You may have noticed – Google search results look drastically different! Instead of ads on the top with many placements down the side of the page, Google advertisements are inserted directly above and below the organic content.

Advertisers (and some business owners) have been nervous about the changes, and some are out-and-out worried. After all, Google hasn’t made a design change this big since introducing ads, 15 years ago. Considering the amount of money that businesses invest in Google ad placements every month, you’d be crazy to not be concerned or at least curious about how the new format would perform.

Here is a diagram of the changes:

Maybe I can help put you at ease! I’m the resident statistician at here at Spectrum Communications, and I’m a Google certified AdWords specialist. Here at Spectrum, we are running more than one million dollars annually in Paid Search ads for our partners. This new format was introduced February 16th, and we now have a full month of data to see how the new design effects Paid Search results.

The key findings

(Want the full data and actionable insights? Download the free whitepaper below!)
  • Total ad slots available are down, but the new ad format generates more clicks.
  • Average position is slightly better, so bidders aren’t being forced down the page.
  • Cost-per-lead has dropped significantly, and cost-per-click is largely unchanged.

So, the anxiety going into this change turns out to be unfounded - the new search result format, so painstakingly tested and researched by Google over the course of years, gives advertisers better results. How much better, you ask? We calculated that! If you have five minutes to spare, download our free whitepaper and read how this formatting change impacts your business.