Google announced this week it will shift ads from the right side of its SERPs to the bottom in some instances to promote a more positive user experience.

On its Inside AdWords blog, Google reported that it will move advertisements from the right side of its pages to the bottom of the page in some cases. According to Jerry Dischler, director of search product management, said the move will occur based on user preferences.

The company has experimented with different ad placements over the last few months to create an experience optimized for the user.

Dischler explains placing advertisements below 10 organic links on each SERP resulted in greater clickthrough rates without negatively impacting user experience. AdWords users skeptical of Google’s move will receive analytics regarding the performance of advertisements in different locations on SERPs.

The move seems to make sense, as shifting the ads to the bottom of the page will keep them within view for users scanning down the links that appear on a page before clicking to the next page of results. While Google says this doesn’t negatively impact ads’ click-through rates, the change undeniably takes away from distractions beside organic listings – a plus for SEO marketers. It also suggests that content in ads must compete with organic content as users are reading the ads as part of a continuous scrolling experience.

A recent Google+ update enables users to +1 display ads that link to especially engaging, useful landing page content marketing, Brafton reported. Google has been aggressive in promoting quality throughout the web. With its search algorithms, Google has long guided companies to create original, quality content for organic listings. Now, allowing Google+ users to promote display ads will encourage the same quality from ad landing page content. 

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.