Frequent desktop users may have witnessed a change in Google’s search results format in the past month.
According to a recent report at Search Engine Land, the search giant has made a few big changes to its page layout, and recently it decided to remove all sponsored text ads from the right side of the page – those that customers and marketers would see alongside organic searches that appear in the center of the page.
Where will ads end up? For now, Google has decided to place four (up from three) sponsored search results above organic results at the top of the page. It will also place three sponsored results at the bottom of the page. Overall, this will shrink the maximum number of ads users will see from 11 to seven.
This does not, however, mark the complete end of the right-hand column. Search Engine Land also reported that Google will continue to use that space for product listing ad blocks and Knowledge Panels, the information about various businesses that provide more depth than just a brand’s title.
A Change of Perspective
Atria tackled this issue late in 2015 when it discussed Google’s previous consideration of placing four ads at the top of the page. The takeway from that lesson was that marketers could use the extra space to their advantage. They could bolster their keywords and marketing campaigns to grab that extra spot.
Unfortunately, the removal of right-side ads could harbor an opposite message. Instead of giving marketers a new spot to fill, it could force them into greater competition with rivals. In any case, keywords remain the lifeblood of a marketing campaign, and businesses will want to make sure they refine their keyword lists to target specific audiences. Take a look at the previous Atria post for more information about how to utilize the Keyword Planner and Display Planner to great effect.
Good News for Gaming Companies
In related news, Google has also decided to add a new element – streaming – to the types of ads it features. Its new Trial Run Ads, offered to select U.S. advertisers for the time being, will give Android users the chance to stream a sample game from within the Google search results page.
The feature is an extension of the previously-released streaming apps type of content that Google released late last year.
For now, both types of streaming content emanate only from select marketers, but if the trials go well, anyone reading this page could find themselves allowed to create their own streams. It could be one more way marketers can improve the way they show their businesses to the world. Keywords and AdWords campaign internals will remain an important tools for getting customers to those ads, but the active on-screen content will have the potential to engage audiences before they ever reach a landing page.
Keep an eye on those keywords, but keep the other on the latest Google and AdWords features. Atria has its gaze on the up-and-coming and is always ready to help you get started with PPC management.