The ROAS trap: when Google artificially inflates your results
Starting October 8, Google Ads will automatically enable "store visits" conversions for certain accounts, with a default value assigned by Google. This could artificially inflate your ROAS without reflecting any actual increase in sales.
Starting October 1, you can check your Google Ads settings to see if store visit conversions were enabled without your consent. You can turn this option off if it does not align with your actual conversion goals, or adjust the value assigned to those conversions.
Google search ads are coming to AI Overviews
Google is currently testing ad placements inside AI Overviews. In practice, when a user asks a question and receives an AI-generated answer from Google, relevant ads can now appear below those enriched responses. Since May, Google has already been testing search and Shopping ad placements within those same AI answers. What is new here is a dedicated, sponsored section displayed directly beneath the results. These placements will run through Search AI Max campaigns.
This shift means your Google Ads campaigns will need to be rethought to capture this new opportunity. Advertisers who optimize their presence in these spaces will gain greater visibility with highly qualified users, since AI Overviews respond to specific, detailed queries.
Note that this new placement is not yet public and is still in testing. Google has not announced a launch date.
Watch out: your Search Console data is all over the place
Google recently removed the option to display 100 search results per page, which may be affecting your position data in Google Search Console. Some professionals are seeing sharp drops in desktop impressions, which artificially pushes up the average position metric.
What to watch for:
- Unusual fluctuations in your average positions
- Discrepancies between your tracking tools (e.g., Semrush vs. Search Console)
- Significant day-over-day swings with no action on your end
Our recommendation: Do not make hasty SEO decisions based solely on current Search Console data. Cross-reference your sources, use multiple monitoring tools, and wait for the data to stabilize before adjusting your strategy.
The big debate: does SEO actually influence GEO?
A recent study explores the correlation between traditional SEO visibility and ranking in generative AI tools like ChatGPT (what is known as GEO: Generative Engine Optimization). It found that dominating page one on Google does not guarantee equivalent visibility in ChatGPT responses. In fact, only 62% of brands ranked in the top position on Google are mentioned in ChatGPT answers. And even when a brand appears on both platforms, there is no meaningful relationship between its Google ranking and its position in ChatGPT responses.
That said, the study covers only 15 brands, so it should be interpreted with caution. It does highlight, however, that visibility in traditional search engines does not automatically translate to visibility in AI-generated responses. This points to the need for dedicated GEO strategies to optimize your presence in LLM-generated answers.
For more on GEO, we invite you to read this article.
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