Google announced that as of today they are no longer displaying Google Checkout logos in AdWords ads. You can read Google’s statement in a comment on their Merchant support site: Checkout Badges on AdWords ads. The logos will, however, continue to be displayed on product search result pages. This announcement coincides with Google’s efforts to ramp up the visibility of their new +1 button, which will include a +1 badge displayed in search results. When visitors click a +1 button on a site, the site’s URL will be displayed with a +1 badge in SERPs. So really the removal of the checkout badge from search results is just Google’s way of decluttering result pages.
Displaying the Google Checkout logo in AdWords ads was an easy way for e-commerce sites to quickly establish credibility with potential buyers, not only in terms of convenience for Google Checkout users, but also in terms of visible security in online transactions. Even though Google’s Checkout logo is still displayed on product search pages, most people are conducting their initial searches through Google’s main search interface, so viewing product search results is a second click away.
As far as e-commerce site owners are concerned, I think Google’s Checkout logo likely carries more weight than a +1 badge, so it will be interesting to see how this change effects traffic and sales for merchants using Google Checkout. Stating that you are a Google Checkout merchant in your ad text obviously uses up limited text space, and doesn’t seem worth sacrificing the character space.
Do you think the removal of Google’s Checkout logo from AdWords ads will have an impact on e-commerce advertisers’ sales or traffic? How heavily have you relied on the logo to give your ads some extra credibility? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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