One of the biggest changes Google has introduced as of late is the decision to delete advertisements from the right side of any desktop search, with a few exceptions. Fortunately, with the deletion of side ads, comes the existence of a fourth ad at the top of the page, while there will be three ads at the bottom of the page. Now, this addition is mainly for “highly commercial queries”, meaning for searches where Google believes there is intent to purchase.
The exceptions to the deletion of side text ads are in regards to Product Listing Ad boxes and ads in the Knowledge Panel. Product Listing Ads are retail-centric and showcase the product attributes rather than utilizing keywords. These will continue to show to the right of the relevant search or above. Ads in the Knowledge Panel are showcased to the right of the search and have relevant information about the specific company, person, etc. For example, if you are looking up a restaurant, information such as the phone number, hours, a link to the menu, and a short description will all be available on the right side of the desktop search.
What does this mean for advertisers? At this point, it may be too early to tell. Many are worried that ad prices will increase due to supply and demand, but this is still speculation. From the research Google has done so far, it seems that CPC has remained relatively steady, though auction patterns may vacillate as advertisers adjust to the new way. It seems that impression volume ought to increase for those advertisements that are at the top of the page. There is no crystal ball, so it is up to Google and advertisers to follow this update and understand how to adjust their bid strategy accordingly.
AdWords continues to be a great tool for businesses’ digital strategy, as PPC management is crucial for many. Every piece of technology goes through updates, so it will be interesting to see what kind of impact this change makes in the world of AdWords and pay-per-click advertising.
Courtesy of: Search Engine Land