Green is in, yellow is out in Google text ad labels

Since April, users around the world have been spotting green “Ad” labels next to text ads in Google search results. Now, Google says, the green test is taking hold and is replacing the yellow labels that have been in use since Google first adopted the “Ad” icon treatment instead of shading in 2013.

“We regularly test ways to improve the look and feel of our search results page. We’ve been experimenting with a green search ad label and have decided to roll it out based on positive feedback from users and advertisers. Our goal is to make our results page easy to use, and our labeling clear and prominent,” a Google spokesperson told Marketing Land.

The change is rolling out globally on desktop and mobile. Google says the switch in color did not affect whether users were able to tell the difference between ads and organic listings, and that it studied it to ensure that wasn’t the case.

Here’s a look at the before and after:

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Ginny Marvin

Ginny Marvin is Third Door Media’s Editor-in-Chief, running the day to day editorial operations across all publications and overseeing paid media coverage. Ginny Marvin writes about paid digital advertising and analytics news and trends for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, Ginny has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.