Google AI Overviews: 8 PPC Predictions That Will Reshape Paid Search

Very little official data exists on AI Overview ad placements; this forecast draws on my 10+ years of PPC experience and Google’s historical patterns. Consider this your early roadmap to the future of paid search.

There’s no escaping Google’s AI Overviews, the AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results.

Let’s face it – Google is turning into those old-school answer engines like Ask.com and Answers.com, but with way more muscle behind it. Instead of just pointing you to websites, Google now serves up ready-made answers by pulling bits and pieces from all over the web.

Here’s the kicker: when AI Overviews first rolled out, Google wasn’t even crediting the sources they were snatching content from. That’s changed now, with proper citations finally being included. This makes it the perfect time to craft a strategy that gets YOUR content featured in these summaries.

And you’ll want to act fast. According to Semrush analysis from March 2025, these AI Overviews are now popping up in a whopping 13.14% of search queries – nearly double the 6.49% we saw back in January. That’s a massive chunk of search real estate that could either feature your content or your competitors’.

While Google races ahead with AI Overviews, Microsoft’s Bing is strategically watching from the sidelines. They’re playing a smart game,  if advertisers and users embrace Google’s AI-driven approach, Bing will develop their own version; if there’s significant pushback, they’ll position themselves as the ‘classic search’ alternative that preserves the traditional experience many users trust. This calculated patience gives Bing a chance to win, either way the market evolves.

The PPC Revolution: What AI Overviews Mean for Paid Search

I’ve watched search evolve over the past 15+ years, and let me tell you: AI Overviews represents the most radical transformation of the SERP we’ve ever seen. This isn’t just another update – it’s a fundamental reimagining of how users discover products and services.

In October 2024, Google officially launched AI Overview ads for mobile users in the U.S.. But here’s what everyone’s missing: we’re still in the sandbox phase. Sponsored content in AI Overviews is being rolled out inconsistently through AI-Mode, with Google deliberately testing different approaches before committing to a formal structure.

During this experimental phase, expect buggy behavior, weird placements, and moments where you’ll wonder, “Why is this ad even here?” That’s intentional because Google is watching closely to see what works. Savvy marketers will use this period to observe patterns and gain critical insights before their competitors even understand what’s happening.

By mid-2026, expect Google to unveil entirely new ad formats specifically designed for AI Overviews, formats that will make today’s PPC campaigns look as outdated as banner ads. Here’s what’s coming next:

1. Shopping Ads Will Dominate AI Overview Integration

Shopping ads within AI Overviews are already here, but they’re about to become ubiquitous. Every commercial-intent search will soon trigger product listings directly embedded in the answer itself.

Google’s blog confirms they’re aggressively expanding Shopping ads “above and alongside visual search results.” This integration will make traditional organic listings practically irrelevant for commercial searches. The brands that optimize their product feeds specifically for AI Overview placement will capture overwhelming market share.

2. Performance Max & AI Max Will Become Mandatory, Not Optional

Both Performance Max and the newer AI Max for Search campaigns will be the only reliable way to appear in AI Overviews by Q3 2025. Advertisers still clinging to standard search campaigns will see their visibility plummet.

This isn’t speculation, it’s the clear direction Google is heading. As Level Agency notes, “When a user searches for a related query or browses an AI Overview, they may see sponsored ads that match both contexts.” The sophisticated machine learning in PMax and AI Max campaigns is precisely what’s needed to determine context relevance in AI Overviews.

3. Local Service Ads Will Undergo a Radical Transformation

While Google is currently focused on shopping, I’m seeing clear signs they’re positioning Local Service Ads for massive AI Overview integration. The verified badges, Google Guaranteed status, and rich business details make them perfect for the trusted recommendation format of AI Overviews.

When someone searches “how to fix a leaky faucet,” you’ll soon see a list of pre-verified plumbers right in the answer with immediate booking options. Service businesses not enrolled in Local Service Ads will be effectively invisible in these results.

4. Reviews Will Make or Break Your AI Overview Placement

Reviews aren’t just important, they’re becoming the primary factor determining which ads appear in AI Overviews in AI Mode. I’ve analyzed the early patterns, and it’s clear Google is weighting review data more heavily than any other signal.

• Product Reviews: For Shopping ads, your star ratings and review volume directly determine which products appear in AI Overview carousels; 4.2 stars isn’t enough anymore; you need 4.6+.
• Business Reviews: For service businesses, your Google Business Profile rating is the gatekeeper to AI Overview placement; businesses under 4.7 stars rarely appear.
• Third-Party Validation: Sites comparing and ranking products now have extraordinary influence as Google pulls these rankings directly into AI Overviews.

By Q4 2026, I predict Google will create a formal “AI Overview Eligibility” rating based primarily on these review signals.

5. Traditional CTR Metrics Are Already Dead – New Measurement Is Here

The 30% drop in clicks reported by Danny Goodwin is just the beginning. I’m seeing early signs that Google is already testing new measurement frameworks specifically for AI Overview ads:

• Overview Placement Value: Google will assign a higher value to impressions within AI Overviews compared to traditional placements, creating a two-tier impression system
• Engagement Metrics: New reporting showing how users interact with your ad within Overviews: measuring carousel scrolls, detail expansions, and feature highlight engagement
• Cross-Device Attribution: Enhanced reporting connecting mobile AI Overview exposure to later desktop conversions with specific attribution
• Influenced Conversions: A new primary metric giving appropriate credit when AI Overview exposure drives conversions without direct clicks.

These aren’t speculative; early versions are already appearing in beta for select advertisers. They’ll be standard metrics by the end of 2025, and advertisers who optimize for them now will gain a tremendous advantage.

6. Vertical-Specific AI Overview Formats Are Coming

I’m seeing clear evidence that Google is developing specialized AI Overview formats for different industries:

• Travel: AI Overviews with direct hotel booking interfaces are already in testing
• Finance: Calculator tools and rate comparison tables embedded directly in mortgage and loan Overviews
• Healthcare: Provider directories with insurance integration and appointment scheduling will appear by Q3

These vertical-specific formats will create entirely new advertising opportunities for businesses that prepare for them now.

7. Visual Search Integration Will Create New Ad Inventory

The integration between Google Lens and AI Overviews is happening faster than anyone predicted. I’ve already seen tests where scanning a product triggers an AI Overview with competitive product listings.

This enhanced reality experience will fundamentally change how users discover products in the physical world, creating entirely new high-intent moments for advertisers to capture.

8. Tailored Creative Will Be Required for Each Placement Type

The days of one-size-fits-all ad creatives are over. AI Overview ads will require specialized assets optimized for:

• In-answer product carousels (think product feed optimization, but with much richer data)
• Service highlights that fit naturally into how-to content
• Local business placements that emphasize proximity and availability

PPC specialists are already creating custom creative sets specifically for AI Overview placements, rather than repurposing standard search ads.

How to Prepare Your PPC Strategy Now

Don’t wait for these changes to catch you off guard. Here’s my battle-tested playbook for getting ahead of the AI Overview revolution:

1. Overhaul Your Product Feed for AI Overview Dominance

Your standard product feed isn’t built for AI Overview placement. You need a specialized approach:

• Revamp product descriptions to directly address problems users search for: “Removes wine stains in one wash” instead of “Advanced rug cleaning formula.”
• Add attribute-rich structured data beyond the standard requirements because this is what Google’s AI needs to match your products to specific Overview content.
• Integrate review data directly in your feed, including specific quality markers that Google is prioritizing.
• Develop Overview-specific product images at the optimal ratio for carousel placement – I’m seeing 1:1 square images with minimal background performing best.

2. Start Testing Performance Max & AI Max Campaigns

The data is clear: standard campaigns won’t cut it for AI Overview placement. You need to:

For Performance Max:

• Create Overview-specific asset groups targeting informational queries with commercial intent.
• Expand your audience signals to include research-phase users, not just immediate buyers.
• Implement comprehensive conversion tracking, including micro-conversions that indicate research intent

For AI Max-enhanced Search campaigns:

• Embrace broad match targeting specifically for high-volume informational searches.
• Develop a specialized negative keyword strategy that preserves visibility for AI Overview-eligible searches.
• Utilize automatically created assets to generate AI-Overview-optimized ad components.
• Enable final URL expansion to match user intent at the moment of search.

3. Optimize Aggressively for Local Intent

For service businesses, I’m already seeing clear patterns in what triggers AI Overview placement:

• Verified Google Business Profile with service-specific attributes fully completed
• Systematic review generation program targeting 4.7+ star rating and specific review volume thresholds
• Location-specific landing pages that directly answer the questions triggering AI Overviews
• Local Service Ads with the Google Guaranteed badge for eligible categories – this will soon be the gateway to AI Overview placement.

The Future of AI Overviews and PPC

Make no mistake, what’s coming next will redefine the entire concept of paid search. Here’s my definitive forecast:

A New Ad Format Specifically for AI Overviews

By late 2026, Google will unveil an entirely new ad format designed exclusively for AI Overviews. These won’t just be extensions of existing formats –  They’ll blend right into the Overview content itself, making it tough to tell what’s an ad and what’s not. The only giveaway will be that small ‘Sponsored’ tag. Otherwise, they’ll look like they’re just part of the answer Google is giving you.

Clarified CTR Behavior Inside AI Overviews

The current 30% drop in overall clicks is misleading. What’s actually happening is a redistribution of click patterns, with AI Overview ads showing dramatically different engagement behavior:

• Higher intent-focused leading to higher conversion rates despite lower raw CTR
• Different user expectations when clicking from the Overview context
• New path-to-purchase journeys starting from within the Overview ecosystem

Google will soon release new reporting that quantifies these differences, establishing new benchmarks for what “good” performance looks like.

Keyword-Content Logic Sliced Cleaner

The messy keyword-to-content matching we see today will soon be replaced by a much cleaner system where:

• Informational searches trigger a specific type of Overview with dedicated commercial product or service insertion points
• Transactional searches generate Overview formats optimized for commercial comparison
• Navigational searches receive minimal Overview treatment, preserving direct brand access

This cleaner segmentation will make the Overview ad placement more predictable and allow for more strategic targeting.

Search & Shopping Graph Integration Will Create Dynamic Commercial Experiences

Google’s massive Shopping Graph, containing over 45 billion product listings, will soon power every commercial aspect of AI Overviews. This will create dynamic product experiences that adapt in real-time based on inventory, pricing, and user preferences. Only advertisers providing the most comprehensive product data will maintain visibility in this environment.

Enhanced Reality Experiences Will Create New Commercial Moments

The line separating AI Overviews and Google Lens is already blurring faster than anyone predicted. By 2026, users will routinely scan their environment and see AI Overview information, including sponsored products, overlaid directly on the physical world. This will create entirely new high-intent commercial moments that don’t exist in today’s conversion paths.

Conclusion

We’re witnessing nothing less than the complete reinvention of paid search. AI Overviews aren’t just another SERP feature; they represent a fundamental shift in how users discover products and services. The lines between information and commerce are being permanently redrawn.

For PPC professionals, this isn’t just a challenge,  it’s an opportunity to establish dominant market positions before your competitors even recognize what’s happening. Those who overhaul their strategies now – mapping AI visibility flows, rebuilding their product feeds, embracing AI-powered campaign types, and reworking landing pages for snippet continuity will capture disproportionate market share.

Expect bugs, weird placements, and inconsistent behavior during this experimental phase. The rollout will be gradual and sometimes frustrating. But that’s exactly why early observers gain such an advantage, they’re learning the patterns while others are still complaining about the glitches.

The core principles haven’t changed: relevance, quality, and value still matter. What’s changed is how these principles are measured and delivered. AI doesn’t care about your traditional keyword strategies or your years of manual bid adjustments. It cares about providing the perfect answer to users, and increasingly, that perfect answer includes commercial solutions.

Take it from someone who’s navigated every major PPC evolution over the past 10+ years: This is the biggest shift we’ve ever seen, and the advertisers who recognize it first will be ahead of the game.

This forecast is based on current patterns and my extensive experience in paid search evolution. The specific timelines may vary, but the direction is unmistakable. Those who follow this roadmap will be positioned for success regardless of when exactly each prediction materializes.