Dive Brief:
- Google is ending its test on large banner ads, which began in October with 30 brands.
- Head of Search Amit Singhal confirmed the news during a SMX West keynote this week.
- Singhal did not comment on why the company is abandoning large banner ads.
Dive Insight:
Although Google isn't saying why it quit the banner ads test, there are a variety of reasons it probably didn't work. The tech giant vowed in a 2005 blog (written by current Yahoo President and CEO Marissa Mayer) that it would never run display ads, so it was a bit of a shock when it announced it was testing large banner-like ads in search results. It could be that the practice was too far outside of the brand's image, which is really important to its success.
