Google recently made a global update showcasing that ads on Google’s search engines will only have ads showing on the top and bottom of Google searches. They removed ads on the right sidebar and now only product listing ads will be displayed on the sidebar. Google also increased the number of ads that show up above organic searches on the search engine to four. Before you would only see three ads on top, but now you may see four on top and three at the bottom of search results. What does this mean for marketers trying to get on the top spot?
Image Via Google
Biding Strategy
Digital Marketers now will have to adjust their Adwords strategy to show up on the top four ads on the first page in Google. What this could mean for marketers now is that they might be dealing with more competition than ever before. Before the Adwords change, businesses were happy to be on the top of the searches in the right sidebar. Now, nobody wants to be on the bottom of the first page! Sure you’re on the first page of Google, but how many people do you know click on the bottom few search results or even make it to the bottom of the first page? Besides my mom who clicks on random links, I don’t see too many people making it to the bottom of search results.
Businesses will now have to look at custom bidding strategies to get on the top of search results or on the first page. One bid strategy that will be popular is “Target Search Page Location.” This bid strategy adjusts your bids to help your ads show up on the top of page or on the first page of search results. This will mean more money will be spent to get you to the top spot because you are going against all of your competitors. This strategy will help you get one of the top spots on Google’s search engine which will help you get more leads. You will be spending more on this bid strategy, but the payout could be worth it since you have a higher chance of being in front of your customers. To learn other effective ways to run a successful SEM Campaign, check out this blog.
Click Through Rate
Image Via AppFlood
What does this new change mean with click through rates? My prediction is that they will drastically decrease, especially if you are not on the first page of Google. With Google’s recent change it seems like only the strongest will survive. The only campaigns that will have a high click through rate are the top four ads on the first page. It will be interesting to see how the bottom ads perform, but I don’t see them getting anywhere close to the click through rates that the top ads get. With low click through rates, the quality score of ads will be impacted. You can learn more about that from SEM Post.
Conclusion
Google Adwords update plays a big role on how Digital Marketers should now market on Google’s search engine. Everyone will now be targeting the top 4 spots on Google. Now that the right sidebar only displays Product Listing Ads, this might be a large opportunity for E-commerce businesses to thrive on Google. It will be interesting to see how the bottom ads on the search results perform, but I don’t see it doing well. Always aim for the top spot, as we do here at Today’s Business!