Google switches to AI mode… and advertising is being transformed
The Google Marketing Live 2025 marked a major turning point for advertisers. The generative AI Gemini is now integrated into the Google search engine and its advertising suite. The goal: anticipate the decline in classic search volumes and counter the rise of AI assistants like ChatGPT.
This technological transformation is not just about organic Search. It also impacts the world of SEA, at the heart of our online advertising expertise at Universem, closely connected to the tools we use every day for our clients. It directly affects ad formats, their delivery, their management, and the way companies will capture prospects’ attention in the coming months.
AI Mode: a redesigned search engine
The AI mode is a new navigation area in Google, just like the “Images,” “Maps,” or “News” tabs. It turns search into a conversational, contextual, and proactive experience. Google no longer just offers links, but complete, actionable, AI-generated answers.
With this approach, the search engine becomes closer to an assistant capable of reasoning, comparing, and acting on your behalf. Queries are getting longer, more specific, and more complex.
To learn more about how this mode works and its implications, check out our dedicated article:
All about Google’s AI Mode.
Impacts for brands:
- It’s no longer just about buying keywords, but being useful in AI answers.
- Ad content must be designed for intent, not just for the query.
- Being visible means being integrated into the decision paths proposed by AI.
AI Overviews Ads: ads in AI answers — towards new visibility
Google is gradually rolling out a new format: AI Overviews Ads. These ads are directly integrated into AI answers, visible right at the start of the user journey. It’s a real opportunity to reach users even before the click.
“Users find ads integrated into AI Overviews useful, as they allow them to quickly connect with relevant businesses, products, or services right when they need them.” – Google
To learn more about AI Overviews and their availability in Belgium, read our article:
AI Overviews are here
Key takeaways:
- •Format still being tested in the US
- •Available only on desktop in the US since May 2025
- •A rollout for mobile and desktop is planned in some English-speaking countries later this year (Belgium not included yet, but we’re following this closely)
- •Strategic position in the AI experience
- •Requires an approach centered on relevance and timing
AI Max for Search: campaigns without keywords
With AI Max for Search, Google offers ultra-automated campaigns where AI dynamically generates ads without keywords. This approach relies on AI’s ability to detect users’ true intent and generate the right message, at the right time, in real time. It offers unprecedented flexibility but radically changes how you structure a campaign.
Key considerations for advertisers:
- Less control over structure, more focus on intent signals
- AI decides based on user context (location, history, device…)
- Requires more analytical monitoring and gradual testing to calibrate results
Performance Max: transparency and anticipation
Two new components enrich Performance Max:
- •Meridian: performance simulation before launch
- •Channel data: access to queries, performance by format or platform
Thanks to these additions, it’s now easier to anticipate a campaign’s results and adjust strategic choices even before launch. Analysis becomes more proactive, and decision-making more informed.
AI Tools: the new standard
Google is rolling out new AI-based tools to simplify campaign management: automated recommendations in Google Ads, insights in Google Analytics, and soon Marketing Advisor, a Chrome extension that will assist advertisers in their daily marketing tasks.
These tools offer numerous advantages:
- save time on operational tasks
- improved responsiveness
- easier access to actionable insights
- ability to test new optimization ideas faster
They allow you to focus your efforts on what truly creates value: strategic analysis, impactful messaging, and performance research. These tools are powerful, but must be integrated thoughtfully and managed consistently to stay aligned with your business goals.
Conclusion: a new direction, a strategy to rethink
AI is profoundly transforming digital advertising. But it does not replace strategy, customer experience, or the role of human analysis. It reshuffles the deck, putting intent and relevance at the center.
For brands, it’s an invitation to rethink how they appear, convince, and remain present in user journeys that are increasingly fluid, complex, and algorithmic.
