Google started out as a company that offered users a way to search the web. Need to find a birthday present? Need to buy a new computer? Back in the day, Google would provide users with links to websites that offered up such services. Nowadays, it seems that Google is looking for ways to make some of that money themselves.
So much so that in a report from The Information (paywall), Google is said to be testing putting shopping links under YouTube videos. For example, if you were watching a review for a smartphone on YouTube and a shopping link under the video would take you to Google Express where you will be able to buy it yourself.
With Google testing out shoppable ads embedded into its image search, it’s not surprising that they are now looking to introduce it to YouTube. With more retailers signing up to be part of Google Express, it could soon grow to be big enough to be viable to compete with the likes of Amazon.
At the moment YouTube creators share links to Amazon in their video descriptions where they get a cut from affiliate sales. It is unclear if by including these shopping links under YouTube videos that creators will get a cut as well, or if Google is hoping to keep it all for themselves.
Filed in . Read more about Google and YouTube. Source: engadget