Shopping links show up just below position #3

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Shopping links show up just below position #3

Propools

2:54 pm on Aug 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

I did a search on Google and the grouping of sponsored links, which are usually at the top of the page, are currently displayed after 3 other Results. Are people discounting the sponsored listings and thus Google is reacting by moving them further down the results page?

Here's some more food for thought:
FF browser 428,000 results and the sponsored links are at the top of the page.
IE browser 424,000 results and the sponsored links are below the 3rd result.

Is Google also being selective as to which browser, they're going to display these presumed beta search results?

These two questions each can have very different answers, of course. :)

[edited by: tedster at 4:59 pm (utc) on Aug. 8, 2008]
[edit reason] specific keywords removed [/edit]

tedster

5:36 pm on Aug 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

Google often seems to run tests based on the user's browser - so that paat doesn't surpise me. But the idea of pushing Adwords below the top of the page is very interesting. I'll be watching for that one!

tedster

5:40 pm on Aug 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

I did just find a result like this, but it's NOT Adwords listings below position #3, it's Google Shopping results (Google Products plus a dedicated Google Checkout search.) To my knowledge that's not sponsored results, only Adwords is. Is this the same as what you're seeing?

That position is a spot where Google does a lot of testing using their Universal Search infrastructure. There are still 10 organic listings on the page - in addition to Adwords at the top and right plus Shopping below #3

StaceyJ

6:57 pm on Aug 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

I did just find a result like this, but it's NOT Adwords listings below position #3, it's Google Shopping results (Google Products plus a dedicated Google Checkout search.)

I've been seeing this same thing the last few days, too, tedster. Thought it was odd, and it always seems to be position 3 or 4, but I wasn't paying that close attention to which spot, but will now.

tedster

7:03 pm on Aug 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

It's an interesting experiment. As I observed in another thread, I wonder if Adwords clicks will go up when the Shopping results are not in direct competition for the visitors' attention.

Propools

7:13 pm on Aug 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

Yeah, tester that's what I'm seeing too.

webastronaut

7:36 pm on Aug 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

I've been seeing this too. I have a site that is ranking #3 for an important keyword and my click through stats are down from normal so this morning I checked at Google and sure enough shopping results below me with Google checkout. People seem to be clicking that and not me as much as normal.

tedster

8:23 pm on Aug 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

Ok - note that I've changed the thread title to make the topic clearer.

Marcia

1:29 am on Aug 9, 2008 (gmt 0)

I'm now seeing it also on some searches. So in other words, they're now directly competing with sites listed in organic search by inserting their own shopping links into it, for sites that accept Google Checkout as payment.

Matt Cutts refers to editorial (organic) vs. paid search and says they want to keep it editorial. I don't call inserting their own links exactly editorial. Think about what kind of a fuss would be raised if Yahoo - or Heaven forbid! - OMG what if Micro$oft did that in their search results.

tripleox

11:13 am on Aug 11, 2008 (gmt 0)

System: The following message was spliced on to this thread from: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/3720332.htm [webmasterworld.com] by engine - 3:58 pm on Aug. 11, 2008 (utc +1)

I've just spotted on Google.co.uk that Google Product's listing are appearing lower than their usual position above the natural listings.

For the searches i ran they are appearing in position 4 (or 3rd if you include a double domain listing).

On Google.com it's also changed but for some terms the listings appear in their original position.