Google Product Results Monopolizing Prime Pay-Per-Click Real Estate?

Universal Search has created quite the stir in the SEO community throughout 2007. Many companies that had enjoyed living on Page 1 of Google for quite some time began seeing their precious high rankings slip down or entirely off the page as videos, images, blog posts, news stories and the like began to take over significant parcels of organic real estate.

In this continuing quest for the ideal search results layout, it seems Google is once again experimenting with its blended results - though for once, organic listings are not taking the hit…

This time around the latest blended search tweaking and testing actually has an effect on the PPC community. Over the past month, Google Product results have randomly appeared in the right hand column where PPC Sponsored Listings normally reside. Some examples:

The impact if Google should decide to keep their Product listings in this right hand column position?

• Fewer PPC ads making it onto Page 1, as they are pushed farther down to make room for Product results
• Even lower click-through rates for the right hand PPC ads
• More fight for PPC positions 1-3 above the organic results
• Potential bid inflation due to the increased demand for less PPC real estate

So for all paid search managers out there who have secretly snickered a bit over the mad SEO scramble this year, I suppose we had better sit up and start taking note! In fact, while I have only caught the occasional Product results sneaking in there, Google Blogoscoped and ValleyWag have reported instances of video even showing up in prime PPC real estate.

Next up? Product images in PPC territory? Product reviews? Product blog posts? Whatever may be on the horizon for blended search it is certainly a topic that all search engine marketers, both on the organic and the paid side, should continue to keep a close eye on in 2008.