Google: blurring the line between ‘natural’ and paid search results. Various studies over the last 16 years have shown that users are often unaware of or unable to distinguish Google’s paid ads from natural search results. Google recently made significant changes to the search result formats on mobile so we carried out a study to see what effect this was having on users.

1. Richard Falconer
Managing Director
@rich_falconer
linkedin.com/in/richfalconer/
Stacking the Ads Deck

2. What % of users being unable to identify search adverts is acceptable?
1% 5%
10%
20%
40%
>40%

3. What % of users would you guess are unable to identify search adverts?
1% 5%
10%
20%
40%
>40%

4. Why should I care?
1. Consumer trust. Losing trust can destroy a search engine. Baidu:
2. Consumer trust for your brand – Do you really want to trick your customers into clicking?
3. Brand protection – Are you happy that users searching for your brand can click on competitors, thinking it’s a
natural search result.
4. Ad swerving, fake news issues, increased marketing costs & what happens the day Google is forced to
properly differentiate its ads?

5. Source: Google, Alphabet

6. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Ad Revenue Growth

7. “we expect that advertising funded search
engines will be inherently biased towards
the advertisers and away from the needs
of the consumers”
http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html

9. https://edge45.co.uk/blog/google-adwords-evolution-timeline/
2002

10. 2003
Inside the mind of the searcher
Sample size: 400
• sponsored ads are very easy to identify on Google
• users who prefer to ignore sponsored ads tend to be drawn to Google
• users of Google more likely to be resistant to looking at sponsored ads
There was a general perception that Google’s organic results were the least
commercially tainted ones of all the major engines.
“Pale green box, text content..must be an ad. I’ll ignore it,”
was the conditioned response that Google was creating in its AdSense program.
https://www.manningmarketing.com/dvi/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Inside-the-Mind-of-the-Searcher-2004.pdf
Gord Hotchkiss - Enquiro

11. 2005
Internet searchers are confident, satisfied and trusting – but they are also unaware and naïve.
Sample size: 2,200 (phone survey)
62%
unaware of a
distinction between
paid and unpaid
https://www.pewinternet.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/media/Files/Reports/2005/PIP_Searchengine_users.pdf.pdf
Deborah Fallows, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Pew Internet
45%
would stop using a search
engine if it did not make it
clear that some results were
paid

12. 2012

13. 2012
Consumer Ad Awareness in Search Results
Sample size: 1,000
45.5%
unable to identify PPC ads
http://www.seobook.com/consumer-ad-awareness-search-results

14. 2012
User Testing Is Key To Understanding People
Sample size: 100 (eye tracking)
40%
did not know that the
listings in yellow boxes
were ads
https://bunnyfoot.com/2014/05/user-testing-is-key-to-understanding-people/

15. …search engines have introduced background shading that is significantly less visible
….consumers may not be able to detect on many computer monitors or mobile devices.
…search engines should use:
(1) more prominent shading that has a clear outline;
(2) a prominent border that distinctly sets off advertising from the natural search results; or
(3) both prominent shading and a border.
…search engines have reduced the font size of some text labels to identify [ads] and often
locate these labels in the top right-hand corner of the shaded area or “ad block,” as is the
case with top ads.
…we recommend that search engines place any text label….immediately in front of an
advertising result, or in the upper-left hand corner of an ad block….in adequately sized and
colored font.
2013
https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/press-releases/ftc-staff-revises-online-advertising-disclosure-guidelines/130312dotcomdisclosures.pdf
FTC Letter

16. 2014

17. 2014
Adwords Uncovered - How users perceive the new Google results page
Sample size: 30 (eye tracking)
27%
Of users unaware
of PPC ads
https://www.usability.de/en/usability-user-experience/publications/google-eye-tracking-study.html

18. 2014

19. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/80828/2016-adults-media-use-and-attitudes.pdf
2015
Adults media use and attitudes
Sample size: 1,841
40%
unable to
identify ads

20. 2015
Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report
Sample size: 417
57%
Of 12-15 year olds
unable to identify ads
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/78513/childrens_parents_nov2015.pdf

21. 2017

22. 2017

23. 2016-2018
Only 42% of people know which links on Google are paid adverts
Sample size: 803
58%
Don’t know which
are paid ads
https://varn.co.uk/02/05/varn-original-research-only-40-of-people-know-which-links-on-google-are-paid-adverts/

24. 2017
Are Ads on Google Search Engine Results Pages Labelled Clearly Enough?
Sample size: 1,000
62%
Unaware of or unable to
distinguish ads from organic
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5c32/45ae6eb5ba1da6cdc8cf4b4e74c59854d9bc.pdf
Lewandowski, Sünkler, Kerkmann
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

25. 2003
2012
2013
2014
2017
2017
41%
46%
46%
27%
62%
40%
57%
40%
58%
62%
Unable to identify ads
2019 ???

26. https://weareyard.com/our-blog/google-blurring-the-line-between-natural-and-paid-search-results/
2019
Stacking the Ads Deck
Sample size: 428
Women 64% correct / Average time 3 min 25 secs
Men 64% correct / Average time 3 min 21 secs
Age Time % Correct
18-29 2.46 66%
30-44 3.34 64%
45-59 3.50 63%
60-75 4.19 63%
No-one answered all questions correctly.
Does this image contain any adverts?

29. 98% Yes

32. 73% YES
27% don’t know
these are
adverts

34. 70% No
30% think
featured
snippets are
adverts
NO
18 - 29 86%
30 - 44 59%
45 - 59 68%
60 - 75 45%

36. 59% Yes
41% don’t know
these are adverts

38. 59% Yes
41% don’t see this
advert

40. 61% No
39% think there is
advertising here

42. 66% No
34% think these
are adverts

44. 62%
Yes
73%
Yes

46. 79% Yes
21% think there
are no adverts

48. 59% No
41% think these
are adverts

50. Age Yes
18 - 29 52%
30 - 44 55%
45 - 59 64%
60 - 75 70%
58% Yes
42% Can’t see the
advert, including 48%
of 18-29 year olds

52. 45% No
55% think these
are adverts!
Age Yes
18 - 29 36%
30 - 44 55%
45 - 59 73%
60 - 75 80%

54. 40% No
60% of people
think these are
adverts!!!

55. Conclusion
The purpose of Google’s new favicon mobile
results is to make the natural results look more
like ads.

56. Conclusion
• Search engines are deliberately blending paid ads with
natural results
• The driving force behind this is revenue & profit
• Its not just about making ads blend in with natural
results but making natural results more like ads
• This undoubtedly puts a question mark over a large % of
Google’s revenue
• A conservative 20% of accidental clicks = $27 BILLION