> it was around that time that adverts shifted from being clearly labelled to being disguised as search results.
This has been a 20 year process with no single step-change. Ads used to be on he right side in colored boxes. Gradually, they started to appear above results and with no background color.
I recall that someone made a compilation image showing the gradual progression from an obviously offset box (with a different design and solid colored background) to a design that's virtually identical to a search result other than the "Sponsored" label. Of course, I can't find it because search engines are garbage now.
This has been a 20 year process with no single step-change. Ads used to be on he right side in colored boxes. Gradually, they started to appear above results and with no background color.