Early last year, Google changed the AdWords ad label from a yellow to a green. But now, Google has changed the AdWords PPC ad label even further, and seems to have rolled it out to everyone.
Google is starting to roll out the new AdWords ad label, with more and more people sighting the new style ads in the search engine results page.
What has changed?
The ad labels are now more white in comparison, and much less noticeable as separate from the organic results. The only real difference from the organic results now, is that the ad label is outlined in green. While the ad label is still clearly visible, but it still blends in nicely.
Why the change?
For comparison, you can see the old style ad below:
It’s another attempt from Google to streamline the search engine results page, and make sure what it offers over mobile and desktop devices remains similar.
For Google, it potentially means more revenue, as more people will click ads and more advertisers will pay. The new less noticeable icon should pave the way for more clicks.
But, that’s not to say it’s bad for advertisers. In actual fact, if people don’t realise that your ad is not actually an ad, and ranks at the top of the search results, it’s good for you.
Some Google users will have ad blindness by now, and look straight to the top of the organic search results. It also means that AdWords PPC ads are more important than ever, and that relying purely on top organic listings could be less valuable for businesses.
With this change, it means they may or may not consider the new ads as part of the organic search results for a brief second or so, in which time it gives you the opportunity to get your brand notices. So overall, a welcome change from Google, despite the fact it could lead to confusion from the general public searching on Google. No doubt the experiments have gone well.
UPDATE: Google confirms global roll-out
A Google spokesperson has stated the following:
“We routinely test potential improvements to the look and feel of our search results page. After experimenting with a new search ad label with a green outline, we’ve decided to roll it out. The new ad label is more legible and continues to make our results page easier to read for our users with clear indication of our ad labeling.”
