It’s official; Google has finally killed AdWords ads on the right-hand side of search results. It’s a significant change that will impact both AdWords and SEO campaigns.
What’s new?
From now on, you won’t see ads to the right of results. Instead, you’ll see ads at the very top and the very bottom of each page. In some cases, you’ll see four ads at the top.
What does this mean for AdWords?
It’s early, but we anticipate seeing some CPC’s rise as more advertisers compete for fewer ad slots, more importance on Quality Score.
Advertisers are going to need to monitor carefully their campaign performance and look for new ways to increase performance such as Quality Score improvements and new keyword opportunities.
What about Product Listing Ads
Product listing ads will remain on the right-hand side and as such, should not be affected significantly.
Example:
How does this impact SEO?
In instances where four adverts show rather than 3, organic listings are going to fall well below the “fold” (Outside the visible screen prior to scrolling). This means less visibility for organic ads. From the early tests we’ve performed, we see four top ads appear for significant amounts of searches, for example:
A search for plumbers in London yields no organic results above the “fold”.
In short, if you’re not running AdWords, it may be a good time to start.
Should I be concerned?
Yes and no. If you have a reputable Google Partner agency such as DPOM managing your account, then you’re in good hands. Not only are we able to maintain performance, using advanced features of AdWords we can maximise your AdWords visibility to ensure prominent positioning and potentially help you get out ahead over other less informed advertisers.
If you or your agency isn’t aware then yes, you should certainly seek some advice. As with any substantial change to AdWords it represents an excellent opportunity – in the right hands of course.
Speak to our AdWords experts now, call: 01754 252 152
