Google has Removed Right Hand Side Ads: The Impact on Search Engine Marketing for Manufacturers
by Vin DiGioia
In the latest in a string of continual enhancements and improvements to its search offering, Google has announced that it is doing away with its paid text ads that appear to the right of search results. The search giant will now only offer ad placements directly above and directly below the organic search results:
Why did they do this?
There are many theories afoot and they all probably carry some validity:
- It gives the SERP pages a more mobile-first design.
- The average CTR for right hand side ads was less-than-spectacular and Google is hedging their bets that the expected CPC inflation will be more profitable, long-term.
- Google likes change.
What does all this mean for your overall search engine marketing plans?
Here are two big take-aways:
- Increased Importance on Paid Positions 1 through 3 (or 4): Now that the right side bar ads are gone, the opportunity for advertisers to remain “above the fold” on the SERPs has been limited. While competition for the top paid spots has always been fierce, expect it to get downright nasty from here on out. The bid increases will obviously favor advertisers with deeper pockets and could force some smaller players out altogether. Time will tell. Either way, companies or brands currently engaging in any form of search engine marketing for manufacturers are going to take a long, hard look at both their CPC and CPA goals in the coming weeks/months to determine what the proper keyword mix and spend levels are this new world order.
- Time to Re-focus Your SEO Efforts: First, for those manufacturers out there who have been getting by without a defined SEO strategy, well, I’d like to congratulate you. If you’ve made it all the way to 2016 without paying any attention to SEO (and are still profitable) then you can count yourselves among the lucky – up until now, that is. With less paid search options available, that places even more importance on obtaining (and keeping) strong organic rankings on a variety of high-value terms for your brand. The time is now to do a full landscape assessment of where you rank for both key branded and non-branded terms, and develop a strategy for tackling that soon.
Learn more about how M//G B2B’s experience with search engine marketing for manufacturers can help your business thrive. Drop us a line today!
Tags: Google, Google AdWords, Search Engine Marketing, SEM, SEO, SEO for manufacturers