Simplicity has always been one of Google's strengths, and that extends to the search ads that generate most of the search giant's revenue. But plain text links are boring, and Google knows this.
That's why Google has been experimenting with new technologies and formats to liven up its ubiquitous search ads, including video ads and comparison shopping lists. Beginning this week, Google will roll out another new search ad format that displays images and prices for specific products that match consumer searches.
The new ad format, called product extensions, is available to all U.S. advertisers. The ads are triggered when keywords from an advertiser's Google Merchant Center account match up to a searcher's query, according to Google. The consumer will then see images, names, and prices of the products, as well as the traditional text ad.
Google is still rolling its new ad formats out slowly, so they won't be seen with every search. We can also expect more new ad formats, according to the official Google blog.