New Look PPC Ads

Google began testing a new layout for pay per click adverts in June, by incorporating categories for some general search queries, adding “related to” information. They have obviously received a good response as it seems to have started occurring more often for more search terms over the last couple of weeks.

When Google first began to preview this facility, they said: “We’re always experimenting with new features and tools to help users find information online. We’re currently testing a feature on English language versions of the Google search results page in which additional advertisements for related queries or refinements of the user’s original query may appear. This beta experiment provides users with a diverse set of relevant ads, and offers advertisers with relevant broad match keywords another opportunity to reach their target audience.”

It has been speculated that this could lead to an increase in cost per clicks and also a higher level of competition. The more optimistic marketers however have said that it could actually be advantageous to them if the “related searches” section confirms to the user that the PPC ad will lead to what they are looking for.