Some mobile search results for merchandise will get a "buy" button added by Google

According to a report published in The Wall Street Journal, Google will be adding a "buy" button to some sponsored mobile search results relating to product searches conducted by mobile users. Clicking on the button will take the user to another Google product page where the purchase can be completed. That page will allow shoppers to make color and shipping selections.

Google will not own any of the products being sold. The purchased items will be shipped from retailers. One company that is reportedly in talks with Google is Macy's. Not all retailers are happy about the prospects of having to compete with Google and would rather keep things as they are with Google sending them mobile traffic to convert into sales on their own website. Consumers will get the opportunity to opt in to the same marketing offers they would have been offered had they made the purchase from the retailer's own site. That means that the merchant will collect email addresses and names in order to send sales and other deals via email.

Google will make sure that the product page customers are sent to are heavily branded with the retailer's name. Product recommendations will come from the same merchant only, and buyers will be able to complete transactions using digital means. Google will not receive a percentage of the sales price. Instead, the company will be paid for each click made by a consumer to the product page.

The "buy" button will not be seen on desktop searches, and will originally be posted only on a small percentage of Google's mobile traffic. Google recently said that searches on mobile devices now outnumber those on desktop PCs in 10 countries, including the U.S. and Japan. Google hopes that by starting this program, it can compete with other online purveyors of products like eBay and Amazon.

source: WSJ