79% Drop in Retailers’ ‘Shopping’ Integrations Within Google Searches, Report Finds

There was a 79 percent drop in shopping integrations showing retailers’ products within universal or "blended" search results on Google last year, according to new research from search and social analytics provider Searchmetrics. The drop coincides with Google starting to charge retailers to use its Google Shopping service. The previously free service, which gave retailers the opportunity to have their products displayed in shopping integrations for shopping-related Google searches, switched to a pay-for-inclusion model in the U.S. in October 2012.