Toll Free: 1-877-695-7388

GTA: (647) 699-2838

Search Engine People
  • SEO
  • SEM
  • CRO
  • Display
  • Blog
  • Why Us
  • Contact
  • Join Our Team
  • Get A Quote

Toll Free: 1-877-695-7388

GTA: (647) 699-2838

Google Testing 4 Top Ads Layout

Nick Supapol | February 25th, 2016
Tweet2
Share9
Share
Pin
11 Shares

There’s a ton of speculation online about ads being removed from the right side of Google’s SERPs. This speculation is quickly turning into confirmation as a Google spokesperson has reached out to an SEM Post with the following:

“We’ve been testing this layout for a long time, so some people might see it on a very small number of commercial queries. We’ll continue to make tweaks, but this is designed for highly commercial queries where the layout is able to provide more relevant results for people searching and better performance for advertisers.”

Google has been transitioning away from the right hand ad placement for the past two to three years, but it has only become a hot topic over the past few days.

Here's the old vs the new layout:

Old Adwords Google SERP layout
Old Layout

New Adwords SERP Layout
New Layout

As you can see, the change is significant. There are only 3 top spots, and sometimes a 4th spot for more competitive searches. Another notable change is the addition of up to 3 more ad units at the bottom of the page. It may seem like an odd spot to put ads, but it does make sense. CTRs are considerably lower on the side than they are on the top or on the bottom of the page. When a user cannot find an answer on the first page, they either revise their search or move on to the next page. Ads at the bottom sit right on top of related searches and SERP page numbers, giving them prominent visibility.

What Does This Mean For Advertisers?

Advertisers who don’t already bid for top ad positions will have to pay a bit more to start playing. If you’re moving to the top, make sure you’re taking advantage of relevant Ad Extensions!

New 4 Top Ads Layout: expect to pay more to start playing

Click To Tweet

For advertisers who already bid for the top positions, you may start to notice a rise in your CPCs as well. You’ll need to actively monitor your budgets to ensure you’re still able to secure one of those top 3-4 spots.

Personally, I like this change... It will push everyone to ensure their landing pages and offers are the best they can be.

Is this new layout showing up on your screen? What do you think? How will this impact your online advertising strategies? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Hand-Picked Related Articles:

  • 5 Things Successful PPC Managers Do In The Morning
  • What to include in your PPC Report
  • Proven Strategies To Succeed In PPC

* Social sharing image adapted from brighter than sunshine

4-top-ads

Tweet2
Share9
Share
Pin
11 Shares
Posted in PPC

About the Author: Nick Supapol

Nick Supapol leads the PPC team (and is consistently the #1 ranked ping-pong player) at Search Engine People.

2 thoughts on “Google Testing 4 Top Ads Layout”

  1. Tauseef Alam says:
    February 25, 2016 at 11:13 am

    After this change It looks SEO is dead. 4 Ads on the top followed by 3 local listings, Even after you rank #1 in organic search, technically you’re on #7. Bad move by Google.

  2. Darryl Manco says:
    March 5, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    Good for G. PPC is nothing more than interpretive marketing, and no different than a commercial. Besides, SEM has zip, zero, zilch impact on SEO. Thanks for your positive insight.

Comments are closed.

Recent Posts

  • Maximizing Your E-Commerce Sales:
    A CRO Audit Guide
  • Movin’ On Up! Why Migrating to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Should be a Priority
  • A Year in Review: The Digital Marketing Trends That Defined 2021
  • The Basics of Video Marketing
  • Just How Much Do Google Reviews Impact Your SEO Ranking?

Categories

  • Analytics & ROI Analysis
  • Company News
  • Content
  • Conversion Optimization
  • CRO
  • Display Advertising/RTB
  • Email Marketing
  • En Español
  • En Français
  • Inbound Marketing
  • Lead Nurture & Marketing Automation
  • Local Search
  • Marketing
  • Mobile
  • Partnership Marketing
  • PPC
  • PR
  • SEO
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Web Design

Additional Posts

Benchmark Your Locations With This Local Status Report

February 24th, 2016 | by Martha Vasquez

10 Excellent Twitter Management Tools For Improved Engagement

February 23rd, 2016 | by Jessica Davis

Ways to Gather Start-Up Analytics (And Use Them)

February 22nd, 2016 | by Stephen Moyers

LET'S TALK

Need more information or want to get in touch?

Get in touch!
  • SEO
  • SEM
  • Display
  • Blog
  • Why Us
  • Join Our Team
  • Contact Us
  • Local SEO
  • Small Business SEO
  • Enterprise SEO
  • International SEO

LOCATION

1305 Pickering Parkway,
5th Floor Pickering, L1V 3P2

PHONE

Toll Free: 1-877-695-7388
Greater Toronto Area: (647) 699-2838

Social

© Search Engine People Inc. 2023 – Canada’s Top Digital Agency
© SEP 2023 – A Search Engine People Company | Privacy Policy

Search Engine People