It was back in May 2019 that Google started launching black 'Ad' label and favicons by the URLs in its organic search results.
"When you search for a product or service and we have a useful ad to show, you’ll see a bolded ad label at the top of the card alongside the web address so you can quickly identify where the information is coming from," said Google in the announcement at the time.
After several months being live on Google search engine results, the search giant is launching a similar design to Google web for desktop users.
The black Ad label replaces the green outlined label that Google introduced in 2017. The redesign also marks the first time Google is putting the labels at the top of the ad along with the display URLs that are also in black text.
And as for the organic listings, they are getting the favicon treatment, where Google puts the site name and breadcrumbs in black text next to the favicon, and making them both to display above the title link in a similar structure to the redesigned text ad treatment.
Previously before the update, website name and breadcrumbs appeared in green text below the title. Google has also removed the gray line below the organic titles and ad headlines so each card looks more like a single unit.
Last year, our search results on mobile gained a new look. That’s now rolling out to desktop results this week, presenting site domain names and brand icons prominently, along with a bolded “Ad” label for ads. Here’s a mockup: pic.twitter.com/aM9UAbSKtv
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) January 13, 2020
Google Search is one of the most visited place on the web.
For obvious reasons, Google wants to make Search and its search results as appealing as possible, to benefit users, without neglecting advertisers to are giving it money to display ads.
Google's 'Ad' label changes often. And from time to time, the company may change its appearance whenever it sees fit. And this time, the black label is the one to go.
By pushing the design to the desktop months after making it available on mobile, Google hopes that people are already used with this appearance. With the redesign, Google Search's design should be more uniform across platform, without a bit of alienating users.
But as with any user interface change in Google Search, many are likely to complain about it.
In addition, webmasters and web owners may see changes in traffic because of the favicons at the top and the updated interface.
