Google also is testing an integration with Shopify, the provider of e-commerce software and services, to sell products through YouTube, with the broader goal of turning its vast trove of video content into a digital catalog for viewers. YouTube is letting creators control which products they show in the videos. The experimental program's revenue strategy isn't entirely clear yet, though it started letting creators sell subscriptions to their channels for a 30% commission on payments from viewers, Bloomberg News reported.

For Google, the expanded shopping features on YouTube are a sign of how e-commerce has become a bigger priority amid a growing threat from retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target that are ramping up their online ad sales, integrating media with e-commerce. YouTube already was a significant growth driver for Google's parent company Alphabet, which this year started disclosing YouTube's revenue for the first time as investors demanded greater transparency. YouTube's yearly ad revenue growth slowed to 5.8% in Q2 from 36% in Q1 as marketers scaled back their media spending during the onset of the pandemic. Still, YouTube's revenue growth has been stronger than Google's, which fell 8% in Q2 — the first drop in its 26-year history.