The word is out, Google has done away with ads on the right hand side of search engine results pages, instead opting for four ads at the top of the page instead of three and only seven ads on the first page instead of eleven. While this has sent many into a panic, these Google AdWords changes, while important, may not require additional action from businesses using the platform. If anything, a watchful eye will be most important in the days to come.
Most search engine marketing campaigns at this point should be utilizing ad extensions, constantly working to improve quality scores and continually trying to have ads land at the top of the page. While there are now less ads on the first page of search results on Google, the top four ads may now display extensions when possible, instead of just the top one or two. This means that ads that may not rank in position one might still get a lot of additional real estate in search results.
A negative side effect of the change may be increased cost per click. Businesses should watch their PPC spend to make sure that their bids are making sense with respect to their goals as well as their positioning in Google search results. Companies should make sure that the stiff competition for the top four positions doesn't drive their average cost per click up.
At the end of the day, these important Google AdWords changes may do damage to poorly run campaigns, but could also provide additional juice to well-optimized campaigns with active management. What are some ways you are dealing with the changes to AdWords?
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