While Google Lens isn’t particularly new, having been first released in 2017, it has a significant impact on how businesses operate online. In particular, e-commerce companies have a lot to gain by optimising their marketing efforts for Google Lens technology.

Let’s jump straight in and find out what Google Lens is, and how to use the technology to supercharge your business.

What is Google Lens?

Google Lens is a type of image recognition software found in most smartphones and available as a standalone app. With this tool, users can use their phone’s camera to bring real-world objects into their digital environment.

One of the first uses of a similar technology was Augmented Reality. For example, a shopper could digitally place a piece of furniture into their home to make sure it fits and looks right. Google Lens takes this concept a step further by not only enabling users to view these additions through their device’s camera but also providing access to additional digital features and information.

In many ways, it’s like a turbocharged QR code. Let’s look at a few of the popular functions.

A huge range of functions

Using image recognition, Google Lens interprets what your phone’s camera sees and provides additional benefits. For example:

• Scan a document and ask for an instant translation
• Take a photo of a store and access opening hours and other information
• Snap a picture of a meal and reveal the recipe

These are just a few examples, but the possibilities are almost endless in terms of image recognition. However, in this article, we’re mainly concerned about the capacity of Google Lens to enhance the online shopping experience.

Product searches

Imagine you’re browsing online, and you see a jacket you love. But it’s just an image, not a product listing from an online store. Instead of going through the hassle of typing multiple detailed search queries to locate a retailer selling that jacket, you can now tap and hold the original image, and Google will find it in available online stores.

You can even use this technology in the real world. If you see someone wearing something you admire, you can snap a photo, and Google Lens will show you where to buy it.

In that sense, it is very closely linked to Google shopping, which can be a huge benefit for e-commerce businesses.

How to use Google Lens for business

As Google Lens technology becomes more widespread and image search grows in popularity, it’s imperative that businesses have their e-commerce systems set up correctly. Ideally, you want all your products to be easily searchable on Google Shopping, creating greater opportunities for customers to find the items you are selling.
Here’s a guide to getting the most out of Google Shopping and Google Lens:

Make your products visible on Google

First, you’ll need to ensure all of your products are visible on Google. This involves having product listings featured on Google Shopping. Fortunately, these listings are free, but you can run paid campaigns to gain even more exposure.

If you’re not technically minded, setting up a Google Merchant account is the easiest way to get started. Head to Google’s Merchant Centre and log in with your Google account. Follow the step-by-step guide, and once you’ve created your account, you can begin adding product listings to your feed.

The other option is to add structured data to your website. Structured data markup is small pieces of code that make it easier for Google to determine what your page is about. For example, is it an event page, blog, recipe, or product listing? The challenge here lies in the fact that if you lack expertise in coding or web development, you’ll have to enlist the services of a professional to configure this for you.

Label and size your images correctly

Remember that Google Lens technology is all about image recognition. So, if you don’t have quality product images, it’s harder for Google to identify them. In addition, your images will appear on Google Shopping alongside your competitors, so having the best of the best is always an advantage.

However, it’s not all about looks. Your images need to be sized correctly. Larger pictures take longer to load, and this damages SEO. You’ll need to strike a balance between having a nice, high-resolution image that also loads quickly.

In addition, you need to tag images appropriately. Use keywords associated with that product in your filename, image title, and image alt text.

Incorporate Google Lens optimisation into your SEO

The way that people search for products online is constantly evolving. We’ve witnessed the rise of voice search, and now image search is becoming increasingly popular. As more and more people adopt this new way of searching for items, businesses need to stay ahead of the game.

If you sell products online, it’s crucial to incorporate Google Lens technology into your marketing plans. It certainly doesn’t replace the need for SEO, paid advertising or any other form of marketing, But it’s a great way to get ahead of your competitors who may be slower to catch on to this fantastic new technology.

If you want to build a stronger online presence and showcase your products to a wider audience, contact RealClicks today. Find out more about how we can harness Google Lens technology to boost your e-commerce sales.