Google Launches Universal Search

In recent weeks, Google launched what it calls Universal Search with the aim of improving user experience and the relevance of search results.  This will involve gradual changes to the search results pages on the search engine that have already begun to appear.  Instead of simply finding text links in the results pages there are now image and video clips appearing in the search results.  Maps, Books and News items could also be included.

Google recently used the example of searching for “Darth Vader” on their blog which gives image, text, video and news archive links all on the one page. Universal Search could pose many opportunities for advertisers, particularly brand advertisers – many of who would have been reluctant to use traditional Pay-Per-Click Advertising but who would have image or video ads that would be relevant to searchers queries.

While the opportunities could potentially be great for advertisers, competition is bound to intensify when you consider how many people would rather just click on a relevant image or video ad versus a plain text link.  This is not the only threat to current direct response advertisers, as the increased competition with the arrival of brand advertisers onto the scene could potentially drive up advertising costs.

Currently Google do not charge for image or video ads as they do with the sponsored listings.  However, if past experience is anything to go by, this could soon change and advertisers could be charged on a Pay-Per-Click or Cost Per Thousand Impressions basis.  Universal Search is still in its early stages so only time will tell what the cost implications will be for advertisers and whether this will really make search results more relevant to searchers or just more convenient.