There is a new image test being run by Google in search ads.
An image from the landing page will appear on the right of the description area of the test ad. Sergey Alaov tweeted a screen shot of the ad test during the weekend.
@GinnyMarvin @rustybrick landing page image pulled into an ad. New? pic.twitter.com/GkQBliAxEl
— Sergey Alakov (@sergey_alakov) December 16, 2017
A Google spokesperson said that “We’re always testing new ways to improve our experience for our advertisers and users, but don’t have anything specific to announce right now.”
It i not clear how widespread the test is or what verticals are included besides automotive, as seen in the example.
There have been several iterations of testing images in search ads over the years. It is currently in beta testing images in Sitelink extensions in a feature called Visual Sitelinks. Google launched large format mobile ads for automotive makers featuring a carousel of images of car models last year.