First, let’s start off with the Sidebar changes, announced back in February.

Right Sidebar Ads Removed from Desktop Search Results

Back in February, Google announced a significant change to remove right sidebar ads from desktop search engine results pages, and instead placing them only at the top and/or bottom of the page. In addition, they also changed the number of paid ads displayed on a single SERP — up to four text ads can appear at the top of the page (vs. what used to be only three), and three text ads on the bottom of the page. This means that the maximum number of paid advertisements displayed on a SERP at any given time decreases to seven (vs. the prior maximum of 11).

Although this change was rolled out a few months ago, Google finally explained the decision for it during the Performance Summit on Tuesday:

“Earlier this year, we removed right-hand side ads on desktop to improve the search experience and make it more consistent across devices. This paved the way for us to introduce the biggest changes to our text ads since AdWords launched fifteen years ago”.

Although they didn’t disclose the exact number, Google has confirmed that they now handle searches in the “trillions” per year, and with over half of those happening on mobile, this update for ‘consistency’ of course makes sense.

AdWords Redesign

Perhaps one of the biggest announcements from Tuesday’s Performance Summit is a redesign for the AdWords platform. The goal is to take the 15-year old look and feel of the current Adw\Words platform, and modernize it, making it easier to use and navigate. They also gave a live demo of the new interface, which they are estimating will launch in 12 to 18 months. Check out a screenshot of the new design layout below:

Expanded Text Ads

Optimized for screen sizes of the most popular smartphones, new expanded text ads in AdWords provide more ad space so that you can showcase more information about your products and services in the ad, further enticing users to clickthrough to your site. Here’s a summary of the key changes:

These upgrades will help your ads display better across multiple device screens, especially for mobile users who want a rapid understanding of your business offerings before clicking through to your site. Apparently, based on early testing, Google reports that some advertisers are already seeing increases of up to 20% on clickthrough rates in comparison to the current text ads.

These new expanded text ads will be rolled out later this year (so it might be time for you to start thinking about how you’ll use the extra space!)

Mobile-Based Bidding

Another big announcement: Google has promised that soon advertisers will be able to set individual bid adjustments for each device type — mobile, desktop and tablet.

“This lets you anchor your base keyword bid to the device most valuable to your business and then set bid adjustments for each of the other devices. You will also have a wider range to adjust bids, up to +900%. With more controls, you can now optimize with greater precision while keeping things simple with a single campaign that reaches consumers across devices”.

So now advertisers can now opt to make mobile the base bid, and set different bid adjustments for desktop or tablet. This feature is expected to roll out in the coming months.

Local Search Ads on Google Maps

In the Keynote, it was also announced that nearly 1/3 of all mobile searches are related to location — so a user is looking for a nearby taco restaurant, or a shoe store that is still open.

To help with this massive demand, Google has launched local search ads on Google.com and Google Maps. Advertisers using these location ‘extensions’ will be able to more prominently promote their businesses within the results when a consumer is searching for “taco restaurant gastown” or “shoe store near me”.

Google is also experimenting with “promoted pins”, a different type of ad format that will make it easier for users to find businesses around them. For example “Maps users may start to see promoted pins for nearby coffee shops, gas stations or lunch spots along their driving route. Local business pages are also getting a brand new look — to encourage consumers to explore your store before they even arrive, we’re adding new features like special offers and the ability to browse product inventory.”

For more details and a ton of other useful information, updates and a replay of the Google Ads & Analytics Innovations Keynote at the Performance Summit, check out the full video here:

All of these new changes will surely improve the AdWords experience, and your results with the platform. But none of that matters if your basic account setup has not been done properly.

To make sure you aren’t missing anything with your current AdWords account, check out a free copy of our Complete Guide to Google AdWords, and contact us if you have any questions!