Imagine this. It’s the end of the day, you are cosily tucked into bed. As you are about to drift into sleep, a thought sweeps your mind – oh that living room chair has been a bit creaky. What can I do about it? You wake up…. Who do you turn to?
When in doubt, we all turn to Search, at any time of the day. We turn to Search to address our curiosity, refine our thoughts and with our deepest questions which we hesitate asking others. Search is engrained in our day-to-day lives.
Google sees 5 Trillion Searches annually1 and interestingly 15% of the searches each day are completely new2.
Indonesians are actively searching on Google and GenZ is one of the most engaged audiences3. Decisions are made on Google Search everyday.
AI is now giving Search super powers. Search is transforming from a directory of blue links to a dynamic, conversational knowledge engine. AI Mode is taking the Search experience to a whole new level through its agentic features, powered by Gemini.
AI Overviews is making Search more helpful. People are asking questions they could never ask before and they are loving it. AI Overviews is driving over 10% increase in usage of Google for the types of queries that show AI Overviews4 . Ads in AI Overview will open a whole new set of opportunities for businesses to get discovered.
With the power of AI, the way users are consuming information is changing. Users are asking longer and complex questions. Early testers of AI Mode are asking much longer queries – 2-3x the length of traditional searches5. This means they are asking more nuanced and exploratory questions and are tackling more complicated tasks like comparing products, planning a trip, or understanding complex how-tos.
Let’s put this into perspective for an advertiser:
As consumers are embracing the new AI powered search experience, they are becoming predictably unpredictable. From discovery to decision making, consumers are displaying four key behaviors simultaneously – Searching, Scrolling, Streaming and Shopping.
Brand visibility is no longer about being present on a specific channel but about capturing consumer intent and converting, wherever the user may be. All consumers need is the right messaging tailored to their intent.
AI is fundamentally rewriting the rules of search and the old playbook for brand visibility will no longer hold. Evolving search landscape and consumer behaviour require marketers to transform strategies and prepare for the future with AI.
1.Look beyond the click: With AI, Google Search is becoming more discoverable and helpful. Quality clicks to websites have improved compared to a year ago6. Users who click on a website after AI Overviews display higher intent. Optimizing for meaningful conversions over traffic is a critical aspect of the new playbook.
2. Build an AI first content strategy: Search is rapidly becoming multi-modal. People are increasingly circling to search or clicking on sites with videos and posts where they hear authentic voices. Sites that meet these evolving user needs are benefiting and seeing an increase in traffic. Beyond quality, content variety will now give an edge.
3 .Measure rigorously to invest wisely: Different platforms measure conversions differently. Giving credit to shallow intent could result in ineffective measurement and mis-allocation of valuable resources. Short scrolls across an ad or a 0-1 second glance at a video is not the true definition of an intent.
4. Leverage AI powered marketing to capture intent: Marketers who have embraced AI-powered marketing have experienced 65% higher revenue growth, according to Kantar’s AI Global Maturity Research7. Google’s AI enabled “Power Pack” is the only end-to-end solution that can effectively capture all four consumer behaviours across Searching, Scrolling, Streaming and Shopping.
The power pack also allows you to efficiently direct consumers to a marketplace and measure your investment impact through Google’s Commerce Media Network (CMN).
From a simple, late-night query about a creaky chair to the complex planning of a family’s future, the human need for answers is constant. What has changed is the sophistication of the dialogue between user and technology. In this new AI-powered conversation, consumers aren’t just looking for a link; they are seeking a complete solution. The brands that thrive will be those that provide the most helpful, insightful, and relevant voice in that dialogue, ready with the right answer at the exact moment of need.
Sources:
1 Google internal data, Jan 2025
2Google Internal Data, Dec. 2023.
3How well does your brand know Gen Zs in Southeast Asia?, Think with Google, Aug 2025
4 Internal Data from September 2024 to end of April 2025.
6AI in Search is driving more queries and higher quality clicks, The Keyword, Aug 2025
