Google’s latest Ads Decoded episode pushes a clear signal for paid search teams: people are searching differently in AI Mode, and your 2027 plan has to follow the question, not just the keyword.
Search is moving up the funnel
In the October 28 episode, Google Ads Product Liaison Ginny Marvin and Shivani Mohan, Search VP of Data Science and User Experience Research, laid out how AI-powered search is changing behavior. The shift is larger than a format change. Discovery now happens before buyers can name the product they want.
Google reports that AI Mode queries are roughly three times longer than traditional searches. People go back and forth with follow-ups, use voice and images, and bring personal nuance into the search itself.
What the 3x figure does—and doesn’t—say
The longer query stat is useful, but it needs a healthy asterisk. Google’s October 28 advertising announcement links to a U.S. AI Mode report from May 2026. The comparison covers average query length, not buying intent or conversion rates. The multimodal claim is also narrower than it first sounds: more than one in six U.S. AI Mode searches are multimodal, not one in six searches across all of Google.
For advertisers, that means longer queries are directional, not a promise. They give you more words about a customer’s problem. They do not prove the searcher is ready to buy.
People still want human perspectives
Mohan said users appreciate AI summaries but “actively crave the rich detail, lived experience, and earned authority of the open web.” That points to forums, podcasts, and video reviews as real decision inputs.
Your product page alone may not close the research loop. Buyers want to know how something performs, what its limits are, and why someone chose it. Repeating brand copy on camera adds little. A real demo, review, or customer story can answer what product descriptions can’t.
Your 2027 paid search checklist
The episode doesn’t hand out campaign settings, but it does suggest a few checks:
- Mine questions, not just keywords. Pull recurring problems from sales calls, chat, and search terms.
- Close the comparison gap. Make price, compatibility, setup, and limitation answers easy to find.
- Connect proof to the decision. Link reviews, demos, and customer stories from your landing pages.
- Measure the full path. Check whether researchers return and convert over your normal purchase timeline.
Why this matters
Performance marketers live on the last click. This behavior says the buying journey is moving earlier into search. The team that ignores the pre-product stage loses the conversation before competitors show up.
Ad copy should start addressing needs people describe before they know product names. Landing pages should answer selection questions, not just sell features. Supporting content should link directly to a clear next step.
Google hasn’t published industry benchmarks or conversion data for these behaviors. That leaves testing on you: find the questions your existing content doesn’t answer, then fill them.
Source: Search Engine Journal
