Cadence #76 - Google’s AI-Powered Search

Hey there, Cadence readers! ??

Welcome to another edition of the Cadence Newsletter, where we keep you in the loop on the latest and most exciting developments in the world of tech, search, and AI.

Today, we're diving into some major changes happening in the way we interact with search engines—particularly Google’s new AI-powered features.

Thanks for sticking with us, and let’s dive in!

AI Takes Center Stage in Google Search

Google just dropped some game-changing news! On October 3rd, they announced two key updates that are shaking up how search results are presented:

1. Ads in AI Overviews: Ads are now live in Google's AI overviews (for mobile users at the moment). This is expected to expand globally, so be prepared for these changes to hit desktops and wider markets soon.
2. AI-Organized Search Pages: Entire search result pages will soon be powered by AI! This marks a fundamental shift in how we experience search, as AI-driven frameworks move beyond simple informational queries and into more commercial ones.

What Does This Mean for Search?

With Google feeling confident in its AI advancements, we can expect AI to play a much larger role in search experiences, especially for queries with commercial intent. This means:

• For Brands: Huge opportunities (and threats) arise. Early-stage product placement in the user journey will become more common.
• Impulse Buys & Routine Purchases: Products with lower price points that require less research are likely to benefit the most from these AI interruptions.
• Considered Purchases (Cars, Homes, etc.): These are less likely to be impacted in the short term, but the top-of-funnel informational searches leading to these products could see major changes.

SEO & Product Recommendations in AI Search

SEO experts, it’s time to rethink your strategies! AI will start blending organic product recommendations with informational content, personalizing user experiences like never before. This could mean:

• Personalization & Ranking Shifts: The traditional rank-tracking model might get a little tricky. As personalization increases, the results each user sees could vary dramatically, making it harder to rely on rank data alone.
• Optimizing Product Data: Now is the time to ensure your product data and knowledge graphs are optimized. Google’s increasing use of the Shopping Graph and SRT lead parameters across both commercial and non-commercial pages means more products will appear in informational queries.

Fast Adoption – Are You Ready?

With Google's dominant market share, these changes will likely roll out quickly—this isn’t an opt-in situation. Brands need to prepare by conducting a thorough AI-Organic SWOT analysis to understand risks and opportunities.

• Collaborate Across Teams: Now’s the time to build a cohesive SEO and product strategy, working closely with paid teams and stakeholders.

What’s Next? ??

Google’s AI advancements are only the beginning of a major evolution in search behavior. Stay tuned as we continue to explore what this means for businesses, advertisers, and everyday users!

We’d love to hear your thoughts—drop us a line in the comments or reach out with any questions! And as always, if you enjoyed this edition of Cadence, be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know with all things tech and AI.

Thanks for reading!