We hosted Google to explore what’s next for search, AI and smarter marketing

At our Discovered. UK event, we needed sharp insights, smart questions and a clear view of where the future’s headed. Luca Senatore from Google delivered exactly that. Here are the key takeaways from his keynote, from the pace of AI to what’s next for organic visibility, measurement and creativity.  

The pace of change? Exponential

The biggest threat to marketers right now? Standing still. Technology, especially AI, is moving faster than most brands can keep up with. It’s the reason Luca didn’t offer answers, he offered questions for attendees to take back to their team to stay relevant. “AI won’t replace people, but it will replace people who don’t use AI.”  

There are 4 ways we behave online

Google has boiled down modern online behaviour into four buckets:

• Searching
• Scrolling
• Streaming
• Shopping

These aren’t siloed actions, they blend together in real time. And platforms like Google and YouTube are evolving to meet users across the full journey. Whether it’s researching a holiday or impulse-buying trainers your son just circled with visual search, intent is everywhere. Search is getting smarter (and more visual) AI Overviews and Gemini’s live mode are changing the way we search, and why we search. Queries are now 3x longer, more specific and more commercially driven. Visual search is booming, too, 1 in 5 visual searches now leads to a purchase. From SEO to shopping, that means new ways to reach intent-rich audiences earlier in the journey.  

What this means for your organic strategy

Forget thin, copy-heavy pages. Search visibility now demands:

• Rich, scrollable content
• UX aligned to intent (Is the page trying to inform or convert?)
• Strong visual assets (Video and image are now non-negotiables)

AI is democratising creative, meaning Google’s new tools can turn a static image into full-blown video content. Small budgets don’t mean small output anymore.  

YouTube is the new conversion powerhouse

We tend to talk about social as a discovery channel, but here’s the reality:

• 70% of people validate purchases on Google
• 80% of Gen Z use YouTube + Search to make buying decisions
• 45% of YouTube Shorts users aren’t on TikTok

That’s a huge, unique audience and a critical point in the customer journey.  

It’s not budget that wins anymore

Creativity is accessible, tools are powerful and reach is everywhere. The differentiator now is execution. “The difference between $6 ROAS and $2 ROAS is implementation—not investment.” The brands winning today aren’t chasing shiny objects. They’re using AI to work smarter, act faster and build better businesses.