What AI-powered discovery in Google Search means for your marketing
To plan a summer trip to Yellowstone National Park, it’s a good idea to check geyser activity, plan hiking routes, and compare accommodation options. When I asked Google Search for «an itinerary for a three-day trip to Yellowstone,» I realized one thing: asking Search almost anything is now a natural thing to do. Whereas not long ago, to ask a question like this, you would have had to break it down into several smaller, more manageable questions. Today, thanks to advances in AI, searches are more efficient, natural, and intuitive.
I’ve witnessed several technological transformations during my time at Google, but the AI revolution is the most exciting change for Search. That’s because AI is making Google’s long-term vision a reality: to make Search super simple so users can ask, learn, and discover anything.
The days of carefully choosing search words are over. Now you can search by speaking naturally, using images, or simply circling what you see on the screen. With the reasoning power of our Gemini models built into Google Search, people can ask more complex and nuanced questions, and Search can understand them and help them discover more content on the web. Google Search no longer just delivers information, but also intelligence, to help you answer literally any question.
Google Search no longer just offers information, but also intelligence, to help you answer any question.
Every year, more than five trillion searches are made worldwide.1 While we’re starting from a very high figure, the number of queries on Search continues to grow.2 And do you know which age group searches more than any other? Generation Z! Logged-in users between 18 and 24 submit more queries per day than other age groups.3 Google Search is huge, it keeps growing, and it stays fresh.
AI is giving Google Search superpowers
Users love everything they can do now with Search. Lens has grown 65% year-over-year, and over 100 billion visual searches have been made this year. 4 Plus, one in five Lens searches is for commercial purposes. 5 Circle to Search is now available on over 250 million Android devices worldwide. 6 This feature lets you instantly search for anything on your screen with a simple gesture, without switching apps. Young users who have tried the feature already use it for 10% of their searches. 7
AI-Powered Views is one of Search’s most successful launches in the last decade. Launched last year, it’s now used by over 1.5 billion users in over 200 countries and territories every month. 8 This means Google Search is bringing generative AI to more people than any other product in the world. 9
As the number of AI-Created Views users increases, something very interesting is happening: they are increasingly satisfied with the results and are conducting more searches. They are also starting to ask new types of questions, such as: «How do I keep my suits from wrinkling on a long flight?», «What’s the difference between a flat white and a cappuccino?» or «How many hours of sleep does an adult need to be healthy and feel good?» In our largest markets, like the US and India, AI-Created Views are driving over 10% growth in the types of queries where these summaries are shown. We find it very exciting to see this growth increase over time.
Google Search is bringing generative AI to more people than any other product in the world.
For those who want to take their questions to the next level, we’ve created AI Mode. With AI Mode, you can ask anything, receive an AI-powered answer, and then dig deeper with additional questions and web links. It offers more advanced reasoning and multimodality capabilities to help you with your toughest questions. Early testers of AI Mode are asking much longer queries—two to three times longer than traditional searches.11 We’re starting to roll out AI Mode to all US users on Search. Over time, we’ll incorporate many of the cutting-edge features and capabilities of AI Mode directly into the core Search experience.
The new era of Google Search brings new business opportunities
It’s been exciting to see the reception these new ways of using Google Search have had. But we’re not just helping users ask new questions. This evolution also gives you new opportunities to expand your business. The search methods users use provide us with richer contextual and intent signals than ever before, and these methods are constantly expanding. Plus, our AI models are getting better at understanding intent. We understand not just the «what,» but also the «why,» and this allows us to anticipate what the user will need. Google Search can turn curiosity into new discoveries and confident decisions.
For example, let’s imagine someone searches for «how to fly with small dogs.» Google Search breaks down this query into several dimensions to understand what this person really needs. We’ll offer direct answers, such as the airline’s policies and recommendations. But we can also anticipate a commercial need. So, at the right moment, we can show a traveling dog owner an ad for an airline-approved carrier.
In AI-Powered Views, we show more links from a wider variety of sources on the results page, creating new opportunities for content discovery.12 When users click through to search results pages with AI-Powered Views, those clicks are of higher quality for websites, as users are more likely to spend more time on the sites they choose to visit.13
New advertising touchpoints are expanding rapidly. We’ve started showing ads on the desktop version of AI-Powered Views in the US and on the mobile version in select English-speaking countries. Later this year, we’ll also be bringing AI-Powered Views ads to select countries on mobile and desktop devices. We’re also testing showing ads in AI-Powered Views answers. As Google Search becomes more helpful, your business has more opportunities to show your ads when and where users are ready to discover and purchase a product or service.
Gain visibility and achieve better results
Google Search is the undisputed leader in terms of ROI. Search generates an incremental return on advertising spend (ROAS) of $6 for every dollar advertisers invest in paid campaigns worldwide. Such a return can’t be found anywhere else. But how can you ensure your marketing initiatives are taking full advantage of the latest Search improvements?
The only way to succeed in the new era of Search is by using AI-powered campaigns.
The only way to succeed in the new era of Search is with AI-powered campaigns. That’s why we’ve brought together our most effective solutions in the Power Pack, designed to deliver strong performance across the expanded Google ecosystem. There, you’ll find everything you need, from Peak Performance and Demand Generation to AI Max for Search Campaigns, a recently launched feature set.
Search campaigns with AI Max dynamically personalize your ads and drive traffic to the most relevant landing pages. This means that with just one click, your ads better align with user intent and can adapt to new Search experiences like AI-Powered Views and AI Mode. AI is already delivering exceptional results in search campaigns. Advertisers who adopt AI Max for Search Campaigns achieve 27% more conversions with a similar cost per acquisition (CPA) or ROAS compared to campaigns that primarily use exact and phrase match keywords.
We believe AI will be the most powerful online discovery engine ever. AI is helping Google Search better connect consumers with the content, creators, and businesses they care about. We’re building a smarter, more agentic, and personalized Search that can answer the toughest questions and help you get more done. For businesses, Search remains a powerful way to turn curiosity into new discoveries and confident decisions.
Source: www.thinkwithgoogle.com
