Google has had thus far what it termed ‘Comparison Ads’. However, these comparison units have been imparted a new look in its search results, a change aimed at better explaining searchers that listings come from companies with which it shares a commercial relationship. It highlights how three search products of it now seem to operate largely on a paid inclusion basis. It is now changing the design layout of its hotel, flight, credit card as well as bank account results that help users complete actions like booking flights easily and quickly.

These comparison units distinctly appear in the US when uses conduct flight search, hotel search and financial product search (for checking accounts and savings accounts apart from, credit cards/ certificates of deposits). The units, on the other hand, in the UK only surface for financial products – for current and savings accounts plus credit cards.

Facets of Comparison Ads

These units have existed for more than a year for specific products. They are just getting a different format in which the background color employed for traditional AdWords units of Google is gone. They come along with a ‘Sponsored’ disclaimer as part of its positioning them different from ads. Google has informally called them as something in between organic listings and ads. A Google spokesperson has been quoted as saying: “We have always disclosed that the engine might be paid once a user completes such an action; and we wish to be quite clear and consistent the way we do that.”

Users arrive at a results page in a particular vertical search product – 1. Google Hotel Finder, 2. Google Flight Search, 3. Google Advisor – after clicking on the comparison link. In the results that get generated by the comparison units, Google will decide which listings get displayed and also how, on basis of aggregate data advertisers provide. In a majority of cases, Google will get paid for leads that it sends. The comparison ads page denotes the program is in limited beta mode. Currently, it’s not available to advertisers. Google has not specified when it will make this product available for all advertisers to participate.

How do advertisers and users gain?

Thanks to Comparison Ads, the whole search process gets simplified for users quickly access an offer. They won’t send any kind of personally identifiable user details to advertisers. When someone clicks on an offer, he or she can opt to be contacted by a relevant advertiser. Specifying its features, an official note explains:

“Comparison Ads let users compare multiple relevant offers from advertisers quickly and easily, providing you with a new, sophisticated, and flexible cost-per-lead format. Users want fast results, so we’ve made sure that Comparison Ads show targeted offers in less than a second. Currently Comparison Ads serve the credit card, CD, checking account and savings account verticals.”

Comparison Ads will facilitate the process of showing users a slew of relevant offers they can easily filter, sort, and also compare side by side. With Comparison Ads, it will become possible to target offers at a more granular level, resulting in more valuable and highly qualified leads.