Google is borrowing a few cues from Instagram and Pinterest to encourage more shopping in its search results. The internet giant is testing shoppable ads within image searches — find a picture of your ideal desk and you can tap a shopping tag button to see basic details as well as a link to buy it. This only applies to sponsored ads, thankfully, so you don’t have to worry about ads covering the images you want to see.
The test is currently visible only to a “small percentage” of users who search for certain broader topics, such as home offices and abstract art. Whether or not it expands will likely depend on early results. With that said, it’s hard to see Google turning down shoppable images. If you’re already using a general image search to look for product ideas, you’re that much more likely to tap an ad and make a purchase.
