Understand how Sponsored Ads work on Google Search

Netskope Global Technical Success (GTS)

Netskope Cloud Version - 129

Objective

This article aims to shed light on how sponsored ads work when you search on Google, and what types of controls can be applied through Netskope.

Prerequisite

Netskope SWG or Next-Gen SWG license

Context

Having a real-time policy to block Online Ads is one of the recommended Netskope best practices. However, this can sometimes create challenges for the administrators managing Netskope due to end-user behavior.

Here's why:

The end-user searches for something on Google.
The top results are often sponsored (ads).
When the user clicks on a sponsored link, it gets blocked by the "Online Ads" policy, triggering a block pop-up.
The user assumes the actual destination site is blocked, not realizing it's only the sponsored (ad) version that's restricted.
As a result, they escalate the issue to their local IT team.
The Netskope admin then has to explain that the block was due to the ad policy, not because the actual site is restricted.

To avoid the above scenarios, customer administrators often prefer to hide sponsored results on Google Search.
This document aims to explain how sponsored ads work on Google Search and why blocking them is not a straightforward task using URL filtering alone.

Details

Approximately 75–80% of Google's (Alphabet's) revenue comes from advertising - Link
Given this, it's important to understand that Google is unlikely to use a simple or straightforward method to deliver sponsored content or ads across its products. The complexity is intentional and aligns with their business model.

Image i

Click on 8
Refer Image ii, In the initial HTTP response, Google injected the Sponsored code into the HTML body.
Now when you click on a Sponsored result, the traffic is redirected to https://www.google.com/aclk
This request will be blocked if the Online Ads category is enabled.

Image ii

However, blocking these domains alone will not address the original use case, which is to stop Sponsored results.
A proxy solution can read the HTTP transactions & threads but reading the DOM marker (<span class="U3A9Ac qV8iec">Sponsored</span>) is not an easy task

Author Notes

Google’s ad system is sophisticated, using shared infrastructure for ads and non-ad content, dynamic URLs, and real-time bidding.
Some browser extensions may help block ads; however, Netskope neither advises for nor against their use. The decision remains with the customer.

Terms and Conditions

All documented information undergoes testing and verification to ensure accuracy.
In the future, it is possible that the application's functionality may be altered by the vendor. If any such changes are brought to our attention, we will promptly update the documentation to reflect them.

Notes

This article is authored by Netskope Global Technical Success (GTS).
For any further inquiries related to this article, please contact Netskope GTS by submitting a support case with 'Case Type – How To Questions'.

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