Web users in the US are beginning to see video adverts in paid search links on Google.com, and the search engine plans more ad formats such as maps and images among the paid search results.
At the moment, these video ads are appearing for tech related terms like ‘smart phone’ or ‘laptop’. The video ads aren’t automatically displayed though – searchers will need to click a ‘watch commercial’ link to play the video.
Google says that an advertiser will pay if a users clicks to watch a video, rather than clicking through to their website:
“Advertisers pay on a CPC basis where any click counts. Meaning, if a user clicks on the URL link that counts as a click or if a user clicks to play the video (via the plus box) that also counts as a click. An advertiser only pays for one click. The ads will run through the normal auction.”
Google’s Marissa Meyer told the New Google’s Marissa Meyer told the New York Times that normal text ads would not work as well for some results after the introduction of universal search.
She believes that searchers eyes will automatically move towards video and image results in the natural search listings, so text ads may not be so effective.
According to Meyer:
“With universal search, something is getting shaken up a bit on the bottom part of the page. The ads on the top part of the page should match.”
“People who advertise a movie want to show a trailer. Why shouldn’t they have the same format we use for search results and have a little plus box that says watch the trailer?”
No confirmed date for trials in the UK but we suspect that it won’t be too long…
