Search Changed Again: Here’s What Marketers Need to Know

Leading up to Google Marketing Live, Google announced a variety of updates coming to the world’s most popular search engine that are going to change the way users find information. From agentic AI to shortcuts within AI mode, the old search engine results page (SERP) of blue and black text is transforming into a more colorful and interactive playground for discovery. PMax is only a steppingstone for new ad types that may now appear as a list, checkout process, or conversation. 

Google is not the only one that is making changes. OpenAI has been making updates to ChatGPT’s newly launched ad types. New e-commerce focused ad types now include customer reviews and prices, a step up from the original, more standard formats that consisted of an image, brief description line, and call to action. Benji Shomair, VP of Monetization at OpenAI, echoed Google’s vision at a recent press meeting where he maintained that “Creative variation has been a real key to success.” 

As these platforms redefine what it means to make an online search, users readjust their expectations, advertisers adapt strategies, and clients reprioritize what projects bring the most business impact. 

How will search behavior change for users?

Historically, updates to technology make it quicker for people to find what they need. But the time savings accrued in this process opens the door for even more questions, decisions, and purchases.  

Searchers already have increasingly higher standards for information, so establishing initial trust is important. A significant portion of the population continues to rely on Google for their searches nearly 6x as often as ChatGPT or other LLMs, further establishing Google’s dominance in the search space. However, with Gen Z and Gen Alpha making up over 50% of generative AI users, consumers are putting more trust into agentic tools. Whether trust turns into loyalty may be another question.  

User inspiration is increasingly visual. Google reported that 85% of conversions have involved a combination of both YouTube and Search, reinforcing the importance of an optical strategy. 

What does this mean for advertisers?

Navigating a redesigned SERP is both exciting and overwhelming. To prioritize business impact, we keep in mind these three points at the center of our workflow: 

• Shortened consumer journey → Less opportunities to intercept users put a greater emphasis on the moments you do. Communication across channels is key for efficient results. 
• Personalization is imperative → Speak the user’s language while you have their attention. The more data the user hands you, the better you should be able to speak to them. 
• Search is conversational and visual → Find ways to encourage users to search more effectively. Avoid prompting fatigue by meeting the user halfway with suggested follow-ups during conversational searches. 

And for clients?

These updates impact e-commerce the most and will trickle into nearly all industry verticals. It’s important to prepare for change now by establishing foundational tracking and adjusting creative assets. Overall, clients should understand that: 

• More competition requires budget efficiency. Audience pools are getting smaller, more exclusive, and should be used for more intentional spending. Beware of over-investing in generic targeting. 
• Ambiguous data results in stagnation. A data-driven search strategy only works when analyzing the right metrics. Conversions going up but revenue staying flat may indicate that your conversion actions aren’t specific enough. 
• Dynamic creative helps to stay afloat in turbulent and evolving ad environments. Prioritize authenticity and user experience in creative decisions to establish user trust.  

Looking Forward

Search buying will adapt slowly as chaotic updates continue to roll in. At The Shipyard, we have enough digital marketing experience to have seen a fair share of exciting platform updates slowly fade into the noise without coming to fruition. 

As a major source of revenue, it’s in Google’s best interest to avoid major disruptions to working advertising strategies. Agentic AI still has a long way to go before any tools fully replace human involvement. The “death of search” conversation will be Frankenstein-ed time and time again, and based on previous updates, we know that the most effective response is rarely the fastest one. Instead, our plan of action is to evaluate developments carefully, focus on meaningful signals rather than noise, and make informed adjustments when the data supports them. 

Sophie Ryland is an Associate Media Director of Paid Search with 8+ years of paid media experience. She’s led performance-driven campaigns across tourism, retail, and beyond, helping brands show up where it counts.