The US Federal Trade Commission has told various search engine companies to tighten up their practices when it comes to paid advertising that appears on a search results page, reports Graydon Head.

In its letter to the companies, the Commission requests that the shading that sets the ads apart be prominent enough so that the background doesn’t get lost, especially on mobile devices. It also wants prominent text indicating what’s an ad.

The Commission is reacting to survey results that showed that 62% of searchers were not aware of the distinction between paid and non-paid results.