Everyone Should Understand Google Ads AI Search Revolution
The evolution of Inbound search technology can be regarded as a history of technological development in the digital age. From the initial text input to today's multimodal search that integrates voice, image, and even humming recognition, each breakthrough is closer to the natural way humans acquire information. Brendon Kraham, vice president of Inbound Advertising Solutions, pointed out that the core pain point facing traditional search is that "many questions are not asked because people lack the ability to describe them in the appropriate language." This expression barrier is particularly evident in complex problems or visual information, and multimodal search is designed to solve this dilemma. The newly launched "Multisearch" function allows users to use images and text to search at the same time, simulating the intuitive behavior of pointing at objects and asking questions in reality. Initially launched in English, the technology is now planned to be expanded to more than 70 languages, marking a global innovation in the search experience.
I. How AI Search Reshapes the Consumer Journey
1. Paradigm Shift from Passive Query to Active Exploration
In traditional search behavior patterns, consumers usually make inquiries only when they have clear needs, which is a passive "problem-oriented" mode. AI search has completely changed this behavior. Through multimodal input and intelligent recommendations, it stimulates users' curiosity about "what they don't know they need to know" and forms an active "exploration-oriented" mode. Google data shows that more than 80% of search ad spending comes from non-navigational queries, proving that consumers are actively using search to explore options. This shift requires marketing strategies to shift from "meeting known needs" to "stimulating potential interests". Content must be more inspiring and educational in order to establish brand relevance during the consumer exploration stage.
2. Key Roles in the Decision-Making Stage: 70% of Community Users Cross-Platform Verification
The interaction patterns between social media and search engines show a surprisingly complementary relationship. Ipsos research found that while social media platforms are often thought to stimulate impulse purchases, in fact 70% of social media users will use Google ads searches to further verify products they found on social media. This cross-platform behavior is particularly evident among Generation Z, who view Google ads as a “decision-making platform” for comparing options, checking reviews and finding the best deals. For marketers, this means that creative content on social media must be seamlessly connected to the information architecture of the search side to ensure that consumers receive a consistent brand experience during the cross-platform verification process and avoid conversion loss due to information gaps.
3. Generation Z’s Search Behavior Characteristics and Visual Search Preferences
The search behavior of Generation Z shows distinct generational characteristics. Data shows that the average daily search volume of logged-in users aged 18-24 is higher than that of other age groups, and 80% use Google Shopping for product discovery and research. Compared with other platforms, Generation Z trusts the relevance of information provided by Google ads more, and this trust drives them to use search as a core hub for consumer decision-making. In terms of behavioral patterns, Generation Z shows a strong visual preference, as evidenced by the high adoption rate of the Circle to Search feature. They are accustomed to the smooth experience of "what you see is what you search" and hate the tedious process of traditional search that requires accurate description of visual elements. This requires brands to rethink the way they present their products and take visual recognition and search friendliness into consideration when designing.
II. Adaptation and Transformation of Marketing Strategies
1. Empirical Benefits of AI Advertising Solutions (ROAS Increased by 19%)
Inbound advertising solutions have demonstrated significant commercial value. TransUnion research shows that Performance Max campaigns in the retail and consumer electronics sectors have achieved a 19% higher return on ad spend (ROAS) than other social platform AI ads. This advantage comes from Inbound deep integration of search AI and advertising systems, allowing marketing campaigns to respond instantly to changing search patterns. The case of Indian insurance company HDFC Ergo further proves that a fully automated strategy combining broad match keywords, smart bidding and personalized advertising can bring a 139% increase in online sales. For marketers, the key is to trust the AI system and give it enough space to learn, rather than over-interfering in the calculation process, so as to fully unleash the potential of automated advertising.
2. Content Strategy Adjustment: Building Reliable and Human-Oriented SEO Materials
The rise of AI Overviews has not weakened the importance of SEO, but has increased the requirements for content quality.The content that can be highlighted in the AI overview must be "useful, reliable, and people-centric." This means that traditional keyword stuffing or technical SEO techniques are no longer enough, and the content must truly solve user problems and provide comprehensive and authoritative information. In practice, brands should establish a "question library" rather than just a "keyword library" and design in-depth content for each question that consumers may ask (especially complex and multi-faceted questions). At the same time, the content structure should be convenient for AI systems to extract key points, using clear titles, bullet points, and factual statements to increase the chances of being cited by AI Overviews.
3. Necessity and Implementation of Cross-Channel Measurement System
The rise of multimodal search has made the consumer journey more fragmented, and the traditional last-click attribution model can no longer reflect the true marketing impact. Inbound marketing emphasizes the urgency of establishing a "cross-channel measurement system" and recommends that marketers adopt advanced methods such as marketing mix modeling to comprehensively evaluate the contribution of each touch point. On a technical level, this requires integrating first-party data, advertising platform reporting, and analytics tools to create a unified performance view. In practice, you can start by setting a clear conversion path, tracking all user interactions from first contact to final purchase, paying special attention to the conversion correlation between visual search and traditional search, and gradually building complete cross-channel insight capabilities.
III. Future Trends and Practical Suggestions
1. Multimodal Search Will Become the Standard: Multi-Search Language Extension Plan
Inbound has clearly identified multimodal search as the future standard and plans to expand multi-search capabilities to more than 70 languages. This means that compound queries of "text + image" will become mainstream, and brands must prepare multilingual versions of visual assets and ensure that product images can accurately convey messages in different cultural contexts. Technically, it is necessary to create structured data of visual content so that search engines can correctly interpret the elements and contextual relationships in the image. Practical recommendations include investing in multilingual image annotation, developing culturally appropriate visual marketing materials, and training teams on multimodal SEO best practices to prepare for the coming wave of global multimodal search.
2. Combined Application of Automation Tools (Broad Matching + Smart Bidding + Automated Creatives)
Google VP Vidhya Srinivasan stressed that AI-driven ad automation has gone from being an “option” to a “necessity.” Successful advertisers are using a combination of “broad match keywords + smart bidding + automatically generated creatives” to create amazing performance improvements. Broad match keywords can capture emerging search intents by leveraging Inbound 50% improvement in language understanding; smart bidding adjusts bidding strategies in real time to reflect the ever-changing market conditions; and automatically generated creatives ensure that ads can adapt to various emerging search formats. To implement this strategy, marketing teams should start with small-scale tests and gradually expand the scope of automation while closely monitoring key metrics and striking a balance between AI efficiency and human oversight.
3.Case Analysis
Case 1: Fashion brand uses AI profiling and visual search to increase conversion rates
Generation Z consumers prefer visual shopping, but traditional keyword advertising has difficulty capturing non-text search needs. AI Overview Optimization: Generate AI overviews for complex queries (such as "sustainable denim for music festivals"), integrate brand product links, blogger reviews and price comparisons, and embed them directly into the search results page. Add "Search with Lens" prompts in store windows and social media ads, allowing users to jump to the brand's official purchase page by taking a photo of the clothing and display similar style recommendations. Searches using AI overviews saw a 35% increase in click-through rate and a 50% increase in average dwell time. Lens-driven visual searches account for 20% of new customer conversions, with Gen Z accounting for 65%.
Case 2: Travel platforms seize the decision window through multimodal search and Performance Max advertising model
Users search for vague terms (e.g., “island vacation”) during the travel inspiration phase, but frequently compare prices when making a decision. Multimodal search ads: Combine image + text search terms such as "island + blue sea + family" to display immersive hotel images and limited-time discounts on Google Maps and search results. Performance Max Automation: Use AI to automatically generate advertising materials (horizontal images, short videos) and dynamically match them with user search intent (such as "family travel" gives priority to displaying children's facilities). Results: Non-navigation search ad revenue grew 45%, and average booking value grew 22%. The mobile traffic conversion rate brought by "Circle to Search" is 30% higher than traditional search.
Case 3: Insurance companies use automation and extensive matching to tap into long-tail demand
Insurance search terms are highly fragmented (e.g., “electric car insurance” vs. “Tesla Model 3 warranty”), and manual keyword management is costly. Broad Match + Smart Bidding: Enable AI-driven broad match keywords (e.g., “electric vehicle protection”) to automatically capture variant queries and link them to relevant policy pages. Automatically generate assets: Use AI to convert product manuals into FAQ format, directly answer long-tail questions such as "What insurance covers battery damage?" and embed AI overview. Online insurance sales grew by 139%, with long-tail keywords contributing 40% of new customers. The return on advertising spend (ROAS) increased by 84%, and the cost per click after AI optimization decreased by 28%. Visual and AI-driven search is reshaping the user journey, and brands need to optimize image assets and participate in the AI-powered overview content ecosystem. Automated tools (such as Performance Max) can efficiently capture decentralized requirements and are particularly suitable for industries with non-standard products. The behavior of Generation Z verifies the synergistic effect of "search + social" - inspiration is sparked on social platforms, but decisions return to Google.
IV. Topkee's Inbound Solution
Topkee's Inbound solution is an integrated service system built based on years of practical experience in the field of digital marketing, focusing on helping companies establish a complete online customer acquisition funnel. The solution integrates three core modules: advertising operations, marketing integration, and social network operations, and achieves precise customer acquisition and efficient conversion through data-driven marketing strategies. The unique attribution analysis system TTO can fully capture the conversion paths of each channel, allowing companies to accurately measure the relevance of each advertising investment to business goals, thereby effectively increasing consulting volume and sales revenue.
The marketing integration service reflects Topkee's core concept of "conversion-centric", providing one-stop services from website architecture planning, user experience design to back-end system integration. WEBER website construction platform serves as a technical support, which can quickly realize the deployment of digital assets such as corporate official websites and e-commerce platforms, and convert website traffic into actual business opportunities through the omni-channel dialogue system. It is particularly noteworthy that the system can track customer behavior across channels and use intelligent algorithms to push personalized messages at the best touchpoints. This marketing automation design based on the customer journey has greatly improved conversion rates.
The data analysis module can monitor the quality of fan interactions in real time and continuously optimize content strategies through A/B testing to help brands establish long-term and stable social influence. This operating model, which deeply combines creative production, channel management and effect evaluation, enables companies to continuously produce high-quality social content at controllable costs, thereby improving work efficiency and strengthening brand stickiness. Overall, Topkee's Inbound solution builds a complete ecosystem from traffic acquisition to customer conversion through the seamless integration of echnical tools and marketing strategies, providing substantial support for corporate digital transformation.
Conclusion
The Google ads AI search revolution is reshaping the digital marketing landscape at an astonishing pace. From multimodal input to AI Overviews, from visual search to automated advertising, this transformation is not only a technological upgrade, but also a fundamental shift in consumer behavior and marketing paradigms. The data clearly shows that brands that embrace these changes have gained significant competitive advantages - whether it’s a 19% increase in ROAS or high engagement among younger demographics. In the face of this change, marketers should remain open-minded, actively test new features, re-examine content strategies, and establish cross-channel measurement systems. Remember, AI will not replace human creativity and strategic thinking; it will amplify them to unprecedented levels. If you need professional guidance during your transformation, Topkee’s team of consultants is ready to assist and help your brand stand out in this search revolution.
