And How AWG Ensures Our Clients Stay Ahead
At Active Web Group, our viewpoint is simple: digital marketing never stands still. Google’s AI Overviews (formerly SGE) are accelerating one of the biggest shifts the PPC industry has seen in years—and the brands that adapt now will secure a clear advantage in the new search economy.
As AI-generated summaries begin dominating the top of the SERP, the traditional success metrics advertisers relied on—click-through rate, CPC efficiency, impression share—no longer tell the full story. Today’s landscape demands a new measurement framework centered on visibility, influence, and assisted conversions across an increasingly zero-click environment. However, by incorporating a new AI paid search strategy, Active Web Group can deliver improved success metrics for every client.
Below, AWG breaks down exactly what is changing—and how leading brands are adjusting their PPC strategies to stay competitive.
The Future of PPC is AI PPC
Google’s AI Overviews now appear above both ads and organic listings, reshaping user behavior and redefining what “visibility” truly means.
1. Decreased Clicks and Lower CTR
With AI providing immediate answers, users often get what they need without clicking through. Traditional ads and organic listings are pushed further down, leading to predictable declines in both paid and organic CTR. However, by AWG implementing AI paid search strategies as part of your organic campaign, you will reap benefits that here to fore were not possible.
2. Rising CPCs for Premium Real Estate
Because above-the-fold search real estate is shrinking, competition intensifies. Advertisers are paying more for fewer prime placements, increasing overall CPCs.
3. Fragmented and Nonlinear Conversion Paths
The user journey is no longer: impression → click → convert.
Consumers may encounter your brand within an AI Overview, gain familiarity, leave the SERP, and convert hours or days later through another channel. PPC now plays a far more assistive, multi-touch role.
AWG helps brands read these signals accurately and adjust their reporting models, so they don’t mistakenly undervalue campaigns that are quietly driving influence.
Redefined PPC Success Metrics
To measure true performance in 2026, Active Web Group’s digital marketers are shifting focus from pure clicks to include new AI PPC initiatives; what, going forward, will actually drive your website/brand’s visibility and revenue.
1. Share of AI Visibility
How frequently is your brand or content:
- referenced
- cited
- included
- or linked to within an AI Overview?
SUMMARY: Your presence inside the AI answer box is now as important as ranking on page one.
2. Brand Recall & Message Retention
Even when users don’t click, they remember what they see.
Whether it’s your name appearing in the AI Overview or a high-impact PPC headline, your message still influences the decision-making process.
3. Growth in Assisted & View-Through Conversions
A rising portion of conversions now originate from:
- post-impression behavior
- delayed search
- cross-device interactions
- multi-channel touchpoints
SUMMARY: AWG’s attribution models reveal the full picture—so your campaigns get credit for the conversions they genuinely drive, not just the ones tied to a direct click.
4. Content Citations & Perceived Authority
AI models favor trustworthy, authoritative content. Being cited as a “source the AI trusts” is emerging as one of the clearest indicators of long-term brand strength.
New PPC Strategies for Success in the AI-Driven SERP
SUMMARY: At AWG, we develop PPC frameworks built for how search works now—not how it worked five years ago. To stay competitive, brands must evolve their strategy across several fronts:
1. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
We optimize content for how AI systems summarize and structure information.
This increases the odds your brand becomes part of the AI Overview ecosystem—boosting visibility even without a click.
2. Leverage AI-Powered Campaign Types
Google’s automated systems—like Performance Max—identify high-value moments across Search, YouTube, Discovery, and Display.
AWG’s specialists structure AI Pay Per Click campaigns to ensure these systems amplify your strongest assets and messaging.
3. Zero-Click-Ready Ad Copy
Your ads must make an immediate impression—because the user may never click.
AWG refines messaging to deliver:
- stronger value propositions
- clearer differentiators
- more memorable brand statements
SUMMARY: This ensures your presence counts whether the click occurs or not.
4. Channel Diversification & Owned Audience Growth
A modern PPC strategy isn’t search-only.
We strengthen your broader ecosystem by expanding into:
- email and SMS
- social advertising
- retargeting pipelines
- audience capture & retention frameworks
SUMMARY: This cushions any traffic losses from the shifting SERP and grows resilience across your digital presence.
AWG’s Bottom Line RE: AI PPC
AI Overviews have changed the rules—but they’ve also opened new opportunities for brands that know how to measure and capitalize on them.
At Active Web Group, we help businesses navigate this transition by redefining success metrics, rebuilding attribution models, and optimizing PPC strategies for the era of AI-generated search results. The brands that adapt now will claim more authority, more relevance, and more long-term customer growth—whether users click or not. Speak with AWG’s experts about AI PPC today to learn more about how our new approach to your Pay Per Click campaign can yield optimal results and an increased ROI. Call now!
