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Microsoft Search Engine Bing Caught Testing Ads in Search Results

Various blogs around the Web are reporting that Microsoft's search engine Bing is testing ads within organic search results.

Although this is solely testing and not a permanent addition to Bing, the reaction to such news has been highly negative. Advertiser's links are placed within search results as if they were a legitimate search engine result, but clicking on these camouflaged links is unlikely to give the answer the search engine user was looking for.

Along with deception, many search engine users and marketers are angered by the space the ads take up. Since the ads appear within the search results, legitimate sites are fighting for first page search results space. For example, an attorney's web marketing strategy will include Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in order to help that attorney's website achieve first-page status on a search engine. With with less real estate available for legitimate sites on page one, SEO will become increasingly important.

However, it is important to note that Bing is simply testing this feature. Over the years, ads placed in search results have continued to be considered, tested, implemented, and dismissed.

Bing has not yet confirmed whether organic search result ads will become a permanent feature.

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