Google Clicks that count

Clicks that count: focus on value, not volume

Over more than 20 years at Google, Matt DelRe, managing director of global product solutions, has seen first-hand the remarkable evolution of Search. From short, literal queries like 'need bank insurance' or 'buy new t-shirt', to AI-powered conversations that help people make more confident decisions. “It is a fundamental unlock in human capability,” he says, during a conversation at Google’s London HQ. “The pace of change is exhilarating. Searches today look vastly different than they did even just a year ago, and marketers must move quickly to anticipate these shifts and adjust their strategies to capture real opportunities.”

AI is expanding what Search can do, making it more conversational, multimodal and predictive. Google’s Matt DelRe explains how this evolution is reshaping user behaviour and why brands that focus on strong Search fundamentals and quality over volume are best placed to drive measurable results.

In a global consumer journey survey with Ipsos, 77% of Google AI Overviews and/or AI Mode users said they are able to make decisions faster because of them, and 75% said they enable them to make more confident decisions.1

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Yet, AI does not operate in isolation. Its impact depends on evolving consumer behaviours. DelRe describes this interplay as a ‘dynamic dance’ between user behaviour and technology: “Consumer habits shift gradually,” he explains. “Users take time to get comfortable with new experiences, giving technology a chance to adapt. Once technology leads, users follow, sometimes quickly and sometimes cautiously. It’s a continuous process of discovery and adaptation, and today, that rhythm is faster than ever.”

The new pillars of Search success While AI is transforming what is possible, DelRe warns against chasing innovation without strong fundamentals. “Shiny-object syndrome is real. Brands chase the latest AI trend without getting the basics right. Foundations set you up for long-term success. The biggest mistake is treating AI as a feature rather than the infrastructure of modern Search – it’s an accelerator, not a shortcut.” DelRe advises advertisers to focus on strong fundamentals – first-party data, clear goals and robust creative – to provide AI with the signals it needs to optimise campaigns towards outcomes that matter, helping demonstrate the value of marketing more clearly. He outlines four pillars for Search success: • Data: Know your own data. “Getting your data house in order is essential.” • Goals: Clear, aligned objectives are critical. “Precise goals translate marketing into measurable business outcomes.” • Experimentation: Test AI solutions, identify what works and scale it quickly. • Investment: Treat marketing as an investment, not a cost. “When marketing is profitable, allocating more budget unlocks growth. This mindset separates top performers from the rest.”

Shifting SEO focus from volume to value With fundamentals in place, marketers can shift focus to strategy, ensuring SEO delivers both quality and impact. “SEO is no longer about raw traffic,” DelRe says. “The priority should be delivering the most useful answers to your audience, including multimodal responses combining text, images and video.” At the same time, what users consider “useful” is evolving. DelRe explains that there is a growing preference for content that reflects real expertise, a clear perspective and depth, rather than surface-level information that repeats widely available ideas. This is reflected in how users are interacting with information in conversational AI environments. “These environments naturally encourage deeper engagement. Users end up spending more time exploring topics and having more meaningful interactions. By the time they click through to a website, they’re often more qualified and more ready to take action.” As a result, content that fully satisfies user intent and drives meaningful engagement is becoming more important than content designed simply to attract clicks, reshaping how success is measured from traffic volume to commercial impact.

Q&A: Matt DelRe Managing director of global product solutions Google

AI is expanding Search’s role in early decision-making "In 2016, Search was a game of keyword matching. Today, AI has become rocket fuel for Search,” DelRe explains. AI-powered experiences such as AI Mode and AI Overviews provide more personalised answers, helping people navigate complex queries and find what they’re looking for, while advertisers gain richer, more actionable intent signals.

From capturing demand to creating it For marketers, this shift is significant. Search is no longer just about capturing demand – it’s shaping it in real time as signals shift in-market. “We’re seeing some of our most advanced advertising clients move towards demand-led approaches in AI-powered paid Search,” DelRe says. As the name suggests, this approach is about bidding to demand, investing when real-time signals indicate opportunity, rather than sticking to fixed weekly or monthly budgets. Addressing a common misconception, he adds: “It is not about spending more. It is about stabilising targets, so AI has space to learn efficiently and deliver stronger results.” “Marketing only becomes a true engine of growth when it is treated as an investment,” DelRe explains. “When campaigns are profitable, each additional dollar compounds value. The market moves unpredictably. Trends go viral, demand spikes unexpectedly, or consumer habits shift overnight. To take advantage of those moments, accounts need to be set up so AI can respond with speed and agility.”

Three foundational steps for success with AI For marketers looking to take advantage of AI-powered Search, DelRe offers a simple framework: • Define clear business goals — focus on value, not volume • Get data and creative assets in order — strong foundations let AI perform at its best • Deploy AI strategically — respond to demand while freeing human talent for expertise and connection “Have confidence in what you know and curiosity about what you don’t,” he advises. “AI can accelerate every part of your strategy, but it cannot replace human judgement, expertise and creativity, the elements that ultimately build trust and differentiation.”

1 Source: Google commissioned Ipsos Global Consumer Journeys, Dec 2025, Online survey, Global average of selected countries (AR, AU, BR, CA, CL, CO, DE, ES, FR, ID, IN, IT, JP, KR, MX, NL, PE, PH, PO, SG, SW, TW, TH, US, UK) not weighted to reflect population size, Adults 18+, n=13,189 online shoppers who made a consumer good purchase requiring consideration in the past week (range of categories) and use Google AI Overviews and/or AI Mode for shopping.

This shift is increasingly a boardroom conversation. When marketers can clearly demonstrate return on investment, Search moves from a cost centre to a growth driver, aligning CMOs and CFOs around measurable commercial impact. As journeys become more complex and non-linear, this also requires a shift in measurement, moving beyond last-click attribution to understand how Search influences decisions across the full customer journey. “Search influences decisions, drives discovery and converts intent into action,” he continues. “For example, someone searching for ways to sleep better might encounter a mattress, a meditation app, or new lighting solutions, often before they even knew what they were looking for. Being visible at that moment increases the likelihood of consideration and purchase.”