“Unless you share a common goal, your strategies will conflict, ” said MacGurn at Digiday’s Media Buying Summit in Nashville. Since Google introduced its Overviews feature in May 2024, brands have relied on SEO teams to analyze evolving search user behavior. Patrick Stal, global CMO at HelloFresh, noted that queries are now significantly larger and far more contextual than before. Recently, agencies have been integrating organic and paid search efforts more closely—leveraging organic search insights to uncover neglected keywords or to strategically bid on search queries likely to yield an Overview summary. Digitas is among agencies breaking down internal barriers. Lavall Chichester, EVP of SEO and AI optimization at Barkley OKRP and MissionOne Media, emphasized at the Summit that brands with integrated SEO and paid search strategies will dominate revenue-driving queries. He highlighted the need to move beyond outdated silos where paid and SEO teams operate independently. More than half of U. S. adults (52%) use generative AI tools like ChatGPT for searches, according to an Elon University survey. Google’s Overviews now appear on an increasing share of search pages—50% of Google searches trigger an AI summary, per McKinsey. Specifically, Overviews are present on 49. 6% of informational and 14. 8% of commercial searches, as reported by media agency NP Digital. The rise of AI-powered search is a pressing challenge for marketers.

A Brandlight survey of 500 CMOs by Censuswide found that 87% say their CEO or board expects them to develop an AI search response strategy. Andy Arnett, head of search at Incubeta, noted clients are blending LLM-related skills to address AI search challenges. Philip Thune, CEO of Adthena, explained that paid search teams currently adjust bids in an only partially visible landscape, while SEO teams chase rankings disrupted by AI-generated Overviews. Since both channels are simultaneously impacted, maintaining separate teams is increasingly impractical. Though organizational charts remain unchanged on paper, teams are now sharing data, measurement tools, and SEO expertise is influencing keyword bidding. Thune said organic and paid teams collaborate on shared data, briefs, reporting, and aligned KPIs. The growth of zero-click searches has spurred numerous new evaluation tools like Profound and Scrunch. Agencies have kept pace—Stagwell’s Assembly recently partnered with startup Emberos to launch a “Search+” solution, according to Adweek. On Feb. 26, Adthena launched an AI Overview Index capturing data on Overviews, adjacent ads, and AI search trends across the U. S. , U. K. , and Australia. This tool offers combined insights into paid and organic search, supporting the integration of these disciplines. “Brands running PPC and SEO as separate functions are flying half-blind in both directions, ” Thune warned. MacGurn of Digitas suggested a holistic search strategy might eventually include PR and affiliate marketing. She stated, “If your paid and organic search strategies have different KPIs, measurement plans, and learning agendas, you’ll never find true synergy. ”