How Search is Changing in 2025 — And What It Means for Your Google Ads Strategy

Would you be interested in attending
“Define Digital Academy Live With Aaron Young”?

Fill In This 1 Minute Questionnaire To Register Your Interest 

Google Search is evolving rapidly.

Ad placements are shrinking.
Clicks are becoming more expensive.
And if your Google Ads strategy isn’t evolving with it, your performance—and ROI—will suffer.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• How search behavior is changing in 2025

• What Google’s AI upgrades like Gemini mean for advertisers

• Why CPCs are rising faster than ever

• And how to structure your Google Ads campaigns to stay profitable

We’ll also share our Bottom Up Funnel Strategy—a framework used to scale eCommerce and lead generation accounts, even with fewer clicks and tougher competition.

Let’s dive in.

1. Search Is Becoming Conversational (and Context-Driven)

The days of simple, keyword-based queries are over.

In 2025, users are asking Google:

“What’s the best waterproof Bluetooth speaker under $200 with at least 12 hours of battery life?”

This shift toward long-form, conversational search queries is accelerating—especially with the integration of AI models like Google Gemini into core Search.

What is Gemini?

Gemini is Google’s latest AI model, now powering not just Bard but the entire search experience. By mid-2025, Gemini 2.0 will be fully embedded into how users search and interact with content online.

This means:

• Multi-step questions in a single search

• Users can upload images or documents to get context-aware answers

• Searchers receive one unified, AI-generated response, not a list of links

As a result, users are solving problems with fewer searches. This leads to:

• Less organic traffic

• Fewer ad impressions

• Increased pressure on paid search performance

If you're still structuring your Google Ads campaigns around short-tail keywords and traditional search behavior, it’s time to rethink your strategy.

2. AI Is Reshaping Ad Placements — Fewer Slots, Higher CPCs

AI-generated search results (like those powered by Gemini and Google’s Search Generative Experience) are changing how—and where—ads appear.

Ads are no longer limited to top-of-page placements. Instead, they are:

• Embedded contextually within AI-generated responses

• More selective

• Highly competitive

With fewer total ad slots available, cost-per-click (CPC) is rising—and fast. But it’s not just the reduced inventory driving this.

Why CPCs Are Increasing in 2025:

• More advertisers competing in crowded verticals

• Fewer impressions available due to AI reducing the need for multiple searches

• Shifting user behavior to platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, where users can ask rich, contextual questions and get complete answers without ever visiting a site

This trend results in:

• Fewer visitors reaching your website

• Less opportunity for conversion

• Greater reliance on structured, high-performing ad campaigns

3. The Bottom Up Funnel Strategy: How to Adapt and Stay Profitable

In a world of rising CPCs and decreasing visibility, your account structure matters more than ever.

That’s where the Bottom Up Funnel Strategy comes in—a campaign structure designed to protect profitability and scale efficiently.

Step 1: Start at the Bottom

Begin with Search and Shopping campaigns targeting high-intent, bottom-of-funnel keywords. These users are ready to convert—this is where your ROI is built.

Step 2: Add Remarketing Campaigns

Re-engage visitors who didn’t convert the first time with Display or YouTube remarketing. This segment is warmer, cheaper, and often converts on the second or third touchpoint.

Step 3: Scale With Performance Max, Demand Gen, and Video

Once your core is profitable, expand into Performance Max, YouTube, or Discovery campaigns. These reach colder audiences, help build awareness, and set up long-term growth.

The Bottom Up Funnel approach offers:

• Greater visibility into performance metrics

• Stronger conversion rates from your most valuable traffic

• A strategic path to scale without burning your ad budget

Want the full walkthrough? 

Watch The Complete Bottom Up Funnel Strategy Video  

4. Creative and Campaign Diversity Will Define Success in 2025

If you’re only running Search campaigns, you’re missing most of the buyer journey.

Users in 2025 are interacting with content before they search. They’re:

• Watching short-form videos on YouTube and TikTok

• Scrolling through product carousels

• Engaging with brand stories on Demand Gen ads

That’s why a multi-campaign Google Ads strategy is now essential. Your marketing mix should include:

• Video campaigns to build awareness

• Discovery and carousel ads for consideration

• Search and Shopping campaigns to drive conversions

Need help launching each type of campaign? 

Access My Full Google Ads Campaign Setup Guides 

Final Thoughts: The Future of Google Ads Requires Adaptation

Here’s what you need to know:

• AI is changing how people search

• Ad placements are shrinking while competition and CPCs are rising

• Single-channel campaigns are no longer enough

The advertisers who succeed in 2025 and beyond will be those who:

• Build full-funnel, multi-campaign strategies

• Create high-performing, visual content

• Structure their accounts with clarity, intent, and room to scale

If your Google Ads strategy doesn’t evolve with how people are searching, you risk falling behind. But if you adapt now—with smart structure, diverse creative, and strong intent targeting—you won’t just keep up. You’ll lead.

Have a great week,

Aaron

• Monday 21st April, 8pm AEST: Search is Changing ... What It Means for Google Ads in 2025
• Wednesday 23rd April, 8pm AEST: Why eCommerce Brands Should Spend More on YouTube Ads in 2025 
  
  

Head Over To My YouTube Channel 👇

[LIVE MASTERCLASS + Q&A] 

eCommerce Account Review with Ben Drew 💻

Wednesday, 23rd April, 2025, 4:30 AM (AEST) 
Wedesday, 23rd April, 2025 6:30 AM (GMT) 
Tuesday, 22nd April, 2025, 11:30 PM (PT)