Confirmed: Google To Stop Showing Ads On Right Side Of Desktop Search Results Worldwide

A long-running test is now rolling out for desktop queries: Google will no longer show ads to the right of its search results, with one exception.

Google is rolling out a dramatic change that removes ads from the right side of its desktop search results, and places ads only at the top and/or bottom of the page. At the same time, the company says it may show an additional ad — four, not three — above the search results for what it calls “highly commercial queries.”

All of this represents the conclusion of a test that began all the way back in 2010, and has been tweaked over the years since then. Search Engine Land readers — particularly some outside the U.S. — notified us late last year that they were seeing the top-only ads more frequently.

A Google spokesperson has confirmed to Search Engine Land that the change is now rolling out to all searches in all languages worldwide. Ads will not appear on the right side of desktop search results, with one exception: Product Listing Ad (PLA) boxes will continue to show both above and to the right of search results.

The additional fourth ad that may show above the search results will only show up for highly commercial queries, according to Google’s official statement on the change:

“We’ve been testing this layout for a long time, so some people might see it on a very small number of commercial queries. We’ll continue to make tweaks, but this is designed for highly commercial queries where the layout is able to provide more relevant results for people searching and better performance for advertisers.”

To clarify, the elimination of right-side ads impacts all desktop searches worldwide; the addition of the fourth ad above search results will happen for “highly commercial queries.” This would involve searches like “hotels in New York City” or “car insurance” and the like.

The removal of all right-side ads obviously makes the desktop and mobile search results more similar. On mobile, though, Google typically shows either two or three ads at the top of the search results.

Postscript: Search Engine Land was tipped to this change via email from a Google advertiser that wishes to remain anonymous, as well as the folks at The Media Image who wrote about the changeyesterday.

Postscript #2: Google originally told Search Engine Land that there were two exceptions to the right-side change: PLA boxes and the Knowledge Panel. A spokesperson tells us that’s not the case, and that PLA boxes will be the only time ads will continue to show on the right side of the desktop search results page. Our article above has been edited accordingly.

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Official Launch Date for Google AMP Confirmed

Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages Is Launching Feb. 24, Ad Age Has Learned

Google will be introducing its Accelerated Mobile Page initiative on Feb. 24, several sources familiar with AMP confirmed to Ad Age.

AMP is a direct response to similar but proprietary platforms like Facebook's Instant Articles and Apple's News. Unlike them, however, AMP is open source, meaning anyone can use it.

Google says AMP pages load 85% faster than standard mobile web pages. The company wants to reinvent the mobile web by delivering content at near instant speeds.

Publishers, meanwhile, have been eagerly awaiting their chance to test AMP's efficacy in encouraging readership on mobile devices. The Wall Street Journal, BuzzFeed and the Washington Post are among those who will have AMP sites ready next week.

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the date of AMP's roll-out.

While AMP pages load much faster, many revenue streams for publishers won't be available. Interstitial ads and site takeovers aren't allowed. Elements that are script-based, widgets that suggest other reading and video that visitors have to watch before they get to the content they're seeking are also off the table.

Still, delivering content at blazing fast speeds may be a necessary measure for publishers -- and Google -- to keep consumers on the mobile web. Consumers currently spend far more time with apps than the mobile web.

Google began reaching out to publishers nearly 10 months ago and publicly introduced the concept of AMP back in October. Google will begin displaying AMP sites in its search results next week. Although the search titan said it won't favor AMP in particular among the search results it displays, it has long favored faster sites over slower ones when other things are equal.

"Clearly, AMP takes speed to a point of extreme," Richard Gingras, senior director, news and social products at Google, previously told Ad Age. "So, obviously we look to leverage that. Again, it is only one signal. AMP doesn't mean adopt AMP and get a massive boost in search ranking. That is not the case. All of the other signals need to be satisfied as well. But without question speed matters. If we had two articles that from a signaling perspective scored the same in all other characteristics but for speed, then yes we will give an emphasis to the one with speed because that is what users find compelling."

Facebook said Wednesday that it will expand access to its Instant Articles to all publishers on April 12, expanding on the group of several hundred that have been testing it so far.

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