Google's search engine result pages (SERPs) are increasingly crowded with paid advertising at the expense of organic search results. It's no coincidence that this is happening as the cost per click (CPC) of Google's paid search ads continues to fall, driven by an increasing share of lower-price mobile clicks. Google is compensating for falling prices by increasing volume, packing SERPs with more and more paid advertising.
The trend continues as Google begins placing large banner-size images over search listings for certain brands, as shown here for Southwest. "We're currently running a very limited, US-only test, in which
advertisers can include an image as part of the search ads that show in
response to certain branded queries," said a Google spokesperson. This tactic is a drastic shift from the company's 2005 commitment never to run banner ads on search pages.
This follows Google's recent announcement of Shared Endorsement ads, which attach people's names and photos to ads, and will occupy its own share of SERP real estate.
For now, Google search engine users are willing to tolerate the increased amount of advertising. It remains to be seen how much longer that continues.
Source: http://bit.ly/HjfQkh
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