What happens after a customer finds your business in their Google Search results? They might visit your website, call your contact centre or move on. The gap between their search and an actual conversation is where potential leads drop off and loyal customers churn. When connecting with your brand feels like work, customers drop and revenue disappears.

Ecommerce was supposed to make the sales process easier for everyone. But more than 1 in 2 consumers say it’s harder to get in touch with a business now than it was 10 years ago, while nearly 80% feel that brands should invest in improvements in how they interact with consumers.¹

Messaging allows for faster, more convenient and more personalised communication than traditional channels — and it’s now overwhelmingly the preferred choice for today’s consumers.² By allowing customers to message your brand the moment they find you online, you can close the gap and connect with prospects that otherwise may have never gone further than the search results page.

1. Start customer relationships on the right foot with RCS for Business

If you’ve visited our blog before, you’ll know RCS for Business is redefining customer engagement. We enable brands to have two-way chats with customers directly in the native messaging app on their phone — whether they have an Android or iOS device.

With user-initiated conversations, we also make it easier for customers to make the first move.

Brands using RCS for Business can add a message button to their Google Search and Maps listings (more search surfaces will be available soon). When a customer taps it, they instantly start a chat in their native messaging app. Unlike web chats that disappear with a closed tab, these conversations persist — keeping your brand just a tap away in their message history for whenever they're ready to pick up where they left off.

A two-way conversation is faster and more convenient for the customer than calling a contact centre or sending an email, and far easier for your business to manage. It also allows you to connect with new and existing customers when their buyer intent is at its highest. We dive deeper into the details below.

2. Connect with customers on their terms

With more than 5 lakh crores consumer searches every year, Google is the place people go when they’re looking for a product, service or specific business.³ The search terms they use reflect their needs — if they’re looking for support, have a question or are ready to buy — as well as their familiarity with your business.

Here are a few ways you can enable user-initiated conversations for all the different kinds of customers that may find your business on Google:

• Supercharge your Search campaigns with Message Ads: Paid ads on Google ensure that your listing is shown front and centre to potential customers searching for the specific search terms you’re targeting. Message Ads gives these prospects a way to instantly connect with your brand directly from the results page, helping you capture high-intent leads with a click.
• Convert organic searches into opportunities with Web Results: When a consumer searches for a product, service or category that’s related to your business, they may organically find your listing on Google. Web Results gives them the option to send your business a message, helping you engage with customers that may have never heard of your brand before.
• Connect with curious customers using SiteLinks: When someone looks up your specific business on Google, SiteLinks adds a message button to the listing that displays in the organic search results. It doesn't matter if they’re a past customer considering another purchase, or a curious prospect with a question — if they’re searching your exact name, it’s a sign that they’re ready to chat.
• Provide fast, personalised support with Featured Snippets: When a customer needs assistance, many search for the business name followed by the words 'customer support'. Featured Snippets adds a message button to the contact options that displays in these search results, allowing your customers to instantly get the help they need.

3. Generate high-intent leads at scale with AI-powered automation

RCS for Business allows you to track exactly how and why customers are finding you, whether they’re searching for your specific business or a search term related to your brand. That means you’re not guessing which entry points are working — you can see it and adjust.

Critically, RCS for Business also allows you to connect with customers at a scale that would be far more costly and difficult with traditional channels. Leveraging AI-powered automation, your brand can deliver exceptional customer experiences every time they send you a message. AI solutions can analyse your customer data and send hyper-personalised messages and promotions, offer 24/7 support for even the most complex inquiries, converse with customers in real time and proactively predict their needs. You can read more about this in our post on smarter conversations.

RCS for Business is transforming every stage of the customer journey, from the initial moment of contact through engagement, conversion and loyalty. We also make it easier for customers to start the conversation — ensuring that their search for support, answers, or a product or service results in a two-way chat with your brand.

Want to learn more about user-initiated conversations? Sign up here for our Early Access programme.