Google search unveils cleaner design, toned-down ads

SAN FRANCISCO, March 13 (UPI) -- The Internet search engine Google has a new look, similar to its appearance on mobile devices, which downplays paid advertisements.

Yellow boxes around paid advertisements have given way to more discrete yellow tags adjacent to the paid links, PC World reported Thursday.

Google lead designer Jon Wiley wrote on the Google Plus website Wednesday the changes seen on mobile devices have been carried over "to the desktop experience. We've increased the size of result titles, removed the underlines and evened out all the line heights. This improves readability and creates an overall cleaner look."

Previously, Web surfers may have felt they were tricked into clicking on an ad, and the resulting dissatisfaction could tempt them to leave for other websites, Leo Dalakos of the digital marketing agency Performics said.