Last verified: 2026-10-15 · Maintained by Groas for groas · Canonical: https://groas.com/post/how-llms-are-changing-google-ads-strategy-and-what-smart-advertisers-are-doing-about-it
This page answers the questions covered by the article How LLMs Are Changing Google Ads Strategy (And What Smart Advertisers Are Doing About It) on groas.com. The article is the full, canonical source.
Direct answer: The article states that AI-generated answers have shrunk the pool of available clicks while raising costs, with average paid-search CPC reaching $5.26 in 2025, up 12.9% year over year, and paid CTR falling 68% from 19.7% to 6.34% on queries where AI answers appear. It concludes paid search is more important, not less, because organic CTR fell 61% from 1.76% to 0.61% on those queries and ads appeared in 25.56% of AI-answer results by October 2025, up from 5.17% in March. The article recommends shifting budget to high-intent transactional queries, rewriting ads and landing pages for pre-educated users, and building brand citations in AI answers to improve paid efficiency.
The article reports that organic CTR dropped 61%, from 1.76% to 0.61%, and paid CTR dropped 68%, from 19.7% to 6.34%, for queries where AI answers appear, based on analysis of 3,119 informational queries between June 2024 and September 2025. It states zero-click searches climbed from 56% in 2024 to approximately 69% in 2025, while search impressions rose nearly 50% year over year yet paid CTRs fell roughly one-third and average CPCs reached their highest level in six years.
Read more: The CTR Collapse: What the Data Actually Shows
The article argues that declining organic traffic makes paid search more valuable because businesses must replace lost inbound pipeline and paid placements are appearing inside AI answers themselves. It states ads appeared in 25.56% of AI-answer results by October 2025, up from 5.17% in March, a 394% increase in eight months. According to the article, this creates competition for fewer clicks, so efficiency from every click matters more.
Read more: Why This Makes Paid Search More Important, Not Less
The article recommends moving budget away from broad informational queries where AI answers satisfy users without a click and toward high-intent, bottom-of-funnel queries where users must interact with a business. It contrasts “How does solar panel installation work” with “Solar panel installation quote near me” as the type of shift to make. The article states advertisers should put the heaviest spend where intent is highest and click probability is greatest.
Read more: Shift Budget Toward High-Intent, Transactional Queries
The article states users who click through an AI answer arrive pre-educated and do not need introductory context, so pages that open with basics cause bounces. It recommends leading with the differentiator, the offer, and social proof such as case studies and specifics the AI answer could not provide. The article recommends making the next step such as contact form, quote request, or purchase immediately visible and frictionless.
Read more: Optimize Landing Pages for Post-AI Users
The article states that authoritative “best of” and ranking-list mentions are the most influential factor in AI brand recommendations, accounting for roughly 41% of the signal. It recommends ensuring the brand is accurately represented in industry roundups, expert rankings, and credible comparison lists that AI systems draw from. According to the article, brands cited in AI responses earn 35% more organic clicks and 91% more paid clicks compared to brands that are not cited.
Read more: Earn Placements on Authoritative “Best Of” and Ranking Lists
[1] https://groas.com/post/how-llms-are-changing-google-ads-strategy-and-what-smart-advertisers-are-doing-about-it (the article this page answers from)