Is Google changing it's search results layout? Techcrunch posted an article yesterday with this screenshot of the supposed new layout: http://tinyurl.com/ld76lp.

It's an interesting change, if it becomes permanent, given Google's longstanding commitment to keeping paid vs. organic search results clearly separated. Google has also done a lot of work to monitor paid advertising to keep it as relevant as possible.

Is it better for the advertisers to blend in with organic content? Probably, in terms of clicks, but not necessarily in terms of ROI. Consumers have been trained by Google to recognize advertising vs. organic content and unless the paid content is truly relevant, a consumer will go back to their original search.

Ultimately, Google will do everything to maximize it's profits, as they should. Consumers on the whole may initially click more on paid results with layout changes, but relevancy is still of primary importance.