Google is testing a sponsored products block laid out like its organic product grid, Search Engine Roundtable reported. The usual format is a carousel across the top or a column on the right, so the grid is a visible departure.
Brodie Clark spotted the test and posted it on X. He wrote that Google had “essentially just replaced the organic product grid with a ‘sponsored products’ title (not disclosed enough IMO) that blends in massively and will confuse users.” He also predicted the click-through rate on the format would climb.
That prediction is Clark’s, not a measured result. The report offers no data on performance or on how widely the test runs. Barry Schwartz noted that Google has a history of blending ads with organic results.
Shopping advertisers should watch for CTR and impression shifts on affected queries, while merchants relying on free listings should check whether paid placements now sit where their grid used to appear.
Search Engine Roundtable, Barry Schwartz, September 30, 2026.
