Google is making available Product Listing Ads (PLAs) for local businesses – and potentially revealing its e-commerce intentions. When users search for products on Google they will now encounter localized, product centered advertisements on the search results from nearby merchants. Should they click, users will arrive at “local storefronts” (powered by Google) where they can browse store inventory.

The company is also innovating on a number of other levels of course – from the release of Hummingbird to the introduction of hashtag search to the gradual retooling of its analytics offering. Raincross Marketing will keep you updated.