Estimated Reading Time 6 minutes

Local Inventory Ads have been around since 2015, and are fairly similar to Google Shopping Ads in that they appear within the search carousel. The thing that makes them different is that instead of going straight through to the retailers landing page, you can view the product itself, find out if it’s in stock, and where the nearest store is.

Since the start of this year, these local Inventory ads have also begun appearing within the local pack in a Google search results page, as the screengrabs below show.

When you click on a local inventory ad on mobile, you’re given the option to call the store, get directions to the store, as well as buy online. Users are literally given multiple options when it comes to buying the item, and somehow it still doesn’t feel pushy. It’s all about those micro moments – I know what I want, I know where I want it from, and now I am going to buy it.

Being given the option to pop into a shop nearby, so I can have the item right now and I don’t have to pay for delivery, alongside the convenience of buying online if I don’t have time to pop to the shop, is an ultimate win-win situation to me.

On desktop, we’re taken through to a similar page after clicking on ‘in store’ on a PLA. We’re shown similar results to mobile; the item is in stock, I can shop online, and I can find other locations nearby.

Local search has risen dramatically over the last few years, as the graph from google below shows the rise in ‘near me’ searches.

To have local inventory ads appearing for these crucial micro-moments could be such a powerful aspect, particularly for a local business. It could even go as far as sway the consumer’s decision, in particular if they can shop just a few feet away from where they’ve conducted the search.

With consumer’s ever expanding needs, the importance of implementing local search is important in today’s society, both in SEO and paid search.

Take a look at our quick guide to Local SEO.