Too many ads

never noticed this before

[Rugles]

Just did a search on google. There were 20 adwords ads on the SERP. Never noticed that many adwaords ads before. I think it is overkill, why are they doing this it just waters down CTR for everybody.
Have you ever seen 20 ads on a SERP before? Or have I just not been searching enough lately.

[eWhisper]

I belive the most advertisers I've seen on a keyword is a little over 400 on Overture, and that same KW has a little over 600 on Google when I last checked a couple months ago.

[Rugles]

400?

I meant that they were showing 20 ads. You are not suggesting that they had 400 text ads on a SERP, are you?
I think you mean there were 400 people bidding on a keyword.

[Sweezely]

It depends on your search preferences. If you choose to display 100 results per page, then you get 100 ads too (providing there are 100 people bidding)!

[AdWordsAdvisor]

It depends on your search preferences.

Sweezely is correct. ;) More ads have shown for a while now.

Rugles, if you want to check (or change) you preferences, you can do so from a link labeled 'Preferences' on the G home page, just to the right of the search box. (Or, to the right of the search box on any page, now that I think about it.)

If you want the minimum number of ads, then set your preferences to "Display 10 results per page". This will give you 10 search results, and up to 10 AdWords ads (including the two possible at the top).

AWA

[moltar]

One key phrase showed 84 ads. I have G set to show 100 natural results per page. Key phrase was "local place hotels".

[Rugles]

Thanks, all. I guess that I just have not noticed the increase in ads.

AdWordsAdvisor:

I will keep my settings at 100 results because sometimes my webs are not in the top 10. Unless of course I send you a list of URL's and you can make sure they all appear in the top 10?

[AdWordsAdvisor]

Unless of course I send you a list of URL's and you can make sure they all appear in the top 10?

Oh, absolutely. I'll keep my eye out for that list, Rugles, and get right to work on it. ;)

AWA (now picturing widespread press reports...)

[beren]

A couple years ago, Google limited the number of ads for a given keyword. Not the number shown on any screen, but the number, period. When you specified your max bid, if you put in a low number, you would sometimes get a message that ads with a bid below $X would not show.

I much preferred this system as it led to a cleaner looking search results screen, and it prevented AdSense publishers from trying to do arbitrage by bidding $0.05 to bring in traffic in the hope that they would get clicks on high-priced AdSense ads. But I know Google will never go back to that policy.

[sem4u]

Yes but back then you could still bid the minimum and sometimes your ad would show up ;)

[Rugles]

AWA

Hey thanks, I will buy you a beer next time I am in the Bay area. A trip I can soon afford after the massive increase in traffic and sales.