Right Side Search Ads Disappeared- Implications !

Post February, 23rd, 2016, Google Adwords has stopped showing Paid Ads on Right Hand side of the search result pages.

To adjust with the new situation, advertisers need to tune their campaigns.

Following Implications are immediate concerns:

1. Reduced number of ads will show on the Search Result Page. Although Google has increased the number of Top Listing from 3 to 4, this is only for Highly Commercial queries
2. Search ads will show on Top and bottom of the Organic Results. It means number of ads on a page will vary from 3to7. How frequent bottom ads shows is not certain. Even if we assume 7 ads on a page, its a drop from earlier 11-14. Huge!
3. Only Exception so far disclosed are Product Listing Ads, PLAs Or Shopping ads, which are eligible to appear on the right side.
4. It is not clear whether, ads without extensions and all other bells & whistles are allowed to enter the Top or not. Documented Position so far which perhaps still holds is such ads get preference. So, if your campaign contains only ads and keywords, they will be worst hit with this change.

Your To-Do List after the change:

1. Immediately extract Top Vs Other Report and calculate the bid to cope with the situation.
2. Study the Competitors Report via Details tab. How many have outranked you how many times and figure out How to survive in the changed ecosystem.
3. Create as many extensions as possible. Although only 3 can show at a time, you never know which will give you extra punch and impressions, when others fail to trigger.
4. Make your campaign as much feature loaded as possible. More features you add more likely they are to appear
5. Elevate your bidding to the level of CPA/Portfolio. It would act as a hedge against crazy competition. Let Google’s algorithm take care of your Cost of Acquisition.