As the global marketplace becomes more competitive, retailers need to do whatever they can to make their products stand out. Marketers have to craft online ads and product listings that attract the attention of consumers and get them to trust the retailer. Allowing potential customers to see user-generated content about a product is a smart way to build a more natural connection with the audience. This user-generated content comes typically in the form of user reviews, but Google has added something else. Recently, Google began officially showing user-generated product images in product reviews. 

Customer reviews are essential in the modern online marketplace. Consumers know that retailers always try to position their wares in the best light. To get a more objective appraisal of the worth of an item, the majority of consumers rely on the reviews from other customers.

As the global marketplace becomes more competitive, retailers need to do whatever they can to make their products stand out. Marketers have to craft online ads and product listings that attract the attention of consumers and get them to trust the retailer. Allowing potential customers to see user-generated content about a product is a smart way to build a more natural connection with the audience. This user-generated content normally comes in the form of user reviews, but Google has added something else. Recently, Google began officially showing user-generated product images in product reviews. 

Customer reviews are essential in the modern online marketplace. Consumers know that retailers always try to position their wares in the best light. To get a more objective appraisal of the worth of an item, the majority of consumers rely on the reviews from other customers. Written reviews can be effective, but they have limitations. By letting users add photos to reviews, Google can help overcome these limitations

A 2019 Ipsos study that was funded by Google found that 50 percent of digital shoppers saying images helped them decide what to buy. Since many consumers rely on customer reviews to make a decision, including the two elements together helps marketers make a stronger case for buying a certain product. 

As Google explained in a post marking the official launch of the feature, “To help shoppers feel more confident in their purchases, we’re introducing user-generated images in product reviews on Google Shopping. You can now include review images in your product review feeds, allowing customers to visually connect with what you sell through pictures of previous customers wearing or using your products.”

One of the biggest issues facing online retailers is the prevalence of fake reviews. When anyone can leave a review, you end up with situations where people with an ax to grind will review products they haven’t used or make up stories that don’t reflect their true experience. User-submitted product photos immediately legitimize a review, since the person clearly had the product and used it.

Currently, the new program is only available in U.S. markets, but Google plans to expand to other locations soon. Using images in product reviews will take some effort from the retailers. Retailers who want to display user-generated images in product reviews will have to use an updated schema, as well as sign up for Google’s product rating program.

Though the work involved could be offputting, it’s good that retailers have some control over which images get used. When Facebook first allowed users to tag things in photos, it wasn’t uncommon for some people to tag a competitor or company they didn’t like with an unflattering photo. Google’s system makes it harder for that to happen. 

For more news about recent updates and changes to Google, read this article on Google’s plan to make sites more secure by blocking elements on websites that mix HTTP and HTTPS resource locators.