Google’s search experience is changing, and the introduction of advertising into AI Overviews and AI Mode marks another significant step in the evolution of paid search.
But this is about much more than new ad placements. The shift towards AI-powered, conversational search is something we’ve been seeing develop for some time. For advertisers, the importance of adapting their PPC strategies to keep pace is nothing new. However, Google’s latest developments reinforce just how important that evolution has become.
As Google takes on more responsibility for matching ads to relevant searches, advertisers need to reconsider where they focus their efforts. That means making greater use of AI-powered campaign capabilities, strengthening the data and signals that inform Google’s automation, and understanding the controls needed to guide performance.
What’s changing for advertisers
The traditional search journey was relatively straightforward: a user entered a query, Google returned a list of results, and advertisers competed for visibility through keywords, bids and ad relevance.
That experience is becoming increasingly conversational. With AI Overviews and AI Mode, users can ask more complex questions, explore recommendations, compare products and refine their searches through follow-up conversations.
Google reported in October 2026 that searches in AI Mode are, on average, three times longer than traditional searches. This highlights an important shift towards more exploratory, intent-rich interactions.
And Google is only doubling down on AI-powered search, bringing advertising further into these experiences. The US has been at the forefront of this evolution, with ads in AI Overviews beginning to roll out in October 2024 and AI Mode advertising following in May 2025. Google has since announced expansion into Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore, with further expansion planned for Brazil, Mexico and the UK in Q4 2026.
For advertisers, this has implications for how campaigns identify and capture relevant searches. As queries become longer and more varied, relying heavily on predefined keywords risks missing opportunities to reach users expressing relevant intent in new ways. Google’s AI-powered matching capabilities are increasingly important in helping advertisers respond to that broader range of searches.
The traditional PPC playbook is no longer enough
If your PPC strategy still relies heavily on manual CPC adjustments, excessive campaign segmentation and an over dependence on exact and phrase match keywords, it’s time to rethink your approach.
These tactics have historically provided control, but they can also limit reach and prevent campaigns from responding to emerging search intent. As Google’s matching capabilities become more sophisticated, overly restrictive structures may prevent campaigns from identifying relevant opportunities that sit outside existing keyword lists.
That means making greater use of broad match, AI Max for Search and Performance Max. Broad match helps advertisers reach relevant searches beyond their explicitly targeted keywords. AI Max builds on this with additional AI-powered search term matching, text customisation and landing page selection. And Performance Max extends automation across Google’s advertising channels, helping advertisers reach customers in their active customer lifecycle across the Google network.
The opportunity isn’t necessarily to abandon existing keyword strategies or campaign controls. Exact and phrase match still have a role, particularly where advertisers need greater precision. The priority is to understand where existing structures may be restricting performance and where AI-powered capabilities can unlock incremental opportunities that contribute to meaningful business results.
Data quality is your competitive advantage
There is one important caveat: automation is only as good as the information feeding it.
As Google takes on more responsibility for identifying audiences, matching intent and optimising creative, the quality of your data becomes increasingly important. Advertisers need to ensure Google’s systems are optimising towards outcomes that actually matter to the business.
That means getting the fundamentals right:
- Conversion tracking: Accurate measurement that prioritises meaningful business outcomes, not just superficial interactions.
- Google Tag Gateway, Consent Mode, & Enhanced Conversions: A robust measurement framework that supports privacy-conscious data collection and conversion measurement.
- First-party data and audience signals: Using historical performance and customer data to help Google’s AI understand who is most likely to convert.
- Data infrastructure: Connecting CRM, analytics and advertising platforms, including feeding qualified leads and offline sales back into Google Ads where possible.
- Quality creative assets: Providing compelling headlines, descriptions, imagery and landing pages for AI to work with.
- Exclusion strategies: Maintaining control through negative keywords, brand exclusions and URL exclusions to prevent irrelevant or unsuitable traffic.
The advertisers who invest in these foundations will be better positioned to get meaningful results from automation.
AI adoption needs a strategy
AI Max in particular presents a significant opportunity considering this update, but switching it on without a clear strategy is not the answer. Advertisers need to understand the controls available and establish appropriate safeguards, particularly in sensitive or regulated categories.
From text restrictions and URL exclusions to negative keywords and brand controls, there are several ways to guide Google’s automation while protecting campaign performance and brand suitability.
We’ve written a guide to launching AI Max without losing control of your brand, covering the practical steps advertisers should consider before, during and after launch.
PPC has always been about adapting
But really, this isn’t anything new for PPC. Paid search has always been evolving, and adapting to change has always been part of the job. From the move away from Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs), to the sunsetting of Broad Match Modifier (BMM), through to the evolution of Modern Search campaigns and AI-powered bidding, each shift has required advertisers to rethink established strategies, challenge traditional ways of working and embrace new capabilities.
The move towards AI-powered search is no different. User behaviour continues to evolve, Google’s technology continues to advance, and our strategies need to evolve alongside them.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to be testing these capabilities, understanding their impact and identifying where they can unlock incremental performance.
The advertisers best positioned to benefit will be those who can combine Google’s evolving capabilities with strong data foundations, clear commercial objectives and the judgement to know when to use automation.
The search landscape is moving. Your PPC strategy should be moving with it
