Google Unveils Generative AI Tools for Enhanced Product Imagery Targeting US Advertisers and Merchants

Following Amazon's recent integration of generative AI for advertisers, Google is unveiling a suite of generative AI product imagery tools for U.S. advertisers today. With the innovative AI-powered Product Studio, merchants and advertisers have the opportunity to create new product images at no cost by simply entering a description of the desired image.

This powerful feature can assist with basic tasks, such as altering the background color of product images or creating a solid color backdrop. More creatively, users can envision complex scenes by inputting prompts like “a skincare product surrounded by peaches and tropical plants.” If a skincare brand previously requested a summery scene, they could now switch to a winter theme, such as “the product sitting on snow, surrounded by pine branches and pinecones.”

The generative AI model also enhances low-quality images without the need for reshoots, and it can effectively eliminate distracting backgrounds, according to Google.

By providing AI-driven imagery solutions, businesses of all sizes can produce professional-quality images alongside their advertising efforts, saving on costly photography sessions. This feature is expected to complement existing product photography, enabling companies to repurpose visual assets across various campaigns—be it seasonal promotions or thematic initiatives—without replacing the initial photoshoot.

The new feature is now available to all Merchant Center Next users in the U.S., as well as on the Google and YouTube app on Shopify, with rolling out commencing today.

In tandem with AI imagery capabilities, Google has added a "small business" attribute for Google Search and Maps, helping customers identify which brands operate as small businesses. This designation will be automatically applied to select listings based on criteria like product range and web traffic, though businesses can manage this attribute through the Merchant Center or their Business Profile as needed.

Moreover, Google is enhancing the shopper experience by providing more detailed information in the knowledge panel when users search for merchant names. Previously limited to details like headquarters location and employee numbers, this panel will now display current deals, shipping and return policies, customer service info, and user ratings and reviews. While some of this data is collected via Merchant Center, it will now be enriched with authoritative information sourced from across the internet. This updated panel has already facilitated over 2.3 billion connections to U.S. businesses monthly in 2022, including calls, direction requests, bookings, and reviews.

The enhanced knowledge panel is set to roll out this month, further improving the way customers interact with merchants and their offerings.