Yep, in the short-term it's a good thing for users because it means they can access the content they are looking for more quickly in a consistent format.
In the long run, it might be bad for users, as it could result in media producing less valuable content, and one big company having more control over distribution.
Since I've searched for the content, these are not ads but real content that match my search query which site owners have asked Google to render. If, despite matching my search query, the content is not what I'm looking for, then it helps me as a user to know that sooner rather than later.
In the long run, it might be bad for users, as it could result in media producing less valuable content, and one big company having more control over distribution.