View Full Version : Google Testing Yellow Part II
For a few weeks now Google has been testing yellow ad backgrounds for ppc. The yellow ads went away for about 10 days but now they seem to have come back and just in time for pollen season!
It kinda makes you wonder if there is a connection... ok maybe not.
Either way here is a shot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beusseryatlanta/
ExposureTim
03-27-2007, 12:33 AM
I've been seeing plenty of yellow.
I think it'll stick as it "highlights" the ads less and is easier on the eyes than the blue.
And it'll turn into good $$ for Google - that can't be evil could it?
rustybrick
03-27-2007, 07:47 AM
Yup, there has been several reports in the past month about Google testing yellow for the top sponsored results.
more at:
http://www.jensense.com/archives/2007/03/google_adwords_3.html
http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/012813.html
I've been seeing plenty of yellow.
I think it'll stick as it "highlights" the ads less and is easier on the eyes than the blue.
And it'll turn into good $$ for Google - that can't be evil could it?
Hmmm... I wonder if "geo" has anything to do with the yellow ads, views here in Atlanta, GA USA have been few and far between.
ExposureTim
03-27-2007, 11:25 AM
I started seeing yellow on Friday here. I haven't seen blue since (on this same PC). All search results are yellow now.
Note: On my work PC I still see blue, so I don't think it's geo -related.
AussieWebmaster
03-27-2007, 12:09 PM
I started seeing yellow on Friday here. I haven't seen blue since (on this same PC). All search results are yellow now.
Note: On my work PC I still see blue, so I don't think it's geo -related.
Still seeing blue in Manhattan
Still seeing blue in Manhattan
As you know, there is a good chance Aussie's results are also from Atlanta via Baltimore. I wonder what percentage of West Coast ads are yellow? Interesting....
psurplus
04-02-2007, 08:07 PM
Im on the west coast and I have not seen any yellow backgrounds to my knowledge. Unless my job is that boring (it really isnt) I have only noticed the blue for both IE7 and Firefox.
ExposureTim
04-02-2007, 09:43 PM
I think they just randomly distribute these tests and continue to do so based on cookie. I've (still) been seeing the test yellow consistently 100% of the time since the first time 1+1/2 weeks ago.
It's not geo- or server- based - I assume this because otherwise I'd also see it in IE too or over at the work PC. I see it only in Firefox (not IE) thus I believe I just got lucky and randomly picked up the yellow-tester cookie.
ExposureTim
04-02-2007, 09:44 PM
Does anyone need to see a screenshot? I have seen several so I haven't bothered posting any yet. I can do so if you want to see.
abbottsys
04-03-2007, 11:38 AM
I'm in New York and I see blue. If I "travel" to Chicago to do a search (using the URL below) I still see blue. Guess I could edit the URL to "travel" to other places in search of the elusive yellow :)
http://www.google.com/search?q=ivf&gr=US-IL&gcs=Chicago
I'm in New York and I see blue. If I "travel" to Chicago to do a search (using the URL below) I still see blue. Guess I could edit the URL to "travel" to other places in search of the elusive yellow :)
http://www.google.com/search?q=ivf&gr=US-IL&gcs=Chicago
No matter the URL, chances are you are hitting the same DC.
abbottsys
04-05-2007, 02:20 PM
No matter the URL, chances are you are hitting the same DC.
Quite possible. So you think the DCs are "color coded"? That should be a pretty easy thing to test.
webkidsan
04-05-2007, 06:35 PM
I am sure you know all about it ...
First, we thought it was time for a new look: after months of testing, we decided to switch the background color of the top ads from blue to yellow.
Second, we've modified what counts as a click in this box to be consistent with what counts as a click for the ads on the right hand side. Instead of clicking anywhere in the box, users now need to click on the link in the top line of an ad in order to be taken to an advertiser's site.
AdWordsRep
04-05-2007, 10:50 PM
I am sure you know all about it ...
First, we thought it was time for a new look: after months of testing, we decided to switch the background color of the top ads from blue to yellow.
Second, we've modified what counts as a click in this box to be consistent with what counts as a click for the ads on the right hand side. Instead of clicking anywhere in the box, users now need to click on the link in the top line of an ad in order to be taken to an advertiser's site.Looks as if webkidsan is quoting the Inside AdWords (http://adwords.blogspot.com/2007/04/two-changes-to-how-top-ads-are.html) blog, which posted about these changes today.
Thanks for that!
AWR
abbottsys
04-06-2007, 10:50 AM
Looks as if webkidsan is quoting the Inside AdWords (http://adwords.blogspot.com/2007/04/two-changes-to-how-top-ads-are.html) blog, which posted about these changes today...
Yes, I saw that, and it's now fully deployed. Even when I can do a London search from New York I see yellow :)
http://www.google.com/search?q=fertility&gr=GB-ENG&gcs=London
AussieWebmaster
04-09-2007, 03:42 AM
I saw pink a few minutes ago.... or maybe my colors are off... joking... I am seeing pink
Brent
04-09-2007, 05:25 AM
Seems like they're still testing.
I'm getting Yellow on my ads (in Melbourne, Australia).
No pink yet.
It'll be interesting to see if Yahoo follows this time.
Check out this post by Matt Cutts on the topic:
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/ie7-promo-page/
A colleague just passed this along to me as the Official Google explanation:
Promoted Ads Color and Clickability Changes
» Over the past few years, the sponsored links above the search results have been displayed in a box with a blue background that a user can click on in order to reach an advertiser's landing page. We've now made two changes to the way that we display these ads to improve the experience of our users and advertisers.
1) The background color has changed from blue to yellow
2) Users will need to click the link in the top line of the ad in order to go to the advertiser's website.
Together, these changes help decrease the likelihood that a user will unintentionally click on an ad, while making our highest quality ads more visible.
Seems like a good idea for both users and advertisers "highlighted ads" if you will? Any thoughts? Is yellow the new blue?
AussieWebmaster
04-13-2007, 05:43 PM
A colleague just passed this along to me as the Official Google explanation:
Promoted Ads Color and Clickability Changes
» Over the past few years, the sponsored links above the search results have been displayed in a box with a blue background that a user can click on in order to reach an advertiser's landing page. We've now made two changes to the way that we display these ads to improve the experience of our users and advertisers.
1) The background color has changed from blue to yellow
2) Users will need to click the link in the top line of the ad in order to go to the advertiser's website.
Together, these changes help decrease the likelihood that a user will unintentionally click on an ad, while making our highest quality ads more visible.
Seems like a good idea for both users and advertisers "highlighted ads" if you will? Any thoughts? Is yellow the new blue?
good grab.... nice to see them testing ways to improve our experience or help our bottomline.... then maybe it is good for them too...
good grab.... nice to see them testing ways to improve our experience or help our bottomline.... then maybe it is good for them too...
yep, help users = make money!
On that note Google just acquired DoubleClick to "Significantly Expand Opportunities for Advertisers, Agencies and Publishers and Improve Users' Online Experience."
abbottsys
04-16-2007, 04:43 PM
BTW: on my monitor it's nothing like yellow.. more of a light sand color. Quite faint in fact.. almost blends into the organics :)
BTW: on my monitor it's nothing like yellow.. more of a light sand color. Quite faint in fact.. almost blends into the organics :)
I noticed that on my mac last weekend! It was a lot lighter than on my PC.
AussieWebmaster
04-16-2007, 07:00 PM
I thought I saw pink a week or more ago... guess the color settings may be impacting... both do seem to blend into the organics better.
rustybrick
04-17-2007, 07:51 AM
I thought I saw pink a week or more ago... guess the color settings may be impacting... both do seem to blend into the organics better.
So you are seeing organic colors blend? I see.... ;)
AussieWebmaster
04-17-2007, 01:55 PM
So you are seeing organic colors blend? I see.... ;)
yeah the flashbacks are getting more frequent.... need to get glasses or increase my font sizes..
Flashbacks huh..! What other colors (pink, blue, yellow) have you seen? Got a screen shot?
AussieWebmaster
04-17-2007, 08:41 PM
Flashbacks huh..! What other colors (pink, blue, yellow) have you seen? Got a screen shot?
I don't have the print eyeballs option on my personal bio-computer just yet... time to upgraded
ha, ha, ha, I believe you man but, have seen only yellow and blue. Just making sure the colors you see aren't pharmacologically induced "flashbacks"! :)