Google wants to be the middle man, not just the redirector

A user sees a product they want on a Google ad, they click on the ad, Google redirects them to a third-party website, the user purchases the product. That’s more or less how Google’s ads have always worked. Unsatisfied with just being the redirector, however, a company executive has confirmed that Google wants to become more of a middle man in the whole process by implementing new “Buy” buttons into Google Search results. This means that, rather than having to go to another website to purchase the product they want, users can go straight through Google. 

Google confirmed that it will soon give people the ability to buy products directly from its search page. “There is going to be a buy button, it is actually imminent,” said Omid Kordestani, Google’s chief business officer, speaking at a technology conference on Wednesday. The new button is expected to be rolled out on mobile devices, according to people familiar with the matter, and will enable people who click on product ads in search results to buy those products without navigating to a third-party site. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the buy buttons would arrive in the coming weeks. The buttons, following similar moves by Facebook and Twitter, are a significant departure for the search giant, which has built its business based on links to other websites. The goal is to reduce “friction,” said Kordestani, making it simpler to complete online purchases. Google is facing significant competition from Amazon, where many people now begin their searches for specific products. It is often easier to complete purchases on Amazon, thanks to its one-click ordering technology, wide selection and fast shipping, than it is to click back and forth from third-party sites discovered on Google.