News and Insights
What Google’s AI-driven search shift means for marketers and communicators
June 25, 2025
The way people search online is undergoing a major shift. With the rollout of AI Overviews and other generative features, Google is moving beyond links and listings. Search is becoming more conversational, more visual, and more capable of answering questions or performing tasks on the spot, all within a single session.
For marketers and communication professionals, this raises new questions about content strategy, visibility, and how to stay relevant in a fast-changing landscape. Here are five key changes to know, and what they mean for how we approach digital storytelling and engagement.
1. From Keywords to Intent: Smarter Search Experiences
People are no longer searching with just keywords, they’re prompting Google with full questions, specific outcomes, and follow-ups. AI Overviews are designed to meet this demand by combining multiple sources into a single answer. The search journey now unfolds over several touchpoints, not a single query.
What this means:
Content needs to be structured with intent in mind. That means going beyond SEO checklists and thinking about what problems the user is trying to solve. Clear, authoritative information, written in a natural and accessible way, will be better positioned to serve these evolving search behaviours.
2. Visibility Without Clicks
With Google generating more answers within the search results, users may get the information they need without clicking through. This means high-performing content might not drive traffic unless it’s referenced by the AI or embedded within a featured result.
What this means:
Content must be clear, credible, and easy for AI to parse. Using structured data, clean headlines, and reliable sources can improve the chances of being included in summaries, even when your website isn’t the final destination.
3. Visual and Multimodal Search Is On the Rise
Search is no longer just about typing. With tools like Google Lens, people are uploading photos, scanning products, and exploring information visually. Screenshots, charts, and short-form video are increasingly important.
What this means:
Marketers need to design for screens, not just pages. Visual content, whether it’s explainers, infographics, or short clips, should be part of every strategy, especially as users adopt more mobile and image-led search habits.
4. Multi-Layered Journeys Require Adaptive Content
Search journeys are becoming more fluid and layered. A user might start with a broad query, refine it, compare options, and then dig into specifics, all within one experience. Static content can’t keep up with that level of engagement.
What this means:
Brands need to build modular, interconnected content that supports different stages of discovery. This could mean combining high-level overviews with deeper dives, FAQs with expert commentary, or videos with downloadable resources.
5. Authority and Trust Are Now Measurable Signals
Google’s AI systems are placing more weight on content that reflects real experience and expertise. The E-E-A-T framework — Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust — is being used to determine which content is reliable enough to surface in AI-generated responses.
What this means:
Brands need to make credibility visible. This includes naming authors, citing reputable sources, showcasing real-world case studies, and ensuring consistency across channels. Thought leadership and subject matter depth will become core assets, not just nice-to-haves.
Where to Start
For marketing and communications professionals, the shift in search isn’t just technical, it’s strategic. It calls for a rethink of how content is created, structured, and distributed in order to meet evolving user behaviours.
At FINN Partners, we work with brands to raise visibility and credibility by combining storytelling with SEO, building content frameworks rooted in audience intent, and navigating the growing influence of generative AI on discoverability and engagement.
If you’d like to work with us to refine your approach towards search marketing and optimisation, connect with us at infoasia@finnpartners.com to schedule a consultation.