In case you missed it, Google has removed all pay-per-click ads from the right side of your screen this weekend and has listed them in the results, so what does that mean for everyone?
Well it’s a win for consumers as there will be less ads to deal with (although there will now be 4 paid listings above the organic search results instead of the previous 3) and the layout will be much cleaner. It’s a huge win for Google because the move means more revenue.
For paying advertisers, things are going to be a bit different. Now admittedly, if you’re already in one of the top 4 spots, you may not see much of a change in your ad placements. Your site traffic however could increase by 2-20 times as much as you were seeing from the right column. Unfortunately for those ranking in the 5-10 spots (the right column), you could see a drop in traffic. And fighting for those precious four top spots will be extremely competitive (and more expensive) for advertisers. Bottom line, it’s time to take a fresh look at your adwords strategy and get smart about every word and every bid.
