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Google's testing must have shown them that removing the ads on the sidebar will ultimately make them more money.

• chejazi 11y ago
  They might be trying to unify their product offering across desktop and mobile. This would mean less things they have to optimize for, therefore more money in the long run.
• Nagyman 11y ago
  91% of paid clicks are on the top three ads. The side ads are not worth it. I'm not sure how the fourth top ad will perform. (source: Google's AdWords account team)
  • anexprogrammer 11y ago
    Depends. Google's AdWords account team want the maximum spend out of you, not best performance, so up that bid! If you are a small business or one person the main block is simply overpriced - by a long way for many keywords, and is just the brands usually. Top 1 or 2 in the sidebar are usually noticeably cheaper and do bring in a decent amount of clicks for popular keywords. I'd call it the sweet spot for someone bootstrapping or a tiny business. Sure you'll get more clicks bumping to 3rd in the main block, but only if you can afford 24/7 coverage on that keyword. If your budget is limiting display then increasing bid will mean less business overall.