Google is walking back changes to its search design that blurred the lines between ads and regular results after user backlash

• Google is walking back a recent redesign of its search results after users complained it blurred the lines between ads and organic results.
• The company tweeted that, while the design had been "well-received" by mobile users, it had heard users' feedback and would begin trying out new designs on its desktop results.
• Google said it will experiment with removing company icons, or "favicons," from desktop results.
• "We appreciate the feedback, the trust people place in Google, and we're dedicating to improving the experience," Google said in its tweet.

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Google is walking back a major redesign of its desktop search results, which it began rolling out last week, after facing pushback that the change made paid ads too indistinguishable from organic search results.

"Last week we updated the look of Search on desktop to mirror what's been on mobile for months. We've heard your feedback about the update. We always want to make Search better, so we're going to experiment with new placements for favicons," Google said in a tweet Friday.

Google said that while its initial tests on desktop - as well as the mobile update it rolled out several months back - were positive, it appreciated users' feedback and would begin experimenting with further design changes, including removing brand icons, or "favicons," from desktop results.

When it announced the redesign earlier this month, Google said "the format puts a site's brand front & center, helping searchers better understand where information is coming from, more easily scan results & decide what to explore."

But some observers disagreed, questioning whether Google was trying to intentionally steer users to click on ads through a practice known as "dark-pattern" design, and noting that Google's ads have become harder to tell apart from organic results over the years.

Read Google's full statement on its plans to continue experimenting below:

"We're dedicated to improving the desktop experience for Search, and as part of our efforts we rolled out a new design last week, mirroring the design that we've had for many months on mobile. The design has been well received by users on mobile screens, as it helps people more quickly see where information is coming from and they can see a prominent bolded ad label at the top. Web publishers have also told us they like having their brand iconography on the search results page. While early tests for desktop were positive, we are always incorporating feedback from our users. We are experimenting with a change to the current desktop favicons, and will continue to iterate on the design over time."

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