE, you can get creative, specic, shoppable ideas — from chemistry sets to coding kits — and become a world-class gi-giver in no time.”
• “SGE is designed as a jumping-o point to explore the web. You’ll see links to helpful content from publishers front and center, so you can easily click through to a website to learn more about a product or gi category.”
• “In fact, SGE shows more links, and links to a wider range of sources, creating new opportunities for content to be discovered. And as we’ve shared, Search and Shopping ads will continue to appear in dedicated ad slots throughout the page.”

Deep dive. Read ‘How Search Generative Experience works‘ by Search Engine Land contributor Michael King for more information on SGE.