Google is now offering some new formats for search ads. They have already been testing them in the U.S.
Some of them include videos. Some include maps. Some include multiple links for different landing pages. Some of the new ads include product images with corresponding links and prices. Some actually offer comparison shopping functionality.
“At Google, we’re committed to giving you the information you want — regardless of the form in which it might appear,” says Google VP, Product Management Susan Wojcicki. “Text is often useful, but sometimes videos and pictures are a more effective way to receive information. For example, if you want to learn a magic trick, a video showing you how to perform the trick is likely the best result. So over the past few years, we’ve blended videos, images, maps and more into the search results on Google.com.”
Using that logic, Google figured its search ads should fit a similar mold. The company says that while it is experimenting with new formats, they will “remain loyal” to their core principal, which is, “getting the right ad to the right person at the right time.”
Google says you will probably see even more formats appear with search results in the future. This will occur until they figure out which ones are most useful, relevant, and engaging. Expect a lot of new things.