Experts in the world of search are raising their voices over Google’s new "sponsored" experiment in ‘People Also Consider’ section.
Many feel it’s giving rise to a new SERP Inception where users find more paid search results inside search results. This comes with a prominent Sponsored label, which doesn’t seem like paid advertisement placements in the classic sense as it clearly appeared to be a dark pattern.
One prominent SEO consultant highlighted the issue on X, offering more insight into the unfolding situation. When you click on that link, it rolls out a new Google results page that’s complete with ads and another Sponsored Box. This gives rise to a fresh SERP with several ads and another ‘People Also Consider’ card, which is sponsored.
In case you’re wondering how this first arose in the first place, we’ll shed light on this front. Google first began testing such a format a few months ago. Now that it has reemerged, people want to know who is behind it. This includes how advertisers need to interpret that. Where are these ads coming from, and can they be tracked? Now that's another point worth mentioning.
As expected, Google didn’t take much time at all to speak on the matter. They claim it’s an experiment. Advertisers don’t pay for clicks on such placements. As part of the trial, the unit gets labeled as Sponsored as it links to search results for all kinds of commercial questions for search.
The update might really alter how users interact with search results. It might even drive more traffic through SERP loops not linked to classic advertising campaigns. Due to the Sponsored Label not impacting paid placements, it makes the line fuzzy between what’s paid and what’s organic. As a result, it gets more complex in tracking performance and understanding attribution.
The recursive SERP loop might also feel like things are so much more deceiving or a little overwhelming ot the user. They are already working hard to adjust to abrupt changes like AI Overviews and now this. Seeing aggressive advertising isn’t fun for all. As Google tries to blend more ads, summaries, and organic enhancements, the line related to content and monetization gets hard to differentiate.
So the take-home message here is that SERP loops could alter the search ads landscape and how users interact with it.
Read next: Meta Launches Independent AI Platform with Personalized Features from Facebook and Instagram Data
Many feel it’s giving rise to a new SERP Inception where users find more paid search results inside search results. This comes with a prominent Sponsored label, which doesn’t seem like paid advertisement placements in the classic sense as it clearly appeared to be a dark pattern.
One prominent SEO consultant highlighted the issue on X, offering more insight into the unfolding situation. When you click on that link, it rolls out a new Google results page that’s complete with ads and another Sponsored Box. This gives rise to a fresh SERP with several ads and another ‘People Also Consider’ card, which is sponsored.
In case you’re wondering how this first arose in the first place, we’ll shed light on this front. Google first began testing such a format a few months ago. Now that it has reemerged, people want to know who is behind it. This includes how advertisers need to interpret that. Where are these ads coming from, and can they be tracked? Now that's another point worth mentioning.
As expected, Google didn’t take much time at all to speak on the matter. They claim it’s an experiment. Advertisers don’t pay for clicks on such placements. As part of the trial, the unit gets labeled as Sponsored as it links to search results for all kinds of commercial questions for search.
The update might really alter how users interact with search results. It might even drive more traffic through SERP loops not linked to classic advertising campaigns. Due to the Sponsored Label not impacting paid placements, it makes the line fuzzy between what’s paid and what’s organic. As a result, it gets more complex in tracking performance and understanding attribution.
The recursive SERP loop might also feel like things are so much more deceiving or a little overwhelming ot the user. They are already working hard to adjust to abrupt changes like AI Overviews and now this. Seeing aggressive advertising isn’t fun for all. As Google tries to blend more ads, summaries, and organic enhancements, the line related to content and monetization gets hard to differentiate.
So the take-home message here is that SERP loops could alter the search ads landscape and how users interact with it.
Read next: Meta Launches Independent AI Platform with Personalized Features from Facebook and Instagram Data
