Facebook is still trying to find new places to put ads

It might seem like there’s already tons of ads on Facebook, but the company is still searching for new places to put more of them. 

The latest method that’s materializing is in search results, where Facebook is now experimenting with ads, the company confirmed. 

“We’re running a small test to place ads in Facebook search results, and we’ll be evaluating whether these ads are beneficial for people and businesses before deciding whether to expand it,” Facebook product manager Zoheb Hajiyani said in a statement. 

Though not the first time Facebook had dabbled in search ads, it’s a significant move for the company, which is facing declining revenue growth.

For now, the ads will be an extension of those in Facebook’s News Feed. They’ll only be available to a limited number of people in the automotive and retail industry, according to the company. Facebook’s early partners can opt in to the new ads via the same ad manager tools they use to promote ads in the News Feed.

The new ad format is the latest sign that Facebook is still eagerly searching for new places to put ads. The company has been warning investors for some time that ads in News Feed are pretty much at capacity and that they still haven’t figured out how to monetize Stories effectively. 

Combine that with slowing user growth, and the only option left open to the company is to tap into new places on Facebook, which are not currently being monetized. (Likewise, the company is also eyeing new places to put ads in Instagram.)

So search, which is featured prominently and used by just about everyone on the service, is certainly a promising place to start.