Google Cleans Up Search Results By Ditching Sidebar Ads (theverge.com)

Mark Wilson writes: Google generates a huge amount of revenue through advertising but it's not afraid to try mixing things up a little. Ads in search results have long-been controversial, but the latest change is likely to go down well with many people -- the ads that currently appear in the right-hand sidebar of search results are to be dropped.

The change means that ads will only be displayed above and below search results. There will be seven Google AdWords ads in total -- four above the search results and three below. The right-hand side of the page will be left free for Google's own Product Listing Ads. Google also confirmed that the change is global and affects all languages.

Comments

Re:Before vs after

[whipslash]

Here's an after photo: http://www.thesempost.com/wp-c... (this one shows Google product listings in the right sidebar.) If it doesn't surface a product listing then the right sidebar is blank. The before only had 3 search ads on top, and then more in the sidebar.

Re:Confused

[Noah Haders]

I think the trick to use ddg as the default, and when you need to jump the google, use the bang. So when I find I'm not getting the results I'm looking for, I add a "!g" to the search box and jump directly to google.