Local Inventory Ads (eng. LIA – Local Inventory Ads) are a type of product campaign that allows merchants to showcase products and detailed information about their store to people in the area who are searching for and planning to purchase a certain product using Google Search. They can be displayed above search results, among product ads, as well as in locations such as Google Maps, GDN or Google Images.
There are 2 types of LIA campaign implementations:
Full – the user sees the exact distance to the store, e.g. 4 km, where a specific product can be purchased. You can find more information here.
Basic – users will see a special notice, e.g. “pick up today“, “pick up Sat.“, which informs them that the product can be purchased at a store near their location. For more information click here.
In order to be able to advertise a local inventory, several requirements will need to be met:
In addition, you must also set up a product file specifically for this type of campaign, which must contain the following data:
Product data:
Price data:
Inventory data:
Pickup data:
Although Local Inventory Ads at first glance can be identified with classic Shopping Ads, there are differences between them.
The main goal of Local Inventory Ads is to attract traffic to a company’s stationary store, while Shopping Ads on Google Shopping focus primarily on increasing sales within an online store’s website. However, it should be kept in mind that Local Inventory Ads can also support online sales – in case a customers finds that a stationary store is not within their reach, they may choose to buy online.
Local Inventory Ads are distinguished by their content – they include signage in the form of labels informing customers of details relevant to their intention to make a stationary purchase, such as “pick up today.” Google’s standard Shopping Ads, on the other hand, focus on promoting online shopping and may include information about available shipping options and current promotions.
LIA undoubtedly have numerous advantages that make their use potentially very valuable for stores that include the offline channel in their sales channels.
Turning to the more negative aspects, it may not so much be a drawback but a challenge to properly configure and maintain ads with local assortment. In the case of a chain store with multiple outlets, it may be that each will require a separate product file within Google Merchant Center.
There are several valuable practices that can make running ads for your local assortment even more effective:
There is no doubt that properly managed Local Inventory Ads has the potential to become an important part of the promotional strategy of stationary stores. Taking into account the specific needs of the modern consumer, it makes sense to include omni-channel solutions in your advertising efforts. Searching for product information online and then obtaining it in a physical location, even on the same day, is a solution that is valued and appreciated in many ways.