Google is experimenting with new features to drive online shopping dollars to YouTube and is encouraging some creators there to tag and track any products used in their videos.

Features are being trialed with some creators, and the move is an “experiment,” a YouTube spokesperson told Bloomberg on Friday (Oct. 9), adding that creators will direct which products are displayed. The resulting data will then be linked to Google’s analytics and shopping tools. YouTube began testing a similar Shopify integration for creators who can list as many as 12 items for sale on a digital carousel below their videos, according to the company.

“YouTube is one of the least utilized assets,” Andy Ellwood, president of eCommerce startup Basket, told Bloomberg. “If they decided they want to invest in it, it’s a huge opportunity for them.”

Sources familiar with the situation told the news outlet that the hope is that YouTube’s millions of videos can be turned into shopping opportunities. A Shopify integration for YouTube merchandise sales is also in the works.

Source: Is YouTube The Next Amazon? Google Hopes So | PYMNTS.com