We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use. 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. 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. 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.
Wir nutzen Cookies auf unserer Website. Einige von ihnen sind essenziell für den Betrieb der Seite, während andere uns helfen, diese Website und die Nutzererfahrung zu verbessern (Tracking Cookies). Sie können selbst entscheiden, ob Sie die Cookies zulassen möchten. Bitte beachten Sie, dass bei einer Ablehnung womöglich nicht mehr alle Funktionalitäten der Seite zur Verfügung stehen.
We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use. 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. 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. 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.