Having trouble discerning what's an ad and what's a normal search result on Google? You aren't the only one.
Earlier this month, Google introduced a new look to its desktop searches that's been triggering complaints over how it can blur the distinction between paid search results and organic ones.
In the past, Google distinguished paid results by placing a small, but prominent "Ad" icon next to them; organic search results featured no such icon. Now the company has arguably muddied the waters by letting website providers place their own icon on organic search results, or what Google calls a "favicon."
The effect can create a uniform, consistent look across the search results. But it's perhaps a little too consistent, according to tech journalists and internet users.
Now, Google's made a change in the opposite direction: rather than removing the ad labels, it's updated its *non*-ad results to also feature a small tag in the upper left and then a line of text along the top, above the title. Compare and contrast: pic.twitter.com/tmtxnOytGA — hern (@alexhern) January 23, 2020
A main complaint is how the new layout makes it harder to distinguish between ads and organic results at a glance. Thus, unassuming users could end up clicking on a paid search result without realizing it. This can be especially problematic when people are looking for free tax filing options.
current google search for free tax filing, with the real IRS Free File option at #8 after a bunch of misleading ads from @turbotax et al pic.twitter.com/AqaBUnstT6 — Justin Elliott (@JustinElliott) January 23, 2020
On Friday, Google addressed the complaints. "We've heard your feedback about the update. We always want to make Search better, so we're going to experiment with new placements for favicons," the company said in a tweet.
The experimenting starts today, and will even involve removing the favicon from organic search results. However, Google also defended the layout change, which first took place for mobile searches months ago before arriving on desktop. "The design has been well received by users on mobile screens, as it helps people more quickly see where information is coming from and they can see a prominent bolded ad label at the top," the company said in a follow-up statement.
"Web publishers have also told us they like having their brand iconography on the search results page. While early tests for desktop were positive, we are always incorporating feedback from our users," Google added.