Today, I’m excited to share that Google is taking a significant leap forward in the world of online shopping by expanding its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). This comes with a host of AI-powered checkout and payment features designed to enhance conversational commerce experiences.
At the recent Google Marketing Live 2026 event, they unveiled these exciting new features. One of the highlights is the Universal Cart. It lets me save products from multiple retailers and complete my purchases effortlessly using Google Pay or the retailer’s own checkout system.
It’s thrilling to see major brands like Nike, Sephora, Target, and more jumping on board. They’re also integrating UCP into AI Mode shopping experiences and their ads on platforms like YouTube.
Furthermore, Google’s new partnerships with Affirm and Klarna for buy-now-pay-later options integrated into Google Pay bring a fresh breath of convenience to shoppers like me.
Universal Commerce Protocol connects product catalogs, checkout, and payment experiences seamlessly across Google’s surfaces, including Search and Maps. Soon, I can expect it to support hotel bookings and food deliveries, which means even more convenience for us end-users.
As an avid online shopper, I appreciate how Google is making strides towards enhancing AI-driven commerce. They’re set to reshape how brands like mine will structure product feeds and promotional strategies.
Currently, these new UCP-powered features are rolling out in the U.S., and I’m eagerly waiting for their expansion to more countries, including Canada and the U.K.
To delve deeper into what unfolded at Google Marketing Live, check out updates on innovations like conversational ad formats and Google’s AI-driven tools in their Merchant Center.
Today, I’m thrilled to share that Google has unveiled exciting new tools in the Merchant Center, all geared towards boosting retailer visibility on AI-driven shopping platforms. Announced at Google Marketing Live 2026, these tools are set to transform how products are discovered.
Driving the news. Let me introduce you to AI Performance Insights, a fresh reporting feature that gives merchants a snapshot of their brand’s performance across AI platforms.
This handy tool lets me compare my brand’s share of voice with similar competitors, ensuring I stay on top of AI-driven discovery metrics.
Google is also introducing Conversational Attributes, enhancing how we optimize our product listings to align with natural, conversational searches.
How it works. I can now add conversational attributes and update descriptions directly in the Merchant Center. Google’s AI can utilize this structured data to meet conversational search queries seamlessly across AI Mode, Gemini, and other AI platforms.
These updates are crafted to enhance discoverability as AI continues to reshape shopping experiences.
Moreover, Ask Advisor integrations are soon to be part of my Merchant Center tools.
Why we care. Structured product data is now more essential than ever as AI shopping experiences proliferate across Search, Gemini, and Maps.
By adapting product descriptions for conversational discovery, I can better position my products within AI-generated recommendations and shopping paths.
These new reporting tools also give me early visibility into how my brand performs in AI-powered environments.
What to watch. With the rise of conversational search behavior, optimizing product feeds for AI visibility is becoming increasingly critical. I’ll also be keeping an eye on how Google defines and measures “share of voice” within these AI-powered shopping ecosystems.
Availability. AI Performance Insights will soon roll out in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, Conversational Attributes are launching globally.
Dig deeper. Here are some more updates from Google Marketing Live 2026:
Imagine scrolling through Google Search and effortlessly collecting items from various retailers into one convenient Universal Cart. That’s exactly what Google is offering now, a seamless shopping experience that allows me to keep all my desired products in one place and check them out with a single click using Google Wallet.
Recently announced by Vidhya Srinivasan, VP/GM Ads & Commerce, Google’s Shopping Graph has reached an impressive 60 billion product listings, a significant jump from the 50 billion earlier this year. This growth reflects Google’s commitment to enhancing our online shopping experiences.
Universal Cart. With Universal Cart, I can add items from multiple stores while browsing Google Search, or even when I’m on YouTube and Gmail. It’s so liberating not to jump from site to site!
Here’s how it works: as I shop, Google helps me find the best deals and in-stock availability across different retailers. Then I simply choose my preferred store for checkout, leaving no room for the hassles generally associated with online shopping.
Google’s Universal Cart is smart too! Imagine you’re assembling a custom PC—your cart will alert you if any parts are incompatible and suggest compatible alternatives. Built on Google Wallet, it even recognizes payment perks and loyalty offers, revealing savings opportunities I might otherwise overlook.
Merchants. Google has partnered with renowned merchants like Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, Wayfair, and Shopify sellers such as Fenty and Steve Madden. This wide array ensures I have plenty of shopping options!
Availability. This feature will roll out in the U.S. this summer, initially available on Google Search and the Gemini app, with plans to expand to YouTube and Gmail soon after.
UCP and AP2. Google is also extending the Universal Commerce Protocol to Canada and Australia soon, with plans for the U.K. The Agent Payments Protocol will support secure, accountable transactions by authorizing agents to shop on my behalf according to my specific criteria.
Moreover, Google’s innovative features are set to debut across Google products, starting with Gemini Spark. It’s an exciting time to be an online shopper!
I find it fascinating that Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which was initially limited to AI Mode, is now expanding into regular search results. It’s not just a fleeting trend; some retailers have already begun integrating this technology into their listing pages, making our online shopping experience even more intuitive.
Earlier this year, Google rolled out UCP for AI-agents to facilitate direct purchases from search results. It first launched exclusively within Google’s AI Mode but now, we’re seeing it implemented in Google’s main search results for retailers who support UCP.
Discovering what the UCP checkout looks like was made easier thanks to a post by Brodie Clark. He shared a screenshot showing how Wayfair’s listings on Google Search now feature a UCP-powered ‘Buy’ button. This button is a game-changer because it allows purchases directly from Google’s interface without navigating to Wayfair’s website.
The UCP protocol is paving the way for seamless transactions by establishing a common language for AI agents and commerce systems. No longer do we have to worry about bespoke integrations across different platforms.
Collaboratively developed with big names like Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, and Target, UCP aligns with existing standards, such as Agent2Agent and Agent Payments Protocols, creating a more cohesive digital commerce space.
What really excites me is the potential for profit growth for retailers who embrace this technology. Although Wayfair might miss out on direct site traffic for specific searches, their affiliation with Google through UCP can still result in conversions.
While it’s clear that not everyone will bypass the traditional shopping journey, as many of us still prefer exploring products on the retailer’s site, the option to ‘Buy’ directly adds a layer of convenience. It’s definitely something worth monitoring as its prevalence in search results increases.
I’ve recently delved into the fascinating world of conversational commerce AI, and I can’t help but feel excited about how it’s changing the shopping landscape. From how we discover products to the actual purchasing process, this technology is redefining our retail experiences.
What really intrigues me is what these changes mean for brands operating in an AI-dominated retail space. The implications are huge, and it could very well spell the end for traditional shopping carts as we know them.
In my latest dive into the world of AI commerce, I discovered that over 77% of people, like myself, are tapping into AI to make shopping decisions. However, when it comes to allowing it to spend our money, trust dramatically drops.
When we consider the current landscape of AI shopping, tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini are becoming staples for weekly shopping routines. They help us compare prices and perform product research, but hand over our credit cards? Not so fast.
From the research conducted by Exploding Topics, discomfort still looms around AI’s potential to handle our payments. Even though I’m using AI more, especially for researching the best deals, there’s still significant skepticism about allowing AI to make autonomous purchases.
Fast forward to the future, our shopping habits might evolve, but certain barriers, such as consumer trust, will need to be addressed for AI to play an even larger role.
Here are some quick insights: 77.6% of us have used AI for shopping in the last six months, with 43.21% using it weekly. AI influences purchase decisions for clothing and technology, but when it comes to storing payment details or allowing autonomous purchases, the hesitation persists.
People like me are cautious, with the mode average for trusting AI to spend being a whopping $0. The uncertainty is real, but one thing’s for sure, AI in commerce isn’t going anywhere.
For businesses, leveraging tools like Semrush’s Exploding Topics Pro could provide insights into these AI shopping trends, ensuring they stay ahead in this evolving market.
Download the complete findings for a deep dive into the data and discover potential strategies for tapping into this growing AI-driven shopping landscape.
Most product feeds are traditionally geared towards paid media. But I’ve discovered aligning them with organic search behaviors significantly enhances visibility across Shopping and AI platforms.
When I ask most e-commerce brands who manages their product feed, the response is usually the same: the paid media team is in charge.
Often, a feed management tool is categorized under PPC. It might even be a relic created by the shopping team years ago, with titles that haven’t been updated since. SEO, unfortunately, rarely has its say in these strategies.
Whether you’re focused on AI-powered search or traditional clicks, excluding SEO from your product feed strategy means missing out on substantial opportunities.
AI Shopping Results Are Connected to Google Shopping Data
According to a recent Peec AI study, up to 83% of ChatGPT carousel products reflect Google’s organic Shopping results—and 60% of those are from Shopping positions 1-10.
Data shows how ChatGPT’s product carousel matches Google Shopping’s organic results, with Google dominating over Bing.
On Google’s side, their Shopping Graph includes over 50 billion product listings, directly feeding AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini. AI Overviews now appear in about 14% of shopping inquiries, a leap from roughly 2% in late 2024. As I’ve seen, AI search results are still largely based on the traditional search engine result page (SERP).
SEO is vital for establishing brand authority. It opens up valuable opportunities to collaborate across channels for improved search visibility. It’s time for SEOs, commerce, and paid media teams to come together.
The Case for a Dedicated Organic Feed
Most brands run a single product feed aimed at Google paid shopping campaigns. The focus is often on optimizing titles for bid relevance and descriptions for Quality Score rather than for user search behaviors.
As user search habits evolve, aligning product data with search queries becomes increasingly important. A title with too many paid-friendly modifiers doesn’t necessarily match natural search queries.
When we tested this with a major ecommerce brand, our agency’s AI SEO team worked with the commerce team to create a dedicated product feed just for organic listings. Optimizing specifically for organic visibility made a world of difference.
After implementation, we saw the following results:
Organic listing CTR increased by 10% month over month and purchasing rates rose by 4%.
A product-level test revealed a 92% increase in revenue for free listings, with an 83% increase in visibility and a 14% rise in add-to-cart rates.
Organic optimizations alone generated 35,000 impressions with a 1.4% CTR—55% higher than paid CTR for the same period.
We recognized that our paid and organic strategies serve different needs, so they should be optimized independently. Organic feed titles should reflect how customers naturally search.
What to Prioritize in an Organic Feed Strategy
Not all feed attributes are equally important. Whether you’re setting up a dedicated organic feed or auditing an existing one, these elements are essential starting points.
Focus on Titles as the Key Lever
Google’s algorithm favors feed titles highly in matching products to queries. As Google documentation suggests, including significant attributes can lift performance. Consider what customers might conversationally say when searching for your product.
Google’s Merchant Center documentation emphasizes aligning your feed strategy with how customers shop, enhancing their search journey.
Don’t Neglect Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs)
According to Google’s GTIN documentation, products with accurate GTINs gain significant visibility. Data shows well-matched products can attract up to 40% more clicks and are key in aggregating reviews.
Images Add Value
Images are often flagged in Merchant Center disapprovals. Products with both standard and lifestyle images engage more users. Google’s Product Studio can assist in editing, helping SEO and creative teams work together on feed assets.
Optimize Key Attributes: product_highlight and product_detail
product_highlight allows you to add concise benefit statements in Shopping views. Descriptions like “water-resistant for light rain commutes” are more beneficial than vague terms like “high-quality material.”
product_detail gives structured specs that influence Google’s filters in product grids.
The semantic optimization SEOs apply to product pages should guide feed attributes. Product and content teams’ insights are vital not just for PDPs but also for feeds.
Your Feed is Your Agentic Commerce Foundation
Investing in feed optimization for organic visibility will prepare your brand for the agentic commerce landscape.
Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol is essential for AI agents to complete transactions directly in AI Mode and Gemini. Feeds entering the Shopping Graph fuel AI responses to shopping requests.
Google added the native_commerce attribute for UCP-powered buy buttons across Google services. Several new conversational commerce attributes will soon be available, which means feed and on-page content must be in sync.
Building a Cross-Channel Strategy for AI Search
Product feed strategy is ideal for cross-team collaboration to test, execute, and measure brand visibility. A harmonized approach across all surfaces benefits both traditional and AI-driven search outcomes.
SEOs contribute keyword intelligence and semantic insights about AI system matching.
Commerce teams manage product data and retail relationships.
Paid teams have the infrastructure and expertise in feed health management.
These teams should collaborate to create a unified AI SEO strategy. Reviewing existing feeds and gathering all relevant stakeholders is essential to developing a comprehensive and effective product feed strategy.
I’m thrilled to share that Google has launched a groundbreaking onboarding guide for its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). This new system marks a significant shift towards integrating seamless checkout experiences directly within search. It’s a game-changer for advertisers and merchants alike.
Google is setting the stage for what they call ‘agentic commerce,’ where I can see purchases happening right in the AI-driven search moments. It’s all about making the buying process smoother and more intuitive for users like me.
What’s happening. Google has unveiled a detailed onboarding guide for the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) in Merchant Center. This guide shows merchants how to integrate with UCP, which allows checkout directly from product listings in AI Mode and Gemini. I find this incredibly useful in streamlining my customer journey.
The big picture. With AI search evolving into transaction facilitation, Google aims to keep users like me engaged by embedding shopping and checkout into conversational experiences. It’s all about keeping us within their ecosystem.
How it works. Before jumping in, merchants need to complete a technical integration and submit an interest form. After getting approval, they can access onboarding tools in Google Merchant Center. This includes a testing sandbox, identity linking, and checkout APIs — tools that I find essential for successful integration.
Why we care. Google’s move of aligning search closer to transactions means that I, as a user, might complete my purchases directly inside AI interactions rather than visiting separate websites. This could redefine how we measure, attribute, and optimize our advertising performance. Early adopters of the Universal Commerce Protocol could gain a competitive advantage as shopping becomes more integrated into AI tools like Gemini.
Zoom in. The protocol acts as an open standard, connecting product data, user identity, and payment flows. I’m excited about making seamless purchases without any redirection to external sites.
What to watch: The rollout is gradual and currently limited to the U.S. I should keep an eye out for a dedicated UCP integration tab appearing in Merchant Center accounts in the coming months.
Bottom line. If widely adopted, the Universal Commerce Protocol could transform online shopping, making search a complete, AI-powered checkout experience. I hope to see this fully integrated soon.
I find it fascinating how Google is enhancing the way retailers promote their loyalty programs by embedding these perks directly into product listings. This major upgrade brings the benefits not only to a wider international audience but also into Google’s newest AI-powered shopping surfaces.
Discover the Newest Features. As a merchant, you can now spotlight member pricing and exclusive shipping offers directly on your listings. The expansion of loyalty annotations to local inventory ads and regional Shopping ads means I can now easily promote in-store or region-specific perks.
Why It Matters to Me. Personalizing an offer for shoppers is crucial. By embedding member perks right at the moment of purchase discovery, rather than relying on a separate app or webpage, these programs become more visible and are more likely to entice sign-ups from customers like me.
Important Numbers. Google reports that some retailers have seen up to a 20% increase in click-through rates by showing tailored offers to loyalty program members, which is significant for any business.
Taking a Broader View. The integration of loyalty benefits into Google’s AI-first surfaces, such as AI Mode and Gemini, introduces member offers at an entirely new layer within the search experience, reaching more potential customers during their shopping journey.
Where You Can Experience This. This exciting expansion is now available in 14 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, the UK, and the US. This means a vast audience can benefit from these offerings.
Getting Started Is Easy. Merchants can activate the loyalty add-on in Merchant Center, configure member tiers, and set up pricing and shipping attributes. To take full advantage, it’s necessary to connect Customer Match lists in Google Ads for displaying exclusive pricing and shipping perks to recognized members.
An Opportunity Not to Miss. U.S. merchants are invited to apply for a pilot program that uses Customer Match as a relationship data source for free listings. This could expand the reach of loyalty programs without increasing ad expenditures.
