AI Overviews, AI Mode, AI Agents – and why all digital channels are shifting at the same time

Over the past months, I’ve increasingly had the feeling that we talk about AI constantly in digital marketing, but rarely about the same thing. SEO teams talk about AI Overviews. Paid teams talk about declining click-through rates and rising CPCs. Social teams notice that content is being consumed differently - or sometimes not consumed at all. Somewhere in between sits a question many people hesitate to ask out loud: what has actually changed?

Not as a feature. Not as a buzzword. But in the day-to-day reality of working with SEO, PPC, social media and content.

The real shift is not AI - it’s pre-decision

What has changed is not that machines provide answers. We have had that for years with snippets, knowledge panels and similar formats. What is new is that machines now pre-structure decisions.

AI Overviews were the quiet beginning. Definitions, explanations and simple answers were suddenly delivered directly in the search result. For many queries, that was enough. Users didn’t click anymore.

With the AI Mode from Google, this became something different. It was no longer just about answering a question, but about providing context, comparison, classification and trade-offs. AI Mode does not simply respond - it helps users understand a topic space and navigate options. What matters here is not the quality of the answers, but their position in the decision process.

AI Overviews answer questions. AI Mode shifts parts of research before the first click by helping users structure their thinking.

With AI Agents - where they are already being used today - this shift moves even further forward: from classification to the preparation of decisions. That is the point where all channels are affected at the same time.

A practical look at how decisions are made today

Let’s look at a real example rather than a theoretical one.

An IT decision-maker no longer searches for “secure cloud storage”. Instead, they ask: “Which cloud storage is suitable for EU companies handling sensitive data and compliance requirements?”

What happens next is telling. AI Mode provides the regulatory context (EU, data protection, compliance), outlines relevant criteria such as encryption, access control and certifications, categorises different types of solutions and highlights trade-offs. The user is not told which product to buy, but they receive enough structure to form a shortlist.

At this point, the user often does not click immediately. They already have a mental pre-selection.

This is where PPC comes into play - but later, and differently than before.

Search continues, but in a more focused way. Brand searches. Pricing queries. Comparison terms like “Tool X vs Tool Y”. The paid ads that perform well in this phase are not the ones explaining what a product is, but the ones confirming that the pre-selection makes sense.

This is not a loss of PPC relevance. It is a shift in role.

Use case 1: B2B SaaS - why discovery no longer starts in paid search

In B2B SaaS, a very clear pattern is emerging. Discovery increasingly happens through content, social media, AI Mode, recommendations and discussions. PPC becomes relevant once a name is already familiar, when prices are compared, or when users are close to a demo, trial or purchasing decision.

This explains why many generic keywords perform worse, while brand and high-intent campaigns remain stable or even improve. Demand has not disappeared. The preparatory work simply happens elsewhere.

Many PPC setups feel more expensive today because they still try to explain at a stage where decisions are already being pre-shaped. Campaigns that focus on confirmation rather than introduction tend to perform more consistently - often with lower volume, but significantly higher quality.

Use case 2: E-commerce - when AI Overviews explain the product

In e-commerce, the effect is often even more visible. Product questions like “Is product X waterproof?”, “What’s the difference between model A and B?” or “Is this suitable for …?” are increasingly answered directly.

The result is fewer clicks, but better-informed users. People arrive with clearer expectations. The decision process often starts before the product detail page.

PPC works best in this context when it targets concrete product names, clear purchase intent, availability or pricing. The ad is no longer the place where persuasion happens; it is the place where the transaction is completed.

Use case 3: Social media - from attention to context

Social media used to be described as a top-of-funnel channel focused on awareness, reach and visibility. Today, it increasingly functions as public context.

Both people and systems observe how a topic is discussed, who explains it, whether statements are consistent and whether criticism exists. This is particularly relevant in B2B.

A product can be technically excellent, but if it is presented inconsistently, exaggeratedly or dishonestly in public discussions, that becomes visible. Not only to users, but also to systems trying to build a holistic picture.

Different platforms serve different purposes here. LinkedIn shapes the official narrative and professional framing of a topic. Reddit introduces friction, doubt and unfiltered comparisons. YouTube provides depth, long-form explanations and walkthroughs. Together, these signals form expectations long before a click happens.

Why AI Agents intensify this effect

AI Agents are not a new interface and not a replacement for Google Search. They are a different way of solving tasks.

An agent does not receive a keyword. It receives a goal: “Find a suitable solution.” “Compare options.” “Prepare a decision.” To do that, it needs clear statements, clear boundaries and transparent trade-offs.

Marketing texts that try to appeal to everyone, promise everything and exclude nothing are useless in this context. This is not a new problem, but it becomes more visible because machines do not compensate for vagueness. They amplify it.

That is where many existing content setups fail - not because they are bad, but because they do not enable decisions.

What this really means for content

It does not mean more content, longer texts or new keywords. It means clearer statements.

In practice, that means fewer “suitable for everyone” claims and more “suitable when …” explanations. Fewer superlatives and more context. What feels like limitation is, in reality, orientation.

PPC in combination with AI Mode and AI Agents

For paid teams, the key insight is this: when PPC is viewed in isolation, it can seem like it is losing importance. When PPC is understood as part of a system, it gains precision.

Ads no longer need to answer fundamental questions, explain categories or open markets. They need to confirm, secure and become concrete. This is why copy that connects to existing classification performs better than generic benefit statements. PPC becomes less of an entry point and more of a decision moment.

Why this is not an “AI problem”

In the end, this is not a technical issue. It is a clarity issue.

AI Overviews, AI Mode and AI Agents do not forgive ambiguity. They amplify it. Contradictions between website content, ads and social messaging become more visible. Empty claims decay faster. Buzzwords carry less weight.

That is why all channels are affected at the same time.

What to do now - without overreacting

This does not mean rebuilding everything or chasing every new feature. It means asking a few honest questions. Is it clear when our offer is the right fit? Is it clear when it is not? Could an external system reproduce our positioning consistently?

If the answer is yes, you are already further than many others.

Conclusion

AI Overviews pulled answers forward. AI Mode pulled classification forward. AI Agents pull decisions forward. SEO, social and PPC are not affected separately; they are parts of the same system.

That is why so many teams feel that things no longer “click” the way they used to - even though they are doing many things right. The rules have not completely changed, but the moment when they take effect has. And that is the shift we are all navigating right now.