Google Virtual Try-On: What It Is, How It Works, & Why Advertisers Should Care

In 2023, Google launched their Virtual Try-On (VTO) tool to help consumers see what clothing would look like in real life using AI models. In September 2024, they added the ability to try on dresses. Now, the number of garments and brands you can sample online keeps growing.

If you’re in the retail industry, Google’s Virtual Try-On tool can help you sell your product right to users without moving them out of the search engine results pages (SERPs).

We will break down the basics of this tool and why it matters in the following sections:

• What is Google Virtual Try-On? 
• How does Google Virtual Try-On work?
• What Google Virtual Try-On means for retailers
• How to optimize for Google Ads Virtual Try-On

Learn more about Google Shopping Virtual Try-On below!

What is Google Virtual Try-On?

Google VTO is a tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to show how clothing looks on real people based on their size and body shape. You can find the VTO tool on qualifying listings on Google Shopping.

How does Google Virtual Try-On work?

To use Google Shopping VTO, you must find available items through Google Shopping.

Enter the item you would like to shop for under the Google Shopping tab. Then, look for results that have the “try-on” tag:

From there, you can click on the “Try On Models” tab to see the garment on an AI-generated model:

Google offers a range of models to choose from, and they include their height and size in the description:

You can select the model that most closely matches your size and shape.

What Google Virtual Try-On means for retailers

The main effect of VTO is the increased number of zero-click searches. Buyers won’t need to leave the SERPs to shop for products and see how your products look on the models. They can explore multiple brands and filters for different sizes, colors, and materials, all from the SERPs.

With these zero-click searches, it will be harder to gather keyword usage data and customer behaviors. Lower website traffic can also impact the perceived effectiveness of your SEO campaign. If users aren’t making it to your site, you won’t be able to learn how they interact with it and what channels and keywords are working well.

There is some good news, though. The Google Virtual Try-On feature for retailers offers the following benefits:

• Improved customer satisfaction: If customers can see what your garment will look like before purchasing, they can save money and time buying items that don’t fit right. They will have a better experience overall.
• Fewer returns: With more satisfied customers comes fewer returns on items. People can order the right piece the first time, and save you money on returns and exchanges.
• Increased organic sales: Customers who click through your product listings have already narrowed their search and seen your product on a chosen model. You may see more sales from users who are further along in the shopping process for this reason.

How to optimize for Google Ads Virtual Try-On

The first step to accessing VTO for your products is launching a digital ad campaign through Merchant Center or Google Ads. If you already launched your Google Shopping Ads campaign and want to make it more effective, you’ve come to the right place.

So, how can we optimize Google Ads VTO? Here are a few tips to add to your strategy:

1. Meet Google’s technical requirements
2. Have a solid ecommerce search engine optimization (SEO) strategy
3. Mark up your product pages with structured data

Read on to learn more about each below!

1. Meet Google’s technical requirements

Following Google’s requirements will help you get your listings opted into the Apparel Try-On feature. Here are the requirements:

• Add high resolution images that are 512 x 512 pixels at least, or ideally 1024 pixels or higher
• Each image should feature one garment shown either on one front-facing model or mannequin in a simple pose, or lying flat on a surface

Google has their own best practices for VTO that can help you create better ads and encourage the VTO feature on your listings. You should implement these best practices in your listings:

• Make sure each image shows only the listed garment in its entirety
• Place the garment on a model or mannequin or lying flat
• Ensure models face forward with arms down to the side
• Avoid excessive folds or wrinkles on flat garments
• Do not obscure garment details with hands, handbags, or accessories

Ultimately, it’s up to Google to pull your listings and add the VTO feature. While it may not happen immediately, following their specifications will give you a better chance at ranking and getting this feature added.

2. Have a solid ecommerce SEO strategy

You should also make sure your SEO strategy for ecommerce is up to par to give your listings the best chance at ranking in the Shopping SERPs. Here are some points to check when optimizing your SEO:

• Optimize your meta information, including the title tag, H1, and meta description
• Write effective product descriptions that incorporate keywords and maintain readability
• Use internal links to cross-link between products and establish connections
• Promote reviews and ratings to help satisfy Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines
• Use breadcrumb navigation to help inform which filters Google can apply to your listing
• Implement canonical tags and make sure pages are not blocked by no index tags or txt
• List all product pages in your sitemap for faster discoverability and indexing

This step should also apply to your pay-per-click (PPC) and Google Ads campaigns. Optimizing will provide a better customer experience and give you a better chance at competing in the SERPs, even if you don’t have the VTO feature available yet.

3. Mark up your product pages with structured data

Finally, be sure to mark up your product pages and images with structured data. This data will positively impact your Google Shopping ads by increasing click-through rate (CTR), creating richer SERP listings, and optimizing for alternative search results, like voice search.

Here are some attributes to optimize in your listings:

• Product name, description, images, and brand
• Availability
• Price
• Ratings and reviews
• Variants
• Promotions and deals
• Seller information
• Shipping details

Prepare your ecommerce listings for Virtual Try-On with WebFX!

The key to maintaining conversions with Google VTO is to strengthen your SEO strategy. If you want to see more conversions while helping users find your product, WebFX can help.

WebFX has 179,000+ hours of experience in the retail/ecommerce industry. With our help, you can transform your site and listings to place them right at the top of the SERPs. You’ll get more purchases over time, even if the users don’t make it to your site.

Contact us online today and see how we can help you prepare for the new ecommerce landscape!