With its latest experiment that aims to make YouTube a shopping destination online, Google is attempting to take on e-commerce giants Amazon and Alibaba.
The latest test was reported to Bloomberg by a YouTube representative.
The news website today confirmed that some content creators on the platform have recently been asked to tag things that appeared on their videos, citing sources privy to Google’s plans.
In order to create an e-commerce catalog where users can select and directly purchase items, Google will then connect these pieces of information to its analytics and shopping tools.
Creators have full control about what objects appear in their clips. By integrating the platform with the e-commerce website Shopify, Google is also making it easier to sell directly via YouTube.
However, it is not clear how YouTube is going to make money from the goods sold on the service. Bloomberg reported that YouTube provides creators with subscriptions and charges a 30 percent tax on their subscription fees.
The new experiment could give the online shopping business of Google a boost. In May of last year, the search giant was testing YouTube videos to demonstrate product reviews along with their costs.That said, there’s no word on when Google will widely roll out the new shopping feature in YouTube.
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