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But if you're searching for Southwest Airlines then why do you want to get an ad for Southwest Airlines instead of just a neutral link to their homepage? I und

by thetrb 13y ago

But if you're searching for Southwest Airlines then why do you want to get an ad for Southwest Airlines instead of just a neutral link to their homepage? I understand ads for terms like "cheap tickets", but why would I want an ad for the term "Southwest Airlines"?

larrys 13y ago
"why do you want to get an ad for Southwest Airlines" From what the example shows it's not so much an ad as a really quick way to visually see that when you click you will be going to the right place.[1] I mean visually it's probably quicker to see the big honking ad and airplane and focus and click than it is to read type. I'm guessing. User testing would prove or disprove this. (After all why do people use icons for that matter?) [1] If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
- dragonwriter 13y ago
  > From what the example shows it's not so much an ad as a really quick way to visually see that when you click you will be going to the right place.[ The banner at the top of the box is a traditional (and somewhat large) banner ad. The rest of the content of the box is exactly what you get as the top result of the same search on Google when you aren't getting the experimental ad.
- thetrb 13y ago
  Yes, for the user it's probably easier this way. However, I find it a bit weird that Southwest is paying Google to display this banner. If it's just an enhancement for the user shouldn't that be offered by Google itself? I'm just a bit concerned that we're moving more and more to the point where your business can only be successful if you're paying Google. I'm not sure if it's fair to say that and I understand that Google is a business that has to earn money, but there are some red flags showing up for me.
  - thrownaway2424 13y ago
    Look at southwest's front page and then look at Google presentation of their site map. Their own site is such a train wreck that I wouldn't be surprised to find out that conversion is superior if the user starts at Google instead of their own site.
stonemetal 13y ago
why would I want an ad for the term "Southwest Airlines"? If it pushes southwestsucks.com or something similar off the first page of google results it has some value.
- chintan 13y ago
  Here is another reason: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6608049 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6608049
kyro 13y ago
Because to check-in for a flight or lookup my reservation I have to 1) search Google for the airline and pick the official site out of the list of all similarly styled links and 2) navigate the airline's site for the exact page I need. This makes it much, much easier now that all I have to do is search for the airline and click the section I want from the box at the top that signifies that what I'm about to click is the exact official site I'm looking for.
- AJ007 13y ago
  That is incorrect. Currently for "southwest airlines" in the US, sub links for their organic listing include: -Check in Online -Book Travel Award -Check Flight Status -Special Offers -Flight Schedules -Customer Service This may be different in other countries. I am inclined to believe this is showing for nearly all US users as I have seen these direct links for airlines for quite some time. What Southwest is doing is trading their free clicks for paid ones.

by thetrb 13y ago

larrys 13y ago

"why do you want to get an ad for Southwest Airlines" From what the example shows it's not so much an ad as a really quick way to visually see that when you click you will be going to the right place.[1] I mean visually it's probably quicker to see the big honking ad and airplane and focus and click than it is to read type. I'm guessing. User testing would prove or disprove this. (After all why do people use icons for that matter?) [1] If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

dragonwriter 13y ago
> From what the example shows it's not so much an ad as a really quick way to visually see that when you click you will be going to the right place.[ The banner at the top of the box is a traditional (and somewhat large) banner ad. The rest of the content of the box is exactly what you get as the top result of the same search on Google when you aren't getting the experimental ad.
thetrb 13y ago
Yes, for the user it's probably easier this way. However, I find it a bit weird that Southwest is paying Google to display this banner. If it's just an enhancement for the user shouldn't that be offered by Google itself? I'm just a bit concerned that we're moving more and more to the point where your business can only be successful if you're paying Google. I'm not sure if it's fair to say that and I understand that Google is a business that has to earn money, but there are some red flags showing up for me.
- thrownaway2424 13y ago
  Look at southwest's front page and then look at Google presentation of their site map. Their own site is such a train wreck that I wouldn't be surprised to find out that conversion is superior if the user starts at Google instead of their own site.

stonemetal 13y ago

why would I want an ad for the term "Southwest Airlines"? If it pushes southwestsucks.com or something similar off the first page of google results it has some value.

chintan 13y ago
Here is another reason: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6608049 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6608049

kyro 13y ago

Because to check-in for a flight or lookup my reservation I have to 1) search Google for the airline and pick the official site out of the list of all similarly styled links and 2) navigate the airline's site for the exact page I need. This makes it much, much easier now that all I have to do is search for the airline and click the section I want from the box at the top that signifies that what I'm about to click is the exact official site I'm looking for.

AJ007 13y ago
That is incorrect. Currently for "southwest airlines" in the US, sub links for their organic listing include: -Check in Online -Book Travel Award -Check Flight Status -Special Offers -Flight Schedules -Customer Service This may be different in other countries. I am inclined to believe this is showing for nearly all US users as I have seen these direct links for airlines for quite some time. What Southwest is doing is trading their free clicks for paid ones.