Google AdSense users can now choose to have Auto Ads show as “ad intents” through the platform (in addition to overlap and in-page formats).
What are ad intents. An ad intent is an “intent-driven format that places links and anchors into existing text and pages on your site related to your content,” according to Google.
Google doesn’t rely on third-party cookies for this new functionality.
What it looks like. Those links take the users interacting with it to a Google Search Result page containing both organic results and paid ads.
Here are examples Google shared:
Ad intent anchor:
Ad intent link:
Why we care. This new format could mean more revenue for publishers who opt into Auto Ads, but it could also mean traffic that would have gone to a publisher’s placement ad now goes to a Google SERP. That extra click journey could lose customers on the way.
Implementation. This is an optional functionality that Google has introduced. In response to a post on X accusing Google of stealing traffic share from sites on the SERP, Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, wrote:
- “This new format is opt-in and entirely optional for publishers. Publishers can opt into ad intent links, which converts existing text on their page into links.
- “There’s also an option to use ad intent anchors, which place anchors at the bottom of your page.”
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About the author
Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.
In 2008, Anu’s career started with
delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side.
Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event – PPC Live, host of weekly podcast PPCChat Roundup, and brand evangelist at ClickTech.
She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US), SMX (Munich), Friends of Search (Amsterdam), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna) and more.
