If a picture adds
a thousand impressions...
Google's sponsored search now includes expanded product results and images.
A search for diamonds, for example, brings up a text ad from Blue Nile that enables users to see more information without leaving the search page. When clicked, product listings — complete with images — appear, "[consuming] the entire window," writes MarketingPilgrim.
Google is also running sidebar ads with images, reports Steve Rubel:
In addition to images and "plus box" ads — that is, ads that expand when a user clicks on a "+" sign — some sponsored text listings also feature a link to Google Checkout — for people ready to make a purchase directly from the search page.
Google began testing video ads on search result pages in February. It formally launched the feature less than a month later. The video ads appeared as "plus box" text next to regular results, giving users the option to see a "commercial," "demonstration" or "testimonial."
The search giant also began experimenting with display ads on Image Search, reported TechCrunch.