A few weeks ago, Google launched a new ad layout with the large "Sponsored results" label that groups numerous ads under that one label, and then sticks a "Hide sponsored results" button after you have already seen the ads. Well, it is leading to accidental ad clicks based on what I am reading and hearing across the industry.
Google announced this as a way to "make navigation even easier." But as I wrote then, "I suspect it is to drive more clicks (likely confused clicks on ads - at least in the short term)." And yea, I seem to be correct.
I know many search marketers and SEOs who have accidentally clicked on these ads. And yes, these are people who know Google Search well. Can you imagine the average searchers?
I personally clicked on an ad twice by accident last week. These were for navigational queries where I try hard not to click on the ad, because I don't want to cost that site any money. So I spend a second longer to scroll past the ad and then click on the organic result. But in these two cases. I scrolled past the first ad, and then clicked on the second result to go to the site but that was an ad as well!
The hide sponsored results button should be at the top, not at the bottom and each and every sponsored result needs its own label. It is way more confusing to know what is an ad and what is not an ad in this new layout. And in my opinion, this is intentional - to drive more clicks on ads and earn Google more money.
We spoke about this a few times on the It's New - daily show we do. Greg Finn, who has been doing Google Ads management for like two decades, said he accidentally clicked on an ad. Wil Reynolds almost clicked on an ad:
Holy smokes, even I almost fell for the new Google layout where you can't really tell where sponsored ads are.
— Wil Reynolds (@wilreynolds) November 1, 2025
The only giveaway was that philabundance didn't show up in position 2, 3, or 4 for their own brand. In what I thought was the organic area.
Gross.
I posted a poll asking my followers (who are incredibly Google savvy) on X on Sunday if they did as well, and so far about 18% (early on in the poll it was closer to 10%) said they did not, the rest know they did by accident and some do not even know:
Have you unintentionally clicked on a Google Ads because of the new Sponsored Results grouping layout?
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) November 2, 2025
Glenn Gabe has as well:
Yes, so I can only imagine what a normal user is doing. :) $$$ https://t.co/rDDcGiJfUN
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 2, 2025
And others:
Apparently even I got tricked into clicking the sponsored ads since the heading somewhere on the top said Sponsored post but when you scroll down, they don’t say it anymore.
— Matta Kumar | SEO Nerd & AI Marketing (@mattaskumar) November 3, 2025
If Google really wanted to improve the experience, it would label each an every ad clearly and stick ad hide ads button at the top, not below the ads, after you already were forced to see the ads.
I am not a fan of this change because it leads to clicks that are not intentional and undesired.
Forum discussion at X.
