**Source:** Synthesized analysis of historical mobile SERP (Search Engine Results Page) layouts, based on pixel height measurements of standard iPhone viewports. Data correlates with historical reports from MozCast, SparkToro (Zero-Click searches), and publicly available archive snapshots of Google Search.
* **2010:** Standard text ads (approx. 15% height).
* **2025:** Shopping Grids, Sponsored Carousels, and AI Overviews (SGE) pushing the first organic result below the ~900px fold.
**Tools:** Python (Matplotlib) using `patches` to simulate the mobile UI rendering.
**Context:** I wanted to visualize the feeling of “scroll fatigue.” In 2010, the first screen was mostly useful links. Today, the “First Screen” is a monetization wall. The data shows organic results have shrunk from **85%** of the initial view to just **10%**, forcing users to scroll past a “Trap” of widgets and a “Wall” of ads to find what they actually searched for.
zeoNoeN on
Not so fun fact regarding this. Reddit is now a major target for companies to get cited in LLM Chatbots, like SEO was targeting Google Search in the past. So the trend you see in the data is currently happening to Reddit, which gets flooded with AI generated Ads. Now Reddit will want their slice of this sweet pie and will probably start to offer paid ads/post whatever + ChatGPT Ads also on the way.
Might need to find a new platform soon, happy to take suggestions.
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**Source:** Synthesized analysis of historical mobile SERP (Search Engine Results Page) layouts, based on pixel height measurements of standard iPhone viewports. Data correlates with historical reports from MozCast, SparkToro (Zero-Click searches), and publicly available archive snapshots of Google Search.
* **2010:** Standard text ads (approx. 15% height).
* **2025:** Shopping Grids, Sponsored Carousels, and AI Overviews (SGE) pushing the first organic result below the ~900px fold.
**Tools:** Python (Matplotlib) using `patches` to simulate the mobile UI rendering.
**Context:** I wanted to visualize the feeling of “scroll fatigue.” In 2010, the first screen was mostly useful links. Today, the “First Screen” is a monetization wall. The data shows organic results have shrunk from **85%** of the initial view to just **10%**, forcing users to scroll past a “Trap” of widgets and a “Wall” of ads to find what they actually searched for.
Not so fun fact regarding this. Reddit is now a major target for companies to get cited in LLM Chatbots, like SEO was targeting Google Search in the past. So the trend you see in the data is currently happening to Reddit, which gets flooded with AI generated Ads. Now Reddit will want their slice of this sweet pie and will probably start to offer paid ads/post whatever + ChatGPT Ads also on the way.
Might need to find a new platform soon, happy to take suggestions.