Google Search on Mobile Gets Sneakier Ads, Website Branding

Google says that it created a new look for Google Search on mobile that will begin rolling out over the next few days. The changes are subtle to a couple of areas that you may not notice at first glance.

Can you see them in the image above? The old Google Search is on the left and the new is on the right. 

Google has tweaked two things from what I can tell. First, they are adding website branding (name) and icons next to results. Google hopes this will help you “better understand where the information is coming from and what pages have what you’re looking for.” And surely, that little bit of info will help with those two things.

The 2nd change is to the top advertisement. Notice anything there? It now just looks like the new branded area of real search results. Instead of the great box that read “AD,” advertisements now say “Ad” with a website following, basically to blend in and look like normal content. Sneaky!

Again, you should start seeing this experience on mobile over the next few days.

// Google