Ask Jeeves plans to reduce the number of paid links on a search results page from about ten to two or three. The bottom line here is that now there will be fewer paid links on results pages. This will increase the amount of Direct Advertising improving the Improving the search function in consumer categories such as concert tickets.
This news is a win-win for both Ask Jeeves and web searchers. One of the most frequent complaints from potential Ask Jeeves users is that the number of paid ads on results pages make web results page busy and downright difficult to navigate and use. Reducing the number of ads on a results page will, if marketed correctly will get more people to look at what Ask Jeeves has been up to since things began to improve past five years ago. At the same time, fewer ads will make the visible ads more noticeable to the searcher.
Post April the company’s tests show that a smaller number of ads boosts the frequency with which people use the site and aids user retention. As such, Jeeves expects the change to help lift query volumes and ad revenue later in the year.