When Google Confuses Search with Content

The image above shows Google powered adverts (even though we don't have Google's logo) and comes from Seat Guru.

Put your Search Marketing hat on. Are those ads search or content?

Would you be surprised to Google that Google counts those adverts as search. I know I was! I'm not happy about it either.

How is this possible? Seat Guru is owned by Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor is a Google search partner. I guess Seat Guru is using that relationship to create, er, ads on static pages based on... well, let's face it, these might be 'canned search' results but we're really looking at content ads here. Users on this site are navigating and reading. They're not searching.

Bad Google. No biscuit!