Barry Schwartz is out this morning with a post on Search Engine Land that Google will be testing removing the divider between paid and organic listings.
From the article:
Google is testing not displaying the line break or line separator between the search ads at the top of the search results and the organic/free listings below the ads.
Frederik Hyldig, a reader, emailed us screen shots, which we cannot currently replicate, but we know Google is constantly testing user interface changes. In addition, we know Google tested bolder separators between the search ads and organic results about two months ago.
Check out the animated GIF demonstrating this on Search Engine Land
This is an interesting move by Google if true, I am sure it will set some people off and the FTC can expect a flood of emails.
As the Google ecosystem becomes more imposing, lines are getting blurred and the company seems to be tiptoeing toward potential antitrust issues – theoretically. The whole mandate to adopt a responsive website design is very problematic too and sending some companies into a tailspin to get their entire site redesigned.
That being said, mainstream media reported this morning that Google reps have made weekly visits to the White House for quite some time. Makes you wonder if the company has possibly been given a behind-the-scenes pass of sorts.
Its simple math. Google has to remove the line because it ihas becoming apparent just how successful their front page advertising has become. Now only paid advertisers will be on the front page, in the money-keyword-results, and no one will know just by looking at it. In my opinion, they are not tiptoeing toward a potential antitrust lawsuit, they are stampeding to one. They’ve had cover for many years. It is my hope that a leader like a Teddy Roosevelt in the future can bring some of this money and power back to the people and put an end to this type monopoly.
Hello Michael,
So good to see a visionary as yourself, realize who the real threat to DNS Nuetrality is, none other than the GoogleGlass Crowd. First they devised the PARKING MATRIX and now the gTLD Hordes. We feel the LEVEE is going to break, and we agree that the SEM GOOGLE TRAP is about to end.
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)