The rumblings are true, Google has done away with advertising in the right column of search results. Before you call your SEM (Search Engine Marketing) Manager, let us explain what that means for your business when using Google AdWords.
Google put this new strategy into effect two weeks ago, and there are some good points and some bad points we will be addressing.
Bad: Less chance of having your ad shown on the first page of a search
Good: AdWords campaigns managed correctly should not be affected because your ad should already be in the top 3 positions. Google determined that ads on the right side had far lower Click-Through Rates than those on the top of the page. This will greatly improve the performance of your ads and campaigns as a whole.
Bad: There are no longer 11 ads on the first page.
Good: An additional ad was included at the top of the page increasing top of page ads to 4. Ads will become more relevant to the searchers query. When your ad does show, you will now have all of the extras such as; site link, callout, review and call extensions.
Bad: Organic search results get moved almost completely off the first page (non-scroll) view.
Good: When running an effective AdWords campaign, this will only enhance your organic listing by giving you a spot prior to the “scroll” and a spot once the searcher scrolls down.
Bad: Cost Per Click (CPC) could increase due to demand.
Good: This increase in competition to be in the top 4 will drive up bid prices accordingly. However, it will also “weed out” those ads which are not the most relevant and those with low quality scores. If your campaigns are managed correctly, you might only see a little increase in the CPC for your keywords.
Google’s actions in removing these side ads are most likely commercially driven–even still, we feel it is for the better. Not only does it make the search results page cleaner and less confusing at times, but it allows AdWords campaigns to utilize all of the functionality that those top 4 ads have to offer.
Google Search Results’ Old View:
Google Search Results’ New View:
