As Google continues to evolve how users experience search through AI, a key update was just confirmed that directly impacts your ad visibility and how we manage your campaigns.
The Update: Where Your Ads Appear in AI Overviews
Google has officially clarified that:
Ads can show either above/below the AI-generated summary (AI Overview) or within the AI Overview itself.
But not both at the same time.
Your ad will appear in only one of these placements per search result, depending on how it’s triggered.
Why This Matters
AI Overviews are now being rolled out across more countries and are central to Google’s new AI Mode in the U.S. These summaries take up major real estate on the search results page, so knowing where your ad shows up is critical.
Here’s what Google confirmed:
- To appear within the AI Overview, your campaign must use broad match keywords.
- If you’re using both exact and broad match, exact match will win placement above or below the AI Overview.
- Ads will not appear in multiple locations simultaneously.
This means your match type directly impacts not only when your ad shows, but also where it appears in the new search layout.
What IMEG Is Doing for You
We’re already taking action to keep your campaigns competitive:
- Auditing keyword match types to align with new placement rules.
- Testing performance in both AI Overview placements and traditional results.
- Optimizing for visibility, click-through rates, and conversions as these experiences roll out.
We don’t wait for traffic to drop to react; we monitor Google’s evolving formats in real-time and adjust accordingly.
What This Means for Your Strategy
Expect continued shifts as Google leans further into AI-powered search. These changes make one thing clear: Your campaign structure needs to adapt if you want to remain visible where users are now looking.
Moving forward, we’ll continue to:
- Evolve your keyword targeting to balance reach and control.
- Test placements and performance inside and around AI Overviews.
- Proactively adjust your strategy based on real-world results, not just theory.
Need a Strategy Check-In?
If you're unsure how AI changes may be impacting your campaigns or you want to explore how to better leverage this shift, we’re here to help. Let’s set up a time to walk through the opportunities.
The rules of Google are changing. We’re making sure you’re ahead of them.
