Google Merchant Center Business Agent

01/12/26
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Google Launches Business Agents: Branded AI Chat Assistants for Retailers

Google’s Business Agents introduce a branded AI chat experience allowing shoppers to interact with retailers directly on Search. Retailers can customize these virtual sales associates with brand colors, messages, and conversation prompts. Upcoming features include agent training from business data, customer insights, and seamless checkout within the chat. Eligibility requires a US location, verified Merchant Center, and a minimum of 50 approved offers.

Optimixed’s Overview: How Google’s Branded AI Agents Revolutionize Retail Customer Engagement

Introduction to Business Agents

Google has unveiled Business Agents, AI-powered virtual assistants designed to enhance shopper interaction by enabling real-time chat with brands directly through Google Search. These agents act as virtual sales associates, answering product inquiries in the brand’s unique voice and facilitating a more personalized shopping journey.

Key Features and Customization Options

  • Brand Customization: Retailers can tailor the agent’s appearance by selecting brand colors, crafting welcome messages, and setting conversation starters to align with their identity.
  • Enhanced Responsiveness: By leveraging data from the company website and Merchant Center, the Business Agent delivers more accurate and helpful responses.
  • Support Integration: Businesses can provide direct customer support contact info to enable smooth support handoffs when needed.

Eligibility and Setup Process

To activate a Business Agent, retailers must:

  • Be located in the United States.
  • Maintain a verified Google Merchant Center account.
  • Have at least 50 approved product offers.
  • Own a claimed brand profile.

Setting up the agent involves navigating to the Merchant Center, selecting the Business Agent under marketing options, and customizing the agent’s identity before enabling it.

Future Enhancements and Benefits

Google plans to introduce advanced capabilities such as:

  • Agent Training: Allowing brands to refine the AI’s responses using specific business data like guidelines and size charts.
  • Customer Insights: Providing analytics to better understand shopper interactions.
  • Agentic Checkout: Enabling direct purchases within the chat experience for seamless transactions.

This innovation aims to empower retailers to connect meaningfully with consumers during critical shopping moments, ultimately driving sales and customer satisfaction.