For more than a decade furniture retailers and manufacturers have spent time, effort and money trying to figure out how to use Google to drive traffic. Endless employee hours have been spent studying SEO and decoding Google’s ever-changing search algorithms.
Google just changed the rules of the game.
Recently, the tech giant has reinvented itself as a so-called “Answer Engine,” meaning that how it responds to queries has changed dramatically with major implications for marketers. For example, in the past, when consumers searched for “best sectional sofa for small spaces,” Google would return a list of website links, some paid and others earned organically through hard-won SEO skills. Furniture retailers could compete for those clicks by optimizing pages, targeting keywords and building backlinks.
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Today, that same search is more likely to yield a featured snippet, a product carousel, a video from YouTube and, most often, an AI-generated answer taken from the very sources that would previously have been offered up as links. The big difference is that all of this keeps the shopper in Google’s ecosystem.
The current term for this is a “zero-click search phenomenon,” and the result is a direct hit to website traffic, lead generation and online visibility for retailers and manufacturers. Google is answering more queries directly on its results page. This means fewer opportunities for consumers to land on your website.
This shift has real implications for furniture retailers and manufacturers, especially as more consumers begin their shopping journey directly on Google.
That does not mean everything you and your team have learned is no longer relevant, only that it needs to be used differently. First, retailers need to adapt their content and site structure to the new rules. Utilizing structed data across product pages — things like product availability, pricing, customer reviews and store locations — can help Google select your information to deliver in its answer formats.
Second, furniture marketers need to capitalize on the fact that furniture is a visual category, and Google will reward you if you can take advantage of that. Google Lens, for example, lets users search using photos instead of keywords. That means every product image you post should be high-resolution, named descriptively and supported with alt text. Additionally, listing inventory on Google Merchant Center is essential if you want to appear in Google Shopping and product carousels.
In addition, Google heavily favors local intent. If someone searches “furniture stores near me,” your Google Business Profile — which should include photos, store hours and reviews — is now as important as your homepage. Encourage customer reviews and keep listings accurate across platforms.
Video content has never been more important, particularly as it is now more likely to show up on Google’s answer page. And as Google increasingly surfaces video content in results, furniture retailers and manufacturers should consider short-form formats to showcase products, answer common questions or offer styling advice.
Finally, with Google taking over the top of the funnel, you need to take control of the rest. Build direct customer relationships through email capture, loyalty programs and content you own, such as room planners and style guides.
The rules have changed … again … but the game remains the same.
