What are Local Inventory Ads?
Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) are Google ads built for physical shops. Instead of sending shoppers to a website, they show people nearby the products you have in stock right now and point them straight to your store. Unify keeps Google updated with your live inventory so LIAs can promote what's actually available today.
What makes them different
Most Google ads send shoppers to a website to buy online. Local Inventory Ads do the opposite — they're built to drive footfall to your physical shop.
When someone nearby searches Google for a product you stock, an LIA can appear at the top of the results showing:
- A product image, title, and price
- The fact that it's available in-store
- The distance between the shopper and your shop
Where the shopper lands when they click depends on how your shop is set up. By default, they go to your Local Storefront: your own searchable shop page, hosted by Unify, where they can browse your live stock and see your address, opening hours, and contact details. If you've set up Product Page Linking (an optional add-on, included with the Pro plan), they go straight to the matching product page on your own website instead.
How they work with Unify
Unify keeps Google up to date with what's in stock at your shop, pulling live inventory directly from your POS or inventory system. That live stock data is what makes Local Inventory Ads possible — Google needs to know a product is actually available nearby before it can promote it locally.
Once your inventory is connected, you can switch Local Ads on from your dashboard and set a daily budget. Google then uses that budget to show your in-stock products to nearby shoppers searching for what you sell.
Who they're for
Local Inventory Ads are only available to brick-and-mortar retailers with a physical location. They're a good fit if you want to:
- Bring more local shoppers through your door
- Promote in-store availability of products people are already searching for
- Compete with bigger retailers in local search results
What they cost
Local Ads are a pay-per-click add-on to your Unify subscription. You set a daily budget, and Google only charges when a shopper clicks one of your ads. You can change your budget or pause Local Ads at any time from your dashboard.
Next steps
- Understand how your ads budget is allocated