by Cameron Fenno
The Internet is a living, breathing thing – and no one knows this more than Google itself. Google continuously strives to improve the user experience while simultaneously improving the bottom line. On March 10th, 2014, Google made a very noticeable change to their search engine result pages. The changes seem to be aimed at the increasing visibility of paid search ads, which generate great amounts of revenue for Google.
This fairmarketing rollout blends paid ads together with organic results, removing the long time “shade” behind Google’s top three paid positions and leading organic listings. In the shade’s place, now resides a simple “Ad” label directly to the left of the Display URL. As you can see, there is now a faint line that appears between the ad in third position and the first organic result.
With the lack of shading behind Google Ads, the ads really have no definitive space and now flow easily with organic results. The small “Ad” label doesn’t alienate or section itself like the previous format — no matter how light the shading appeared in recent years.
Clearly, the motivation now is to achieve a higher click through rate and traffic towards paid ads. With less contrast between paid and organic results, the user’s eye is less likely to look towards the first organic listing.
Time will tell if this variation of the search result page will affect paid ad’s click through rates and traffic. This fairmarketing Google update certainly seems like a win for PPC advertisers with improved visibility for paid ads.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google's SERP Change
What did Google change on its search results pages in March 2014?
On March 10, 2014, Google removed the shading behind its top paid ads and replaced it with a small “Ad” label to the left of the display URL, with a faint line between the third ad and the first organic result.
Why did Google remove the shading behind paid ads?
The change appears aimed at increasing the visibility of paid search ads, which generate great amounts of revenue for Google. With less contrast, ads flow with organic results and are positioned to earn a higher click-through rate.
Is the new search results layout good for PPC advertisers?
It seems like a win for PPC advertisers, since paid ads get improved visibility and users are less likely to look toward the first organic listing. Time will tell how it affects click-through rates and traffic.