Google Reveals How AI Search Is Reshaping What Users Query – Search Engine Journal

This webinar uses Conductor's research to help you prioritize marketing data and AI visibility measurement fixes.This rundown shows how to test briefs, audits, or rank reporting with a four-layer system built on your own data.Where search leaders are putting 2027 budget, plus the AI visibility scorecard that replaces session reporting.Explore Ahrefs’ Q2, Q3 2026 AI search benchmarks and practical next steps.Ask the SEJ experts you already read what AI, agents, and algorithm changes mean for your traffic. Private, human to human. $97/mo.Ebook: State Of Search 2027Google says AI Mode queries are longer and discovery is starting earlier. Four checks for PPC teams reviewing ad copy and landing pages for 2027People are asking longer questions in Google’s AI Mode and using Search to explore decisions earlier, according to the latest Ads Decoded episode.The October 28 episode features Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Product Liaison, and Shivani Mohan, Search Vice President of Data Science and User Experience Research.Their discussion covered how people use AI-powered Search and why human perspectives remain part of their research. Marvin also shared takeaways for advertisers developing their 2027 strategies.In her LinkedIn post, Marvin outlined three takeaways on the modern search experience for advertisers looking at their 2027 strategies:The official episode notes add that people are asking 3x longer questions, going back and forth on follow-ups, and searching with voice and images, giving them room to include personal nuance and work through complex decisions right as they search.That gives advertisers more to consider than the initial search phrase. The questions people ask as they narrow their options can reveal concerns that a product description or general service page doesn’t answer.The discussion also suggests that discovery and evaluation can happen within the same conversation. A person can begin by exploring a problem, then ask about options and tradeoffs as they learn more.Google’s October 28 advertising announcement also cites the 3x longer figure, linking to a U.S. AI Mode report published in May 2026. The statistic compares average query length, but doesn’t show how differences in users or search tasks affect that comparison.Longer questions can give advertisers more information about someone’s needs. The figure by itself doesn’t show stronger buying intent or better conversion rates.The report also says more than one in six AI Mode searches in the U.S. are multimodal. That’s narrower than the “one in six searches” wording in Marvin’s post and shouldn’t be applied to all Google searches.Advertisers can use these findings to examine the questions customers ask and the information they include. Mohan’s comments about human perspectives address another part of that research: what people want from the content they find.In her LinkedIn post about the episode, Mohan wrote that users:…appreciate the streamlined clarity of AI summaries, yet they actively crave the rich detail, lived experience, and earned authority of the open web.She pointed to forums, podcasts, and videos as places people seek those perspectives.For advertisers, her comments suggest customers want more than a description of what a product does. They may also want to hear how it performs in practice, what its limitations are, and why someone chose it.A review or demonstration can answer those questions when it includes experience the brand’s product copy doesn’t provide. Repeating that copy on camera gives the buyer little additional information.Mohan also referred to billions of clicks to the open web, without providing a timeframe or comparison. The figure doesn’t show whether traffic is growing or how those clicks are distributed across websites.Her comments describe demand for firsthand experience, but don’t establish that publishing more videos or reviews will bring more Google traffic.For 2027 planning, advertisers can start with the concerns customers raise before buying, then assess whether their content answers them.In the replies to Marvin’s post on October 29, two commenters asked how the behaviors discussed on Ads Decoded translate to campaign management.Md Jihad asked how small businesses should adapt their ad copy and landing pages for earlier, exploratory intent.Ana Trujillo Martin asked whether Mohan identified signals retail teams should watch as search behavior changes, including how to interpret impressions and click-through rate.The posts and episode notes don’t provide specific campaign settings for those scenarios. Advertisers can still use the discussion to guide a few checks as they plan for 2027:The podcast and accompanying posts leave several advertiser questions unanswered, including how these behaviors vary by industry and buying stage.Google has described longer questions and earlier discovery, but hasn’t supplied conversion benchmarks for the behavior discussed. Advertisers will need to test which customer questions their existing content leaves unanswered and whether addressing them helps people move toward a purchase.Featured image: Courtesy of Google via LinkedIn     Brooke serves as the Director of Growth Marketing at Smith Micro Software, with over 10 years of paid media experience. … The AI Search & SEO News That Matters Breaking news and insights to help you lead search strategies. The AI Search & SEO News That Matters Breaking news and insights to help you lead search strategies. The AI Search & SEO News That Matters Breaking news and insights to help you lead search strategies.In a world ruled by algorithms, SEJ brings timely, relevant information for SEOs, marketers, and entrepreneurs to optimize and grow their businesses — and careers. Copyright © 2026 Search Engine Journal. All rights reserved. Published by Alpha Brand Media. source