AdWords Favicons

 Google AdWords has started testing favicons in Germany, Poland and England pay per click search engine advertising (PPC), and there are reports of some limited testing in the US. Favicons are icons appearing all over the web these days as website icons, shortcut icons, URL icons and bookmark icons that visually show the company.

What seems to be circling around the internet marketing community these days is the issue that if favicons are open for use to PPC advertisers, that it will clutter up the results page. This was also a topic of discussion when Google Checkout icons started appearing in pay per click search engine advertising results, and Search Engine Land reports that advertisers using that icon have seen a boost in their click through rate (CTR).

I feel that it can only help advertisers by drawing attention to the ads, and increasing credibility in the eyes of the searchers. Not only will the ads mention the brand name in the headline, description and URL, but it will also provide an icon showing that this is the official site, and not a reseller or spammy site. AdMoolah has an excellent example showing a regular PPC ad for Alaska Air, and then showing the next two results with CheapOAir.com and Expedia, both with favicons. As a searcher, I would be more willing to click on one of the last two ads because the favicons, in my opinion, provide an additional push of credibility and transparency of where I will go once I click on the ad.

While pay per click search engine advertising has made great strides in the last couple years by pushing out spammy and scammy sites by increasing restrictions, my assumption is that the general public is unaware of the many changes and how credible PPC advertising is now. Adding in the favicons will show the general public that Google is making changes and hopefully will see this new step as an effort to increase transparency and credibility among advertisers.

About the Author: Ellen Stevens

As the Search Media Manager for Off Madison Ave’s interactive division, Mighty Interactive, Ellen develops and manages strategic online paid search and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaigns for clients of all sizes. She is also the head of the internship program at Off Madison Ave. Ellen uses her previous agency internship experience to be an effective mentor and help the students develop skills they will need professionally after graduation. Ellen graduated from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a certificate in international business.

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