No more title underline on the SERPs - a new layout test

[johnmoose]

Is it me or am I missing the underline in the search result pages? FF still shows them but Chrome doesn't anymore.

[jecasc]

I guess thats what happens when you have lots of high paid engineers who somehow have to justify their existence. They keep on engineering until the product is dead.
I mean - who would have the guts to stand up and say - hey, we are finished. It doesn't get any better. From now on we can only make it worse. So get rid of us before it is too late.

[tedster]

Have you tried deleting your cookies? As long as it's just a test, dumping Google cookies usually puts you back to the standard.

[johnser]

Some Googler talking at the recent Dublin Web Summit said that by testing multiple versions of blue links on the ads, they added $200M to their bottom line.

Whatever they do, it's tested to the Nth degree first

[indyank]

If they have those blue underline only for ads and not for organic results, they will probably see much better click through to those ads on top.

They have already done their best to make the distinction between ads and organic results almost invisible. They have also done their best to spam the region above fold with ads and links to their properties.

They are now attempting to remove those underline to organic results, as they could probably see a $2000M jump to their bottom line.

[edited by: indyank at 11:31 am (utc) on May 9, 2011]

[indyank]

the last thing google wants is for people to leave their site in one click. everything they've done in the last few years is designed to keep people within their own properties.

you probably missed adding this towards the end to make it more complete.

and exit through their ads

what do they achieve by not getting higher click through to their ads on their SERPS? You will have to remember that they aren't competing with others.

Whatever they suggest like "retain visitors within your own site", "don't spam the top with ads", etc. are advices for others and not for themselves.

[indyank]

The new definitions in Google from sites like Wikipedia seem to be a major deal.

I remember the Wiki founder making a request for donations to keep their site free of ads. Google seem to have struck a golden deal with wiki to embed those definitions within their results.

Now that is a good move to retain searchers on their properties.Even if a small percentage of them exit through ads on SERPS, it will give a major boost to their top line or bottom line, whatever you may want to call it..

Yes, Google do test all these changes to keep improving their returns, as they want to be less dependent on their adsense partners after Panda.

Ultimately, there will be PHDs and MBAs in Google who will be working hard to improve their commissions, and they will continue to show value with all these crap.

[Simsi]

They have already done their best to make the distinction between ads and organic results almost invisible.

INnthe new version I saw this was quite the opposite. Paid ads were much more obvious as sponsored listings.

[Reno]

Google may have missed mark with search page experiment

Google appears to be playing around with simplifying the look of the search results page. There appears to be less information, a lot more white space, and dotted lines in between the results. There are also fewer search results per page..."

Read full story [computerworld.com]

[edited by: tedster at 10:10 pm (utc) on May 9, 2011]
[edit reason] moved from another location [/edit]

[crobb305]

I hate the new, no underline, format. I see it continuously when using Chrome on my imac (I don't see it on my pc). I have pretty much switched back to using Safari since I use the Mac most of the time. Google can't leave well enough alone can they?

[crobb305]

i cant see them adopting light blue just to get a higher CTR on the SERPs. why would they? if anything, they want a lower CTR on the serps. The last thing google wants is for people to leave their site in one click. everything they've done in the last few years is designed to keep people within their own properties.

Certainly makes sense, but the new layout has the opposite effect on me. When I search on Google and scroll down the page, each of the SERP listings gets a blue box/background on mouseover which draws my eyes to the listing. I also see a giant preview box that pops up -- covering up the ads in the right margin. Every element here could increase CTR on the SERPs and reduce CTR on the ads in the right margin. After all, the preview is blocking the ads on the right, so that probably isn't helping ad click-through rates. That may not be their intention, but that's how it affects me. The preview is obnoxious, and it covers up the ads. Why on earth would they do that? I can't explain it.

[tedster]

Why on earth would they do that? I can't explain it.

Because the long term mission and the core of Google's success lies in having users very happy with their search results, so they are willing to test anything they think could make a difference - even if the short term goal of increasing ad income takes a hit for a while.

Assuming a motive of short term greed for Google will distort our understanding for what they are actually doing. Assuming nothing but positive service to all of mankind will also distort things,but dyed-in-the-wool Google fans are in pretty rare supply right now.

We've got to keep looking at the real moment, the actual observable situation - rather than trying to force anything we observe into any preconceived notion at all.

[londrum]

...the preview is blocking the ads on the right, so that probably isn't helping ad click-through rates... The preview is obnoxious, and it covers up the ads. Why on earth would they do that? I can't explain it.

i think that is pretty clever. when you put the preview on your eye is naturally drawn to the rightside of the page, where it stays.

if the user wants to close the preview he has to click on the little x in the top righthand corner.
and when it closes, where are his eyes looking? straight at the top paying ad underneath. and where is his mouse pointing? right on the link.

sure, the preview is a useful tool, and the user can get some benefit from it. but its just another way of getting your eyes and mouse exactly where they want them to be.

[crobb305]

i think that is pretty clever. when you put the preview on your eye is naturally drawn to the rightside of the page, where it stays.

My eyes don't stay there. I keep scrolling down the page. But then again, most of my searches are informational (science) in nature and I know that the ads are generally going to be selling me something -- so, I naturally avoid them. In some browsers, I don't even see the preview tool, so clearly Google is testing many different layouts. I see your point also -- I'm not trying to be argumentative, just speculative :)

Because the long term mission and the core of Google's success lies in having users very happy with their search results, so they are willing to test anything they think could make a difference - even if the short term goal of increasing ad income takes a hit for a while.

Ted, this was my point (albeit uncertain about why previews would popup on top of ads). I made a statement on the previous page about the lighter link colors receiving higher CTR (at least in my experience and in some other studies I have seen). I suspect Google is testing different layouts to improve the user experience with the SERPs and not necessarily worried about the ads at the moment. Having a preview popup on top of the ads may be an example of that sacrifice (or it may indeed improve the ad CTR by moving the eyes to the right side of the page as londrum theorized).

[edited by: crobb305 at 9:59 pm (utc) on May 12, 2011]