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Bing testing inline ads in organic search results

Jul 23, 2011 9:18 am by Kip Kniskern | 7 comments

A post on the Rimm-Kaufman Group (RKG) blog spotted some new, and perhaps controversial, ad placements on Bing organic search results: the listing of paid ads inline along with organic results, demarked only by an “ad” notifier to the right of the result:

(image from RKG, they added the box around the ads).

Currently, while ads do appear “inline”, they appear at the top and bottom of the results page, marked by a blue background. This is what we’re seeing here currently:

Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Land was able to confirm with Microsoft that they are testing the inline ads:

Microsoft has confirmed this is a test they are running. A Microsoft spokesperson said:
“We’re constantly testing and experimenting on Bing, and with that, we carefully measure user engagement and reaction to these changes. We have nothing further to share at this time.”

Schwartz also pointed back to a 2009 post where Danny Sullivan took Google to task for experimenting with this form of “paid inclusion”, where the lines are blurred between ad and organic results.

Are you seeing inline ads in your Bing search results, similar to what RKG saw? Let us know in the comments.

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GraphiteCube
I really hate the experimental design, it simply makes reading the search result difficult. I think very few people like ads.
GraphiteCube
I really hate the experimental design, it simply makes reading the search result difficult. I think very few people like ads.
Anonymous
The new design is so much better than the current blue one. I never read ads that are in top and in blue, but I may consider some ones in the body because they may simply seem normal results.
It also avoid to break the page look which the current system does. It would be a huge win if it was implemented for everybody some time in the future.
Josh T.
I must admit that it’s a good idea, because I’ve trained myself to basically ignore those ads completely. I’m more likely to notice the inline ones.
Anonymous
It sucks. Please do not release it. The ads should remain on the side.
http://twitter.com/Alimaggs Alastair Maggs
I’m actually not totally against it. If those inline ads are down the page then surely the more relevant search results will fall ABOVE the ads, nearer the top of the results page.
I don’t think it’s an awful idea, so long as it’s made clear which links are ads.
http://macrosofter.wordpress.com/ quikboy
I want their online services division to make more money, but inline ads with less discernable differences? Of course, if they’re embedded somewhere in the middle, they’ll probably still be least likely to be looked at or even clicked on. Can’t they make a cool high end service and charge for it?