People think adwords=organic results

[wheel]

Let's face it, the average consumer is being mislead by Google. The average consumer believes (never having thought about it) that the top three adwords listings are in fact the 'regular' serps. Google certainly knows this, and has never done anything to correct it.

So here's what I propose. For those who have a top organic listing, let's all change our meta 'description' tag to read:

The three websites above this one have PAID Google to be there. Find out more, click here!

Maybe we could make this a 'thing' day like those don't buy gas on a specifica date emails?

[wrgvt]

Do you really think the average web surfer cares whether it's a paid link or not? If it looks like it's a link to what they're looking for, they'll click it. If the ad link serves their need, so be it. If not, they'll learn not to click them.

[Rehan]

The three websites above this one have PAID Google to be there. Find out more, click here!

Would the "find out more" information be honest in explaining that some of the results in the SERPs PAID other sites for links so they could rank higher? The main difference is in who was paid.

[avalon37]

I wish MORE people thought that our Paid Ads were the natural results. The goals of Adwords is clicks right? :) Think about it this way, if every searcher knew the top 3 were paid ads they might NEVER click on any of them and unless you were in the top 5 organic results you'd have a real problem.

[wheel]

Do you really think the average web surfer cares whether it's a paid link or not?

Oh yes, they absolutely do. And there's an awful lot of people who don't realize that those are paid listings.

[wheel]

Would the "find out more" information be honest in explaining that some of the results in the SERPs PAID other sites for links so they could rank higher?

I dunno - but I do know that you can't use the words 'Click Here' in adwords, but you sure can in your meta description! :) So spot #4 has some advantages.

I was kidding about that anyway.

[avalon37]

Here is a new disturbing trend I am seeing. Say you have loyal customer to your site, you might offer better prices to new customers which makes sense for acquisition efforts. But good customers will click on your ads to see if they can get a better deal coming in via Google versus just going direct to site.

[edd1]

Yes people mistake the two but that's just the game. Like convincing people that a particular breakfast product is healthy without ever actually stating that it is, when in fact it is actually unhealthy.

Nobody ever states that paid search results are unpaid. The consumer wrongly decides that. It may one day turn nasty for search engines but then again it probably won't.

[netmeg]

Oh yes, they absolutely do. And there's an awful lot of people who don't realize that those are paid listings.

We must travel in different circles. For most of my friends, family, partners & clients (who span all kinds of demographics) they really don't care if it's paid or it's organic - they care if it's what they're looking for.

[Yoshimi]

I have to admit I have never heard anyone say that they care if a link is paid, and more importantly, the stats on how low CTR's are for paid links compared to organic would strongly suggest to me that most people who do care already know.

At the end of the day if someone really cares, I'm sure that they are able to read the words "sponsored links" at the top of that result box.

[ken_b]

I don't know anyone who is not involved in the internet and/or computer industry that cares at all if a listing s a paid ad or an organic listing.

If the link takes them to what they are looking for, they are happy.

[Essex_boy]

I agre entirely with Ken_b

[Oliver Henniges]

> So spot #4 has some advantages.

Erm, it's actually spot #7, if google base or some other universal-search-feature creeps in additionally. Below the fold then on my notebook-monitor.

And I have the impression, that google is really bothered with this and testing it intensively, because sometimes I see only ONE adwords link on top. Bringing down the organics TOO low, may seriously harm google's reputation long term, and they know this.

What I'm wondering, wheel, is, why you post this in the adwords forum? ;)

[edd1]

In my own experience, the general public don't realise the ads at the top of the page are ads. However research shows that the top organic results get clicked on far more often than ads so they must prefer them as a general rule.