Users can click to see customer photos included with their reviews in Google Shopping. Image: Yotpo.

Google Shopping is bringing customer photos to the product reviews sections of advertisers’ listings. Reviews are accessible from the “View more” option on mobile Shopping ads or by clicking on the star ratings in a listing.

Why we should care

Images are eye-catching, and thumbnail images of reviewers can add further social proof to ever-critical product reviews in Google Shopping. Along with the reviews themselves, it’s a step toward including more user-generated content (UGC) to inform users as they’re shopping. UGC can add an element of authenticity and credibility to retailers’ listings that manufacturer-supplied professional shots can’t.

It’s too early to know what kind of impact advertisers who show customer photos alongside their reviews could see, but they’ll be looking for a bump in click-through rates and more conversions from high-intent shoppers.

More on the news

A Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land that customer photos are in the first stages of rolling out and that the feature is only available in the US for now.

The program is not related to the new Google Shopping experience that is coming to the U.S., Google confirmed.

Advertisers must be working with one of the reviews providers participating in the program: Yotpo, PowerReviews, Bazaarvoice, and Influenster. The program may expand to other partners in the future.

As long as customer images are enabled in a participating partner platform, they’ll be syndicated automatically to Google for inclusion in the advertisers’ Google Shopping listings.