Shopping SERPs have evolved into a feed rather than traditional ranked results. The integration of Google’s shopping tab into the main search results has transformed the marketplace to resemble Amazon more than traditional web search results.
Google custom search refinements and SERP features are key players in this shift. They help users transition from broad searches to pinpointing products quickly, significantly influencing clicks and revenue.
In this comprehensive analysis, we examined over 28,000 shopping SERPs to uncover how search refinements function and how e-commerce sites can capitalize on them.
Even though the shopping season seems far off, it's crucial to focus on e-commerce now. Retailers, especially the bigger ones, need plenty of time to update their sites. If you want a successful 2024, start planning and making changes now. This way, your site will be ready to attract and convert holiday shoppers.
What are Google Custom Search Refinements?
Search refinements are buttons at the very top of the search results that help users narrow down their search. Essentially, search refinements are product filters.
First announced at Google Search On 2022, Google explained that refinements (and filters on desktop) follow real-time search trends.
Shopping filters on Search now change dynamically based on current search trends. For example, if you're searching for smartphones, you might see options like 5G and foldable because these features are popular right now. However, these filters can change over time as new trends appear.
Examples of Search Refinements
Search refinements help users move from broad searches to specific results quickly, aligning with user intent and aiming to increase conversions. When a user clicks on a button, Google directs them to another search results page, similar to how product filters work on the left side of the screen.
How Search Refinements Work
Analyzing 28,286 shopping keywords (US, desktop) with seoClarity reveals that search refinements:
- Follow distinct patterns useful for keyword targeting
- Lead to search queries without search volume
- Trigger new AI Overviews on mobile
Common Refinements
It is the easiest to define the refinements in positions, so one, two, and three etc. with position one being the first refinement from the left, making it the most visible on the search engine.
Most refinements specify gender. The term “women” appears most often in the top 3, but “men” appears most frequently in the first refinement. 45% of search refinements mention one gender at least once, 61.4% if you include kids. This makes sense: before diving into product attributes like color or size, users want to ensure a product is “for them.”
The Most Common Search Refinements
The second most common group of refinements is location. Ten percent of the top three refinements include “nearby,” which is much more visible on mobile. Google shows maps by default on mobile devices, as mobile users are more likely to be on the go.
The third group is attributes around searches that include “for” or “with,” where users try to specify use cases (9.8%), and the fourth is price (9% of refinements include the term “sale”).
Search refinements have a high overlap with product filters on desktops and often feature the first few filters as refinements. Product filters don’t exist on mobile, likely because users might expect the filter sidebar on desktop, but it doesn’t make sense on mobile.
It is however worth noting, that the refinements that Google suggest are wildly different depending on what market you are in, and the topics of interest. For beauty, brands get suggested 90% of the time. In technology, location, price and state is among the most imortant. Point being, it is worth while looking into yourself, before you start making any adjustments.
Note: If you are looking for more tips like this, make sure to check out our other content. Did you know, for example, that product pricing is an indirect ranking factor?
Product Filters and Search Refinements
The sorting and visibility of refinements differ on mobile and desktop. Due to the larger screen size, mobile search results show ~4 refinements on load, while desktop can show over 10.
Since search refinements are based on real-time searches, they also overlap heavily with autosuggest.
Interesting Findings
- Google keeps refinements strictly focused on product attributes but not user intents. Searchers might be interested in opinions and reviews on Reddit, but neither “Reddit” nor “reviews” appeared as a refinement a single time.
- Search refinements exactly match the search, meaning synonyms or closely related terms are not found in them. As a result, brands don’t appear in refinements, either.
- Most search refinements don’t have search volume or a CPC. Only 10,696 / 27,262 keywords in the first refinement have search volume (median = 70), and only 6,514 / 27,262 keywords have a CPC. Since search refinements are based on search behavior, search volume and other keyword planner data are very limited metrics.
AI Overview Refinements
AI Overviews (AIOs) often appear in mobile search results but not on desktop. These AIO tabs, which appear independently of refinements, provide additional guidance and information on common product attributes.
The impact of citations in AIO tabs is still uncertain; they could be beneficial by driving traffic to review articles or detrimental by giving away the answers.
In some searches, refinements are found within the AI Overview rather than above it. Clicking an AIO refinement leads to another search incorporating the refinement. Note that these features may not be live for all users, as they were observed while logged into the SGE beta.
5 Key Takeaways
So what should e-commerce businesses do to use this knowledge to their advantage:
- Tailored Pages: Develop specific product and category pages for men, women, and kids when relevant (e.g., fashion).
- Keyword Research: Utilize search refinements and autosuggest to discover pertinent search variations for your keyword strategy (tools like seoClarity can assist with this).
- Faceted Indexing: Track rankings by search refinement to inform your decisions on faceted indexing. Brands like Nike and Target show different URLs for refinements, indicating the need for specific facets.
- Beyond Search Volume: Recognize searcher interest beyond just search volume. Since more than half of searches lack search volume but are optimized for search behavior, you could miss significant opportunities by focusing solely on volume. Instead, use onsite search data, surveys, and qualitative research to refine keyword targeting.
- Desktop vs. Mobile: Compare and monitor clicks from desktop and mobile results to gauge the impact of product filters (desktop) and AI Overviews (mobile).
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