Google changes how ads appear in search results

Google has made a significant change to how Search ads are displayed on results pages, allowing advertisers to appear in multiple positions simultaneously. The modification, announced today (April 21, 2025), permits advertisers who show among top ads to also participate in bottom ad auctions.

According to Google Ads Help Center, "When someone searches on Google, we run different auctions for each ad location where we show Search ads—for example top ads are selected by a different Search ad auction from ads that show in other ad locations. Until now, Search ads from a given advertiser were generally restricted to a single ad location on a given page."

The company discovered that users frequently scroll past top results to review content lower down the page but then scroll back up when finding top results more relevant. This observation prompted Google to rethink their approach to ad placement.

Google's testing revealed impressive results. The change increased rates of highly relevant ads by approximately 10% and improved bottom ad conversions by about 14%, according to internal data collected from January to March 2025.

What exactly is changing?

The modification allows the same advertiser to appear in both top and bottom ad positions on a single search results page. Importantly, this does not mean users will see identical ad content in both positions. While the advertiser might be the same, the specific ad content shown can differ to better suit each placement's context.

This alteration does not impact Google's unfair advantage policy, which the company recently updated for clarity. As specified in their advertising policies documentation, "The unfair advantage policy for Search ads applies to ads that compete with each other to show in a single ad location." With the new change, advertisers who appear in top positions can also be eligible for locations further down the page, but within a specific location, Google will continue enforcing existing policy restrictions.

For marketers concerned about metrics, Google recommends segmenting data by "Top vs. other" to understand performance differences between ad locations. The search terms report will continue to show query-level clicks regardless of where users click ads.

Technical implications of the change

Several technical aspects of this update warrant attention from digital marketers:

1. No changes to query matching systems - Google confirms their systems for matching queries remain unchanged, as do their guidelines around the number of top ads shown on results pages.
2. No impact on ad load constraints - The modification focuses exclusively on bottom page positions without altering how many ads can appear at the top of search results.
3. No alterations to auction mechanics for top ads - The auction system for determining which ads appear at the top of search results remains untouched.
4. Distinct ad content possible - While the same advertiser may appear in multiple positions, the system shows the most relevant Search ad for each specific placement.

How Ad Rank determines ad placement

To understand how Google determines ad positioning, it's important to recognize the role of Ad Rank, which comprises several components including bid amount, ad quality, ad format impact, and auction competitiveness.

Google calculates Ad Rank scores twice: first to determine ad eligibility, and again to establish positioning among eligible ads. According to Google's Ad Rank documentation, "Generally speaking, the advertiser with the highest Ad Rank gets to show in the top position and the advertiser with the second-highest Ad Rank gets to show in the second position, assuming the ads clear the relevant thresholds."

When an ad appears in top positions versus other locations affects key metrics like impression share. Google defines "top ads" as "adjacent to the top organic search results. Top ads are generally above the top organic results, although top ads may show below the top organic results on certain queries."

Implications for marketers

This update presents both challenges and opportunities for digital marketers:

Potential benefits:

• Increased visibility across the search results page
• Higher conversion potential for relevant ads
• Better user experience through improved ad relevance
• Additional opportunities to connect with searchers who scroll through results

Strategic considerations:

• Marketers should ensure keywords, ad copy, and landing pages align closely with user search intent
• Higher conversion volume potential at current targets
• Need to evaluate bid strategy adjustments to maximize the new opportunities

The change may also impact landing page optimization strategies, as marketers must now consider how their pages serve users who arrive through different positions on the results page.

Ashwin Mysore, Group Product Manager for Search and Shopping Ad auctions, stated, "We believe this update will lead to a better experience for both users and advertisers by connecting people with more relevant information, regardless of where they are looking on the Search results page."

Industry implications

For the marketing community, this modification represents a significant shift in how Google balances user experience with advertiser interests. Rather than strictly separating advertisers between top and bottom positions, the approach acknowledges user scrolling behavior and attempts to maintain relevance throughout the entire search results page.

The change comes at a time when marketers increasingly focus on capturing user attention regardless of position. By allowing advertisers to appear in multiple locations, Google potentially increases ad engagement while addressing common user behaviors like scrolling and comparison shopping between results.

Marketers should carefully monitor performance metrics following this change, particularly analyzing differences between top and bottom ad position performance. This data will prove valuable in refining bidding strategies and creative approaches for different page positions.

This update may also drive renewed attention to the often-overlooked bottom ad positions, which have historically received less focus from many advertisers. The ability to appear in both locations might cause marketers to rethink budget allocations and bidding strategies across different ad positions.

Timeline

• April 21, 2025 - Google announces change to allow advertisers who appear in top positions to also participate in bottom ad auctions
• January-March 2025 - Testing period shows 10% increase in highly relevant ads and 14% improvement in bottom ad conversions
• Recent past - Google updates unfair advantage policy language for clarity
• Previous Search ad evolution - Development of ad formats, expansion of character limits, introduction of responsive search ads
• Ongoing monitoring - Google commits to "continue to monitor performance and gather feedback"