Google is changing the placement of AdWords in their search result pages. The latest update from Google has four ads instead of there at the top of the page. Now there won’t be ads on the sidebar but at the bottom. This update is one that Google has been testing from 2010. Over the years, the tests have seen some tweaks that have led to the current update. The adverts that will be in the top spots are what Google calls “highly commercial queries”. Information from Google is that the updates will be for all desktop searches worldwide. With the removal of right side ads, desktop searches will appear the same as mobile searches. The changes will obviously have an impact on AdWords marketing. Here is a look at what four ads at the top of search results pages mean.
Organic Results Move Further Down
Four ads at the top take up a lot of space, especially on mobile devices. Traditionally, mobile searches had two ads at the top, but now people are getting three. The biggest concern is that when users get three ads at the top, they have to scroll further down to get to the organic search results. Depending on the size of the screen, it may take a while before organic search results are visible. Even if an advertiser’s site appears on the first page, users may not be able to notice it easily.
Improved Strategies
With fewer organic search results on the first page, advertisers will have to strategise better. Some marketers aim for the bottom of the first page when structuring their optimisation but with the new updates, that will have to change. An ad that was last on the first page will now have to go to the second page.
Increased CPC
Another impact that the Google’s SERP changes have is on CPC. With more ads at the top, advertisers will strive to catch those top spots. Advertisers will compete harder to land their ads in those positions. There will be more aggression when it comes to bidding for AdWords. Appearing at the top spot is every advertiser’s goal when marketing online, and now they will have to spend more. With inflated CPC rates, business will have to allocate bigger budgets to paid search marketing.
Ads Display
With these updates, there are reports of changes in the display of ads. An ad at the top positions will have its 1 line description with the headline (if the line ends with punctuation). If Google determines that a description is a complete phrase, then it will put it in the headline. It means that top ads will have longer headlines. It is also possible for Google to add a site’s domain to the headline if space allows it. The effect will be that that marketers will come up with different copy strategies to fit the new display criteria.
Getting to the Top
Different elements determine how ads get to the top spots. The Ad Rank of an advertiser is one of the most crucial elements in reaching the top positions. For advertisers to get high Ad Ranks, they must have quality landing pages, place competitive bids, and keep ads relevant, among other things. The reason advertisers strive for top spot ads is because they have higher click through rates. They also get ad extensions like products, locations, and site extensions. According to Google, they will continue tweaking the layout on highly commercial queries to provide more relevant results for users and for advertisers to get better performance from their ads.
