AdGooroo analyzed the impact of Google eliminating text ads in the right rail on desktop search results, with a focus on retail keyword, and on travel industry keywords, analysis of the two tell
similar stories. The data shows a reduction in the number of advertisers competing for specific keywords and a slight increase in cost per click (CPC) on average.
Since Google eliminated text
ads down the right rail of the search engine query results page, AdGooroo has seen fewer advertisers overall, but wouldn't definitively call it a trend thus far. The number of advertisers varies
greatly depending on the specific keyword examined. Typically keywords with a higher number of advertisers bidding on them experience the most dramatic change.
Analyzing the changes, AdGooroo
compared data from Feb 1 through 18 -- prior to the change -- and then from Feb, 19 through 28, after the change, for the retail and travel groups.
Looking across 2,500 retail keywords
for the retail group, CPCs rose 1.8% on average, while the number of
advertisers competing fell by 42% since Google implemented the change.
AdGooroo found that changes in cost varied greatly among those 20 retail keywords. For instance, the term "samsung galaxy
s6" experienced a 108% increase in cost per click, rising from an average of $1.59 from Feb. 1 through 18, to an average of $3.31 from Feb. 19 through March 8.
The CPC more than doubled
for six other keywords, including "laptop" at 36%, "mattress" at 32%, and "furniture stores" at more than 15%, while seven other keyword CPCs rose by single digits.
In the travel sector, the number of advertisers on the keyword
group dropped by an average of 15.4%, from an average of 38 advertisers per keyword before the change to an average of 32 following the change. Overall the data shows a boost in click-through
rates by an average of 10% across all 20 travel keywords examined. The average cost-per-click rose -- but only by 5.21%, or three cents, rising from average of $2.65 to $2.68.
Travel has
become a focus for Google as it draws nearer to the summer months. In March, Google introduced a mobile feature called Destinations meant to help travelers figure out where and when to go, and what
sights to take in. It also will help find less expensive fights and hotels.
The feature at launch curated itineraries for 201 cities. Barcelona, for example, has itineraries from people who
have been there, including a three-day trip that includes the Gothic Quarter and buildings featuring Catalan architects.
For those who have not made up their mind about where to go, a price
estimator for flights and hotels during the next six months can help determine the destination. The "Explore" tab allows people to search for specific weather patterns to gauge temperature year
round.