Google’s May 2019 announcement about adding Augmented Reality (AR) to its search results is set to bring AR to billions of consumers around the world. Marketers who make early strides in the space stand to gain a definite competitive edge. Read on to learn:
- How Google’s augmented reality Search works
- Three ways you can adapt to an AR-first world
- The latest announcements from Google in this space
The immersive technology market has witnessed a boom in the last few years. What started with the release of Pokémon Go in the summer of 2016, has led to the launch of affordable Virtual Reality (VR) headsets like the Oculus series, and the entry of tech giants into the Augmented Reality (AR) segment.
This year Google announced that AR would be a prominent feature of its search engine, adding to the rising significance of multimedia search results. Images and videos are already prioritized over textual results on the Google search engine pages. In 2019, marketers have to account for another element in the mix – augmented reality content to drive organic search traffic.
Learn more: Worlds Collide in the Next Big Marketing Channel – Augmented Reality
How Does Google’s Augmented Reality Technology Work?
Google’s foray into AR-based search should come as no surprise. In 2018, Google launched ARCore, a platform that helps you build AI apps for Android and iOS. Since then the company has been conducting serious testing with AR, including in its Maps, Lens, and Search applications. In May, augmented reality in Google Search was officially rolled out. Consumers looking for a certain product could draw up a 3D image and interpose it onto their immediate environment.
For example, imagine this: furniture can be assessed for placement in both personal and professional spaces, and clothes or cosmetics can be judged for perfect combinations. The implications for marketers are endless.
Google’s augmented reality search will run on any device supporting ARCore – this extends the reach of your AR-centered website/app to 39 of the world’s most popular devices (and counting).
Learn more: Why AR is a Game Changer For Marketers
How to Adapt to an AR-First World
For marketers, it seems like the rules of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are constantly changing. Recently, the company has also ramped up the importance of images and videos, allowing your consumers to Google a photograph of a product and get directions to your store. Now, augmented reality takes this a step further:
- AR and virtual reality tools lead to increased time spent by users on your product/website
- AR experiences are highly immersive, minimizing disruption from pop-ups or ads
- Unlike VR that requires additional hardware, AR mobile apps are accessible to any consumer with a mainstream smartphone
With this in mind, it’s time to rethink the key elements of your digital marketing mix, including website design, search engine optimization, and content strategies to win in the era of AR. Here are three tactics you could consider:
1. Optimize your business for local SEO
In addition to augmented reality for Google Search, AR is also expected to become central to the Maps application. While this feature has only received a partial rollout at the time of writing this article, you can expect a steady stream of visitors to your store led by augmented reality directions – if you optimize your Google My Business listing, that is. Remember to add your address, operating hours, and contact information along with posting prompt responses to online reviews and careful reputation management.
2. Start preparing for AR SEO
As AR in Google Search gains more traction, we expect policies and protocols that govern this new category in search engine optimization to be clearly defined. For now, building an AR app – like that of IKEA – is a good place to begin. You could also create virtual reality tours to be made available on YouTube, to take your buyers through an immersive journey across the store/site, as well as AR-ready product mock-ups. These would be three-dimensional images that can be viewed in 360-degree on your regular app, and via AR on Google Search.
3. Keep an eye out for augmented video advertisements
At 2019’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Google demonstrated a new tool that lets you add an interactive layer to video ads. The pilot featured cosmetic products, allowing consumers to test a lipstick shade by using their front camera to apply the color onto a consumer’s “digital lips”! Early tests indicate strong engagement with 30% of viewers trying the AR lipstick. You will soon be able to create 3D marketing assets and advertise them using YouTube.
Learn more: The 6 Best Augmented Reality Marketing Campaigns We’ve Seen So Far
Say Hello to Augmented Marketing
Clearly, AR extends far beyond Google’s Search Engine application. From location-based SEO to AR video ads, the company is betting big on augmented reality. And not without reason: Gartner predicts that 100 million consumers will use AR to shop online and in-store by 2020.
A tool that you could leverage as a marketer is Poly, a 3D editor by Google. You can upload shapes and templates, create your product demos, change animations, and customize the entire experience. The UK-based footwear brand, New Balance, is already trying out Poly (in beta).
Google’s AR technology for marketers is no longer a futuristic idea. There are exciting times ahead, in which your creativity can be used optimally to use these immersive technologies. 3D design skills, in fact, are going to be of the utmost importance. Your strategy should factor in AR-elements to encourage user traffic from navigation, SEO, and interactive ad perspectives, as a start.
How are you planning to leverage augmented reality in Google Search? Tell us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.