AI has changed Google search. Here's how to stay ahead of it.

Stay visible, even in the changing landscape of artificial intelligence

Standing out among hundreds or thousands of Google search results in today’s world of seemingly infinite choices is no small feat. Especially now that Google is using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to try to provide searchers with information the search engine believes aligns closely with search queries.

Google pioneered the application of generative AI to search results

Google generative AI technology serves searchers and users of all ages in more than 100 countries worldwide and appears in nearly half of all Google searches. Just what is generative AI and why is it important? This evolving (and increasingly popular) technology:

Uses multi-step reasoning to gather information from several websites, then craft detailed answers to even the most complex questions
Most commonly generates AI overviews from questions four words or longer that start with “what,” “how,” “why,” “when” and “does”
Provides customized information in the blink of an eye (and immediately at the top of the page) in a scannable AI overview
Uses simple language and predicts the next word in a sequence to produce text that appears fluent
Allows people to search with minimal information — even videos via Google Lens — yet still receive a wide range of perspectives, content types and related links for more detailed exploration
Prioritizes user-friendly AI-driven and -categorized results over traditional search results
Allows for related ads to be placed directly within search results (ads currently display, but only on a small scale)
Can help improve digital ad performance

AI aims to enhance user experiences, creates challenges for brands and businesses

While searchers are warming to the use of generative AI, brands, businesses and organizations are discovering new challenges related to AI and digital marketing. AI-generated results now display at the top of search results, pushing organic results and paid ads “below the fold,” requiring searchers to scroll to see and interact with them. Also, because AI results and paid ads currently do not typically appear adjacent to one another, search engine optimization (SEO) and an optimized website are more crucial than ever to enable inclusion in AI overviews and search results. To maintain visibility in this increasingly competitive landscape, businesses and organizations must balance content strategies with a stronger focus on paid search.

Generative AI is changing advertising strategy

While generative AI’s full impact on advertising remains to be seen — largely because the technology is still so new — advertisers have already gained a few key insights:

Generative AI has decreased click-through rates (CTRs) for traditional organic searches because users are finding information and clicking through without scrolling, and traditional search results are not immediately visible
Businesses and organizations featured as AI overview sources can significantly increase their CTR as consumers see them as credible and prominent and important
Ad prices should remain competitive, despite the prominence of AI overviews leading to the appearance of less branded content in traditional search results
Advertisers are skeptical that current paid ads, even when positioned lower on the page, will result in negative return on investment (ROI)
Traditional SEO, in addition to answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO), remains vitally important, as it is still the point of reference for AI models

Perhaps most importantly, generative AI has reinforced the importance and impact of “human touch” in digital advertising and search. Actual humans will always be required participants, because even the smartest machine is still a machine.

Google keeps moving fast. Here's the latest.

In May 2026, Google announced that AI Mode has surpassed 1 billion monthly users in just one year, with queries more than doubling every quarter since launch. They also introduced what they're calling "search agents," AI agents that operate in the background 24/7, scanning the web and sending users a quick summary on whatever they're tracking. For brands and businesses, that makes showing up in the right places even more critical. Google also overhauled the search box itself for the first time in more than 25 years, making it smarter and more intuitive, with the ability to accept text, images, files, videos and even open browser tabs as inputs.

Vendi experts know how to enhance your search visibility and business growth

Generative AI has made organic search less likely to generate traffic for your business or organization as many of these interactions require zero clicks. We work closely with you to help you embrace a strong SEO strategy supported by paid advertising, which increases your visibility in search results. We strategize, execute, track and optimize search campaigns that:

Showcase the most important features and benefits of your products or services
Use the right keywords
Connect searchers to your highest-quality, most informative and most accurate online content
Allow searchers to clearly understand why your products or services are valuable and preferable to others
Anticipate prospect and customer questions and concerns before they happen
Reassure your prospects and customers you’ll be there for them now and always

Contact Vendi today and let us help you reach your goals in this new era of digital advertising and search complexity. Then watch your strategic, effective campaigns bring your solutions to the forefront of search results and viewers’ attention.