1. AI Is Reshaping Everything AI is no longer an add-on - it’s at the heart of the search experience. Google’s new AI Overviews have already reached over 1.5 billion people globally. These overviews shift search away from short, transactional queries to longer, more natural conversations - often 2-3x the length of traditional queries.

AI is also changing ad placement and performance:

• Ads now appear above and below AI Overviews globally, and experiments are underway to integrate ads within the overview itself (US).

• In AI Mode, new ad formats are rolling out. In H1 Google has been trialling ads after the first response, and in Q4 there are plans in the US for experiments that include ads in the first response

But this isn’t just about longer queries - it’s about intent prediction. Google’s systems are moving from matching to predicting, aiming to provide solutions, not just answers. Utilising paid campaign types to help the prediction is going to be absolutely fundamental to keep brands ahead of the competition.

2. The Search Journey Is Now Truly Multimodal Search isn’t just about typing anymore. Increasingly, discovery starts through scrolling, streaming, shopping - and now with Lens and Circle to Search. Some stats:

• 5 trillion searches happen annually
• 25 billion queries a month come through Google Lens
• 10% of younger users begin searches with Circle to Search
• 18-24-year-olds perform the most queries of any group

The implication? Brands need to think beyond keywords and consider visual, voice, and hybrid search formats.

3. Performance and Creativity Can Coexist Despite concerns that AI might dilute creativity, Google’s view is the opposite: AI will amplify creativity. With tools like Final URL Expansion, auto-generated assets, and PowerPairing (Search + PMax), advertisers are seeing:

• +14-27% more conversion value with AI Max for Search (at the same tROAS)
• +8% higher ROAS from combining PMax with Search
• +14% more conversions when Demand Gen is layered in

Early adopters are seeing strong performance gains - particularly when creative assets are optimised for AI use.

4. SEO and Feed Optimisation Are Still Critical

AI Max for Search doesn’t replace the fundamentals. In fact, it leans on them.

Product feeds, SEO, and landing page quality are still vital. Google’s systems are simply getting better at surfacing the best content, not doing all the heavy lifting for you.

Search is no longer just a performance channel - it’s now a strategic layer across the full consumer journey. The UK is leading in best practices, and agencies like SHIFT are well positioned to help brands stay ahead of the curve.

5. Key Stats from the Summit

Here's a quick-fire roundup of some standout figures shared during the event:

• 130+ phone interactions per user per day
• 5 trillion annual searches on Google
• 15% of daily queries are brand new
• 1.5 billion users reached by AI Overviews so far
• 25 billion monthly queries via Google Lens
• 10% of Gen Z use Circle to Search as their starting point
• 1 in 5 searches now have commercial intent
• 21% higher ROAS when brands advertise on both Google and YouTube
• AI Max for Search delivers 14-27% more conversion value when paired with standard Search match types
• PMax improves ROAS by 8% and sales effectiveness by 10%
• Demand Gen + Search + PMax = 14% more conversions

These numbers underline just how fast things are shifting - and how powerful the new tools can be when used strategically.

6. What Should Marketers Do Next?

This isn’t just a product update - it’s a fundamental shift in how people find, explore, and buy.

Here’s what marketers and agencies should prioritise:

• Start testing AI Max for Search - explore URL expansion and creative asset automation
• Optimise for multimodal discovery - think beyond keywords and adapt for voice, visual, and conversational journeys
• Revisit your product feed and landing pages - quality still matters, and Google’s AI builds on the foundations you give it
• Plan for visibility across all surfaces - SERPs, YouTube, Discover, Circle to Search, Lens
• Shift towards audience- and intent-based thinking - leverage broad match and PMax for scalable reach

This is the moment to lead - not follow - in search.

Final Thought

As one speaker put it: “Consumer behaviour is predictably unpredictable.” The brands that will thrive in this new era of search are the ones willing to embrace that chaos - and find clarity through experimentation, creativity, and AI-powered insight.

Drop Alex Faux, Media Planning Director, a note if you want to know more. alex.faux@shiftactivemedia.com