Google's recent update to its ad platform, announced at Google Marketing Live, has sparked a conversation about the search engine giant's potential shifting focus towards expanding its digital advertising real estate. The update includes the introduction of a new ad section in the mobile app, as well as a more prominent visual advertising space called Gallery Ads. While some may argue that the update represents a drift away from organic search positioning and a potential reduction in the value of search engine optimization (SEO), it also communicates a larger message.

Similar to social media advertising, we see Google adapting to a more visually-enhanced pay-per-click advertising model, and the Gallery Ads feature is just one example of that. The card-based user interface reiterates that today, more than ever, content is king. With the rise of platforms such as Snapchat and the introduction of the story feature on Facebook, content has taken center stage in online social interactions and advertising platforms have had to adapt to this new way of online promotion. The latest trend in online communication and advertising places a higher focus on personal, genuine, and relatable full-screen content, and Google's move aligns with this shift.

As platforms evolve, advertising needs to adapt to the changing environment in which it is being interacted with, and the introduction of Gallery Ads seems like a way to turn Google search into a visual storyboard of information woven together by the card-like user interface and attention-grabbing ads. Furthermore, we have seen similar attention given to content and visual ads across other platforms like YouTube, where content is presented not just exclusively in the form of videos, but also as YouTube posts and short text-based updates. Google's determination to compete with social media platforms and advertising engines is reflected in this decision to diversify the ways in which content is presented across its services, whether it be through providing companies the opportunity to create posts directly onto their Google for Business and Google Maps platforms, posting text and image-based updates to its video streaming platform, YouTube, or advertising on Google with attention-grabbing visuals and interactive card interfaces. Tuesday's announcement demonstrates Google taking advertising techniques straight out of Facebook's playbook.

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