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# Google Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) – What They Are & How to Set Them Up for Success

End-to-end explanation of Google Local Inventory Ads (LIAs), requirements, setup steps, pros/cons, and best practices.

Google Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) are a powerful format for retail businesses with physical stores that want to promote their in-store products to nearby shoppers.

They are increasingly important because:

  • Shoppers regularly research products and store information on their devices.
  • Click-and-collect and “buy online, pick up in store” behaviours are growing.
  • Being visible when users are in research mode is critical for local businesses.

LIAs help bridge the gap between online discovery and offline purchase by combining:

  • Product-level information (price, availability, sizes, etc.)
  • Store-level information (opening hours, distance, directions, reviews)

Follow this guide to understand what LIAs are, how they work, and how to set them up and optimize them for strong local performance.

# 1. What Are Google Local Inventory Ads and How Do They Work?

Google LIAs are designed for retailers with brick-and-mortar locations.
The main objective is to showcase products and store information to nearby users when they search on Google.

Typical information shown:

  • Product availability
  • Sizes and pricing
  • Store opening hours
  • Store distance and directions
  • Ratings and reviews

This makes LIAs a key format for connecting online research with in-store visits, improving the overall customer journey.

For example, a user searching for:

mens puffer coats near me

may see product listings that:

  • Highlight that the product is available in-store.
  • Show how close the store is.
  • Offer directions and additional store information.

# Example: Google Local Inventory Ads UI

![Example of Google Local Inventory Ads on SERP](./images/google-lia-serp-example.png)

Use this placeholder for the screenshot showing local product listings on Google (e.g. “mens puffer coats near me”).

When a user clicks on one of these products, Google opens a Google-hosted store page for the retailer with additional details (store address, opening hours, inventory, etc.).

![Google-hosted local storefront example](./images/google-local-storefront-example.png)

Use this placeholder for the Google-hosted shop page screenshot.

# 2. Why Local Inventory Ads Are Important

The shopping landscape has changed significantly:

  • Consumers use smartphones and computers to:
    • Search for products.
    • Compare options.
    • Check store information (hours, stock, distance) before going to the store.
  • Purchase decisions are often made before the shopper leaves home.

For retailers, it is critical to:

  • Reach potential customers during their research phase.
  • Stay visible and competitive in local search.
  • Provide an excellent customer experience by surfacing accurate, real-time information.

LIAs support all of these by:

  • Making local stock visible online.
  • Connecting the right product + right store + right moment.
  • Increasing both in-store visits and overall revenue.

# 3. Google Shopping Ads vs Local Inventory Ads (LIAs)

Although Google Shopping Ads and LIAs may look similar at first glance, there are three major differences:

# 3.1 Objective

  • Standard Google Shopping (Product Listing Ads – PLA)

    • Primary goal: Drive online sales.
    • Best fit: Pure e-commerce or online-first businesses.

  • Local Inventory Ads (Local Shopping Ads)

    • Primary goal: Drive in-store traffic and offline sales.
    • Best fit: Businesses with physical stores that want to increase footfall.

# 3.2 Appearance

  • LIAs often show labels such as:
    • In-store
    • Pick up today
  • Standard Shopping Ads are more focused on online purchase, showing:
    • Shipping details
    • Online promotions
    • Delivery estimates

# 3.3 Landing Experience

  • Google Shopping Ads

    • Click leads to: Retailer’s product detail page (PDP) on their own website.
    • Aim: Make it easy to buy online immediately.

  • Local Inventory Ads

    • Click leads to either:
      • A Merchant-Hosted Local Storefront, or
      • A Google-Hosted Storefront (local store page on Google).
    • Aim: Show local product and store information (stock, distance, opening hours, etc.).

# 4. Google Local Inventory Ads – Requirements

Before you can run LIAs, the following requirements must be satisfied:

  1. Physical Store Presence

    • You must operate at least one brick-and-mortar store that is open to the public.

  2. No Additional Purchases Required

    • Products must be purchasable without mandatory additional items (e.g. membership).

  3. Eligible Country

    • Your store must be located in a country where LIAs are supported:Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the US.

  4. Compliance with Google Shopping Policies

    • Your account must comply with Google’s Shopping Ads policies, including:
      • Prohibited content and practices
      • Restricted content
      • Editorial and technical quality requirements

# 5. Pros and Cons of Local Inventory Ads

Like any ad format, LIAs have both advantages and disadvantages. Understanding both sides helps you design the right setup and internal processes.

# 5.1 Pros

  • Drive Shoppers to Your Store

    • The primary goal is to generate in-store visits and sales.
    • Showing local product availability and store details attracts nearby shoppers.

  • Highly Relevant Shopping Experience

    • LIAs target users searching for products in a specific geographic area.
    • Audience intent is usually high, increasing the likelihood of in-store purchases.

  • Connect Online with Offline Shopping

    • LIAs bridge digital research with physical retail.
    • Being visible in LIAs can be the deciding factor between your store and a competitor’s.

# 5.2 Cons

  • Complex Setup

    • Requires:
      • Primary product feed
      • Local inventory feed
      • Store-level data (availability, pricing, etc.)
    • Complexity grows with:
      • Large catalogues
      • Frequently changing stock
    • Third-party feed tools can help.

  • Limited Customization

    • Format is largely standardized by Google.
    • Limited control over:
      • Branding
      • Layout
      • How much you can “design” the ad.

  • Inventory Management Requirements

    • LIAs are not “set and forget”.
    • Need a robust process or system to:
      • Keep physical inventory data accurate.
      • Update feeds frequently.
      • Avoid showing out-of-stock items.

# 6. How to Set Up Local Inventory Ads (Step-by-Step)

Below is a step-by-step outline for retailers that have both online stores and physical locations.

![Google Local Inventory Ads setup flow](./images/google-lia-setup-flow.png)

Use this placeholder for the diagram from Google Support illustrating the LIA setup process.

# Step 1 – Link Your Google Accounts

To run LIAs, you need to create and link the following accounts:

  1. Google Business Profile (GBP)

    • Free online listing that displays:
      • Business name
      • Address
      • Opening hours
      • Phone number
      • Reviews, etc.

  2. Google Merchant Center (GMC)

    • Platform where you:
      • Upload and manage product feeds.
      • Configure Shopping Ads and Local Inventory Ads.

  3. Google Ads

    • Platform where campaigns run and budgets/bids are set.

How to link:

  • Go to Google Merchant Center.
  • Navigate to:
    Settings → Linked accounts.
  • From there, link:
    • The relevant Google Ads account.
    • The corresponding Google Business Profile.

![GMC linked accounts screen](./images/gmc-linked-accounts.png)

Use this placeholder for the screenshot of “Linked accounts” in Google Merchant Center.

# Step 2 – Enable Local Inventory Ads & Add Business Info

In Google Merchant Center:

  1. Go to Growth (left-hand menu).
  2. Click Manage programs.
  3. Find Local inventory ads.
  4. Click Get started.

You will need to:

  • Choose the country where your store is located and where you want LIAs to run.
  • Fill in the business information section:
    • Business name
    • Business address
    • Phone number (for verification)
    • Customer service contact details

Once completed successfully, you will see a green checkmark indicating that all required information has been added.

![GMC local inventory ads program activation](./images/gmc-lia-program-activation.png)

Use this placeholder for the screenshot showing LIAs enabled in GMC.

# Step 3 – Choose the Landing Page Experience (Local Storefront Options)

The landing page experience determines what the user sees after clicking on your LIA.

In Google Merchant Center:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Click Local inventory ads setup.
  3. Select the country you have configured for LIAs.
  4. In the section Product pages on your website, choose one of the three storefront options:

# 3.1 Google-Hosted Local Storefront

Choose this if:

  • Your product pages do not indicate which specific stores carry a given product.

Example:

  • A shoe brand with 3 stores.
  • All stores could potentially carry a trainer model.
  • The website does not show store-level availability.

In this scenario, Google-hosted local storefront is recommended.

# 3.2 Merchant-Managed Local Storefront (Basic)

Choose this if:

  • Your product pages can confirm whether a product is available at a given store.

Example:

  • A user can see on the product page that a specific trainer model is available at their local store.

Basic merchant-managed setup is suitable here.

# 3.3 Merchant-Managed Local Storefront (Full)

Choose this if:

  • You can confirm product availability per store, and
  • You can show store-level price and availability (per location).

This option is more advanced and gives users a more complete local view.

![Local storefront configuration options in GMC](./images/gmc-local-storefront-options.png)

Use this placeholder for the screenshot displaying the three local storefront options.

# Step 4 – Provide an Example Product Page & Price Guarantee Policy

If you choose a merchant-managed storefront (basic or full), Google requires:

  1. Example product page URL

    • Go to the Example product page section in GMC.
    • Provide a live product URL that:
      • Contains all necessary information.
      • Reflects your typical product page layout.

  2. Price guarantee policy link

    • Applies if in-store prices match those displayed online in LIAs.
    • Check the box:
      • “Shoppers can purchase something in-store for the price on my website.”
    • Enter the URL of your price guarantee policy.

Google will review this information to confirm you are eligible to run LIAs under the selected configuration.

# Step 5 – Upload Your Product Feeds

To run LIAs, you must have:

  1. Primary Product Feed
  2. Local Product Inventory Feed

# 5.1 Primary Product Feed

This is the main product feed used for Google Shopping & LIAs. It includes:

  • Product title
  • Description
  • Product images
  • Size, colour, gender
  • Shipping details
  • Price
  • Availability
  • Unique identifiers (e.g. GTIN, MPN, brand)

You can:

  • Set this up manually, or
  • Use a feed management tool to automate and optimize it.

# 5.2 Local Product Inventory Feed

This feed supplements the primary feed with store-level information, typically:

  • id (Product ID)
  • store_code
  • availability
  • price

![Local product inventory feed mapping](./images/local-product-inventory-feed-mapping.png)

Use this placeholder for the screenshot showing local feed mapping (e.g. DataFeedWatch UI).

Key points:

  • The local inventory feed must be kept up to date.
  • Data consistency between primary and local feeds is critical:
    • Product IDs must match across feeds.

Where to upload feeds:

In Google Merchant Center:

  • Go to Products → Feeds.
  • Add / configure:
    • Primary feed.
    • Local inventory feed (for store-level data).

![GMC feeds section](./images/gmc-feeds-section.png)

Use this placeholder for the screenshot of the Feeds section in GMC.

# Step 6 – Enable Local Products in Shopping Campaigns

Final step: allow LIAs to serve via your campaigns.

# If Using Standard Shopping Campaigns

In Google Ads:

  1. Open your Shopping campaign.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Under Local products, check:
    • “Turn on ads for products sold in local shops.”
  4. Save the changes.

This enables local inventory ads for eligible products and stores.

# If Using Performance Max Campaigns

For Performance Max:

  • Once:
    • Google Merchant Center is linked to Google Ads, and
    • The local inventory feed is properly configured and approved,
  • LIAs are served automatically (no separate checkbox required).

# 7. 5 Best Practices for Successful Local Inventory Ads

Once LIAs are live, you should continuously optimize them. Below are five key tactics.

# 7.1 Increase Bids for Shoppers Close to Your Stores

LIAs typically target users within a 25–35 mile radius of your store.

  • Implement location-based bid adjustments:
    • Higher bids for users located closer to the store.
  • Rationale:
    • The closer the user is, the more likely they are to visit and purchase in-store.
  • Impact:
    • Improves visibility for high-intent, nearby shoppers.
    • Maximizes the chance of driving real foot traffic.

# 7.2 Increase Bids During Store Opening Hours

Align bids with your operating hours:

  • Increase bids:
    • During store opening hours.
    • On days when the store is open.
  • Why:
    • Users searching during these times can immediately visit the store.
    • You focus budget on high-value time windows.

# 7.3 Use “In-Store Pickup” and “Pickup Today” Attributes

Labels such as:

  • In-store pickup
  • Pickup today

help:

  • Improve CTR (click-through rate).
  • Increase the likelihood of conversion.

They signal to users that:

  • The product is available locally.
  • They can obtain it quickly (often the same day), without waiting for shipping.

You must configure the relevant feed attributes in your product/local feeds.
Refer to Google’s documentation for the exact attribute names and implementation details.

# 7.4 Regularly Maintain & Optimize Your LIAs

Local inventory ads require ongoing management:

  • Ensure product IDs match across:
    • Primary product feed
    • Local inventory feed
  • Keep stock data fresh:
    • Update availability frequently.
    • Avoid serving ads for out-of-stock items.
  • Enrich feeds with optional attributes:
    • sale_price
    • Special availability values such as:
      • limited availability
      • on display to order

Third-party feed tools can:

  • Automate ID matching checks.
  • Handle frequent updates.
  • Reduce wasted spend from outdated data.

# 7.5 Monitor LIA Performance and Analyze Data

Google LIAs are visible as a separate click type in Google Ads.

In Google Ads:

  1. Go to your Shopping campaign.
  2. Click Segment.
  3. Choose Click type.

You will see performance segmented into:

  • Online product listing clicks (standard Shopping).
  • Local inventory ad clicks (if LIAs are enabled).

![Google Ads click type segmentation for LIAs](./images/google-ads-click-type-lia.png)

Use this placeholder for the screenshot showing “Click type” segmentation.

Benefits:

  • Understand LIAs’ contribution vs other Shopping activity.
  • Evaluate:
    • Clicks
    • Cost
    • Conversions (online + offline, if tracked)
  • Optimize:
    • Bids and budgets.
    • Store and product coverage.
    • Feed quality.

# 8. Case Study – Independent Outdoor Retailer

An independent outdoor clothing and equipment store in Bristol, UK used LIAs to:

  • Increase in-store revenue by +30% YoY.
  • Specifically during January–March, which is typically their quietest period.

Context:

  • They already had established Google Shopping campaigns.
  • Objective shifted to:
    • Increase in-store visits during off-peak months.

Challenges:

  • As an independent brand, they had:
    • Lower brand recognition versus high street chains.
    • No nationwide presence.

LIAs helped them:

  • Stand out on the SERP as a local, convenient option.
  • Compete not on brand name, but on:
    • Local relevance.
    • Proximity.
    • Immediate availability.

# 9. Conclusion

Google Local Inventory Ads:

  • Bridge online research and in-store shopping.
  • Help businesses with physical locations:
    • Increase visibility for local products.
    • Reach nearby shoppers at moments of high purchase intent.

While:

  • Initial setup is technical and multi-step, and
  • Ongoing feed maintenance is required,

LIAs are proven to:

  • Boost overall performance for retailers.
  • Increase in-store revenue and foot traffic.
  • Strengthen omnichannel (online + offline) strategy.