Google Testing New Local Ad Carousel in Mobile Search Results

Google is testing a new format for the local “Nearby Businesses” ads.  Instead of the usual pack style we have usually seen in the search results, Google has switched it to a carousel style.

Joy Hawkins shared it on Twitter:

This new carousel appears above the regular AdWords ads for added exposure.

It also means for those local businesses advertising in their local packs, that first position will be even more important, since it is the only ad shown in its entirety.  The second ad in the carousel is only partially visible.

Google has been testing plenty of formats for their local business ads, and it is surprising they haven’t tested the carousel until now.  But unless the advertiser is in that coveted first spot, I suspect many advertisers won’t like it as much.

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Jennifer Slegg

Founder & Editor at The SEM Post

Jennifer Slegg is a longtime speaker and expert in search engine marketing, working in the industry for almost 20 years. When she isn't sitting at her desk writing and working, she can be found grabbing a latte at her local Starbucks or planning her next trip to Disneyland. She regularly speaks at Pubcon, SMX, State of Search, Brighton SEO and more, and has been presenting at conferences for over a decade.

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