Google lets consumers hide search ads in redesign

Google has begun rolling out a new look for sponsored search results, including an option for consumers to hide them, the company announced last week. 

What’s happening: Until now, Google has individually labeled sponsored results. But the change, coming to both desktop and mobile, groups ads into one section, with a ‘Sponsored results’ label that remains in view as consumers scroll. 

• As part of the update, the company is adding a ‘Hide sponsored results’ label, allowing users to hide all advertisements with one click. 
• The change affects every business category, including home services, and also applies to Local Services Ads, a Google spokesperson tells Homepros. 
• What it looks like

Why it matters: While Google says the move “helps people navigate the top of the page more easily,” giving consumers the ability to hide sponsored results may reduce contractors’ ad visibility and click-through rates. 

Yes, but: The change doesn’t affect rankings, and ads will still display by default — just with a clearer distinction between paid and organic results. 

• “Clearer labeling could mean higher-quality clicks from users who better understand when they’re engaging with paid results,” writes news site Search Engine Land. 
• “Users must actively choose to hide advertisements, suggesting that passive scrollers will continue seeing standard advertisement presentations,” adds PPC Land.

What they’re saying: “While we can’t speak to anticipated performance, changes to the appearance of search ads and ads labeling are the result of rigorous testing across many different dimensions,” the spokesperson says, “and we’ve been testing this for a year.”

What’s next: The update is in the process of rolling out globally, per the spokesperson. “You should start to see the new experience in the coming days.”