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If you have ever searched for a product or service on Google, you have probably noticed that some results appear at the very top of the page with a SMALL label that says “sponsored.” These are paid advertisements, also known as Google Ads. Businesses use this feature to make sure their websites appear in front of people who are already searching for what they offer, sending them to the top of the Google list.When a company runs a Google Ads campaign, they bid on specific keywords that relate to their business.
For example, a repair shop might pay to appear when someone searches “engine rebuild near me” or “Land Rover engine specialist.” Each time a user clicks on the ad, the business pays a small fee to Google. This system, called pay-per-click advertising, helps businesses gain visibility and attract potential customers faster than through organic search results alone.
Appearing as “sponsored” does not mean the business is more credible than others, but it does mean they are actively investing in marketing to reach a wider audience. There are a lot of companies that run these ads and sell an inferior product, a product from China and/or you might not ever see the engine or product as it is a scam company. You see a lot of these advertisements on various social media platforms where these companies take your money and the product never shows up. For smaller companies, these ads can be a powerful tool to compete with larger brands and drive traffic to their websites.
So next time you see the “sponsored” label, know that it represents a business that has chosen to pay to be at the top of your search results as they don't always have the natural website traffic. It is possible to limit these ads through myadcenter.google.com, log into your google account and turn off ad personalization to help reduce the amount of sponsored ads you see, which in turn, can help you avoid being scammed.