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Google May Change How Ads Are Displayed in Search Results
In today’s digital age, every business needs to have an online presence, and they also need to make sure they can be found by people who are looking for their products or services. Online searches are the way most people find information and locate businesses that can help meet their needs. Because the vast majority of online searches are performed through Google, any changes to how Google search results are displayed can have a huge impact on companies of all sizes and types.
To help ensure that a website will be found in online searches, it is important to follow search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. However, when changes are made by Google or other search engines, it can be difficult to determine whether adjustments may need to be made to ensure that a site can continue to rank well in search results. Fortunately, businesses can work with digital marketing professionals to make sure they will be able to take advantage of the available opportunities and connect with customers and clients online
At OVC, INC., our SEO experts stay up to date on all of the latest developments that may affect law firms and other types of businesses. Recently, people noticed that Google may be making changes to how ads are displayed alongside other types of search results. By understanding what these changes may entail and how they may affect SEO, we can provide guidance on how to make sure people will be able to find a website through Google searches.
Google Tests Mixing Ads and Organic Search Results
Over the years, Google has made a number of adjustments to how search results are displayed. When someone performs a Google search, the first few items on a search results page will usually be sponsored links, which are also known as pay-per-click (PPC) ads. The specific types of ads and how they are displayed can vary, and they may include links to Google Shopping pages where people can purchase products, ads that show up in maps displaying local businesses, or other information. Ads will have a “Sponsored” label that appears above a link.
Links on Google search pages that are not ads are known as organic search results. Traditionally, organic results have been separated from ads, making it easy to distinguish between links that have been paid for by advertisers and links that show up naturally based on what Google believes people are searching for. However, this may soon be changing.
Recently, SEO experts have noticed that in some search results pages, Google has begun including sponsored links in between organic search results. That is, rather than having ads be grouped at the top of a search results page, they may be mixed in between other search results. This appears to be a test of possible changes that may be made by Google in the future.
This change may partially be due to the use of “infinite scroll” when displaying search results. In the past, search results were separated into pages that included around 10 links. When a person clicked “Next” to view another page of results, each page may have displayed a group of ads above the organic search results. However, as more and more people use mobile devices to perform Google searches, the displayed results may no longer be separated into pages, and people may be able to scroll continuously through the results. This may mean that ads will be displayed at regular intervals in long lists of search results.
This is one of many ongoing changes that Google makes to how organic search results and ads are displayed. Other adjustments that have been made recently include displaying the names of businesses above ads along with the text linking to a website, as well as the inclusion of business logos that help people identify the companies being advertised.
As Google continues to make changes, it will be important for website owners to understand how they can make sure their sites will appear correctly in search results. In addition to creating content and blogs that answer people’s questions and provide them with the information they are searching for, a website should be correctly formatted to ensure that the right information will be displayed on search results pages. Because of the complex issues that can affect online searches, it is crucial to work with an SEO professional who can make sure the best practices are followed.
Contact Our SEO and Digital Marketing Professionals
At OVC, INC., we stay up to date with all of the latest changes made by Google, as well as any other issues that may affect website owners. We can make sure a website is optimized to be found by a firm’s potential clients, and we can also provide guidance on the available options for digital marketing, including PPC ads, social media, reputation management, and more. To learn how our SEO experts can help you succeed, contact us at 630-635-8000.
