The practice of out-of-order ad promotion involves displaying lower-ranked ads above those with a higher ranking. This occurs during Google's second-price auctions, where ad position is determined by the Quality Score. This score is a combination of the bid amount and the predicted CTR.
Thresholds and conditions of Google
Google employs various
and
to which an advertisement must comply before it is displayed in certain positions on the SERP. There are a reserve auction price, a minimum relevance factor, and adherence to editorial advertising standards. If an advertisement does not meet these requirements, it may not qualify for the top position, despite winning the auction.
Benefits for Google, users, and advertisers
The out-of-order promotion is beneficial for both Google and users. Google can display ads in high visibility positions above organic results, which increases potential revenue. Users see more relevant ads in premium locations, enhancing the search experience. For advertisers with relevant ads that would otherwise be overshadowed by less relevant ads with a higher CPC, this provides the opportunity to still be visible in premium locations.
Impact on Advertisers
The impact of out-of-order promotion on advertisers is twofold. For the top-ranked advertisement, this means losing the top position and a lower spot on the page. As a result, they may end up paying a higher CPC due to their low Quality Score. For the second-tier advertisement, it presents an opportunity for greater visibility and more clicks, without them having to pay more than their maximum CPC.
Out-of-order promotion is a method that enhances the search experience. It ensures that the most relevant advertisements are displayed in the most visible positions. For advertisers, this underscores the importance of both strategic bidding and optimizing for relevance and Quality Score.