TL;DR
- Search Engine Roundtable reported on 30 September 2026 that Google is testing a new sponsored-products ad grid.
- The test format looks nearly identical to Google's free, organic product grid layout.
- Only a 'Sponsored' label distinguishes the ad grid from the organic results.
- SEO consultant Brodie Clark spotted and flagged the test, saying the ad-versus-organic distinction is insufficiently disclosed.
- The source does not state whether this test is live in Thailand or any specific market.
Google is testing a new sponsored-products ad format that replaces the usual top or right-rail product carousel with a grid layout nearly identical to the free, organic product grid, according to a report from Search Engine Roundtable published 30 September 2026. The only element distinguishing the ad grid from the organic one is a "Sponsored" label, and the test was spotted and flagged by SEO consultant Brodie Clark, who said the distinction between ads and organic results is insufficiently disclosed.
What the test actually changes
From a carousel to a grid
The format Google has shown sponsored products in historically, as described in the report, is a carousel, typically placed at the top of the page or in a right-hand rail, visually set apart from the free product listings below it. The version now being tested drops that carousel in favor of a grid layout, and that grid is described as nearly identical in appearance to Google's existing organic, free product grid. The report does not specify how widely this test is running, which countries or devices it appears on, or whether Google has commented publicly on the change beyond what was observed in the test itself.
The label is the only difference
According to the report, the single visual cue separating the sponsored-products ad grid from the organic grid underneath it is the word "Sponsored." There is no mention in the report of a different background color, border, icon, or placement that would otherwise set the ad grid apart. Brodie Clark, the SEO consultant credited with spotting the test, said this makes the ad-versus-organic distinction insufficiently disclosed, a characterization the report attributes directly to him rather than to Google.
Who flagged it and what they said
Brodie Clark is named in the report as the person who spotted and flagged this test. His core concern, as reported, is disclosure: a shopper scanning a page of product tiles has only one small label to tell them that some of what they are looking at is paid placement rather than Google's normal organic product results. The report does not include a response from Google addressing Clark's concern, nor does it state whether Google plans to expand, adjust, or roll back the test based on that feedback.
What this test means for advertisers running Google Shopping campaigns
The table below summarizes the facts reported about the old format, the new test format, and the one detail separating them.
| Element | What was reported |
|---|---|
| Previous sponsored-products format | A carousel, placed at the top of the page or in a right-hand rail, visually separated from organic listings |
| New test format | A grid layout nearly identical to Google's organic, free product grid |
| Distinguishing element | A "Sponsored" label, the only cue separating the ad grid from the organic grid |
| Who flagged the test | SEO consultant Brodie Clark, who said the ad-versus-organic distinction is insufficiently disclosed |
For an advertiser running Google Shopping campaigns, the practical question this test raises is whether a format shoppers find harder to distinguish from organic results changes click-through behavior once it reaches wider rollout, since a less visually distinct ad placement can plausibly draw more clicks simply because shoppers do not immediately register it as an ad. The report does not provide click-through rate data for the new grid versus the old carousel, so there is no figure available yet to confirm whether that is happening. Advertisers who want to catch a shift like this early should watch their own Google Ads reporting for changes in impression share, click-through rate, or cost-per-click on Shopping and Performance Max campaigns that serve product ads, since a layout change at the platform level would likely show up first as a change in those metrics rather than as an announcement from Google.
What to check in your own Google Ads account
Because the report does not name which accounts, regions, or feed types the test is running on, the only reliable way for an advertiser to know whether it affects their own campaigns is to look directly at their own data rather than wait for a Google announcement. That means pulling Shopping and Performance Max performance by day over the past few weeks and looking specifically for a break in the trend line on click-through rate, since a format that is harder to tell apart from organic results would most plausibly show up as more clicks without a matching jump in conversions. It also means checking whether the change coincides with any shift in average position or impression share for product ads, since a redesigned ad slot can behave differently in an auction even when the advertiser's own bids and budgets have not changed. None of this confirms the test is affecting a given account, but it is the only verification available until Google documents the rollout itself, and the source material for this story gives no timeline for when, or whether, that documentation will appear.
How this compares to Google's past approach to ad labelling
Google has a general history of adjusting how clearly its ad placements are visually distinguished from organic results across Search and Shopping over time, and ad-labelling clarity has been a recurring point of scrutiny from SEO and advertising commentators more broadly. The source for this story does not name specific past incidents, dates, or prior labelling changes, so no particular historical comparison can be drawn beyond that general pattern of scrutiny. What can be said accurately is that this new test fits inside that same broader category of question, how distinguishable a paid placement is from an unpaid one, rather than introducing an entirely new type of concern.
What this means for Thai marketers
The source material does not state whether this sponsored-products grid test is running in Thailand, on Thai language Google Shopping results, or on any market outside of what Brodie Clark observed and reported. Thai advertisers running Google Shopping or Performance Max campaigns with product feeds have no public confirmation, one way or the other, of whether their own ads are being served in this new grid format rather than the older carousel.
Because the test is unconfirmed for Thailand specifically, the most useful action for a Thai ecommerce advertiser right now is monitoring rather than reacting. Checking Google Ads reporting for any unusual shift in Shopping or Performance Max click-through rate or cost-per-click in the coming weeks, and comparing product ad performance across devices, are reasonable steps that do not depend on Google confirming the test locally. If the format does expand to Thai results, the underlying product feed data, titles, images, and pricing accuracy that already drive Shopping performance will matter the same way they did before the test, since the ad format changing does not change what determines whether a shopper completes a purchase after the click.
It is also worth being precise about what the source does not claim. The report does not say the new grid format is a confirmed, global rollout, it does not say which languages or countries have been observed, and it does not say whether this is one of several layout experiments Google is running at the same time or an isolated test. For a Thai advertiser, that lack of detail is itself useful information: it means there is no documented reason yet to change budgets, bids, or feed structure specifically because of this story, only a reason to keep an eye on the reporting metrics described above over the next few reporting cycles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this new sponsored-products ad grid live in Thailand?
Not stated by the source. The Search Engine Roundtable report does not name Thailand, Southeast Asia, or any specific country where the test is confirmed to be running.
How is the new ad grid different from the old format?
The old format was a carousel, usually at the top of the page or in a right-hand rail. The new test replaces it with a grid layout nearly identical to Google's organic, free product grid, with a "Sponsored" label as the only distinguishing element reported.
Who discovered this test?
SEO consultant Brodie Clark spotted and flagged it, saying the ad-versus-organic distinction in the new grid is insufficiently disclosed.
Has Google commented on the disclosure concern?
Not stated by the source. The report does not include a response from Google addressing Clark's concern about labelling.
Should advertisers change their Google Shopping strategy because of this test?
The source gives no performance data to act on yet. The reasonable step is to monitor existing Shopping and Performance Max reporting for changes in click-through rate or cost-per-click rather than making strategy changes based on the test alone.
Google has not published performance data for the new sponsored-products ad grid, and the report gives no confirmation of its rollout beyond what Brodie Clark observed, so advertisers should treat this as a layout test to monitor rather than a confirmed, global change. For Thai businesses that want their Google Shopping and Performance Max campaigns managed with that kind of ongoing monitoring built in, Relevant Audience's Google Ads management service tracks exactly these reporting signals, and campaigns with reliable conversion data behind them, supported by Relevant Audience's Google Analytics 4 migration service, are better placed to catch a shift like this early. Source: Search Engine Roundtable.
