Google announced that they are increasing the font size of the AdWords paid search results becuase “The more similar the type, the higher the CTR [click through rate].” You can view the difference: before vs. after.
By making the paid search results appear more like the “organic” results, users will be more likely to click on them, meaning more money for Google. But the continued blurring of search engine results with the paid placement of advertising might implicate certain moral and ethical values considered vital to sustaining a democratic society, such as freedom from bias, privacy and trust. I have a brief article on this topic which will be published in the Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. I’ll link to it once it is online.
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