Brand Search Ads After Google Moved AI Overviews
Brand search ads are back in question. [PPC Land reported on November 2, 2026](https://ppc.land/google-moves-brand-ai-overviews-aside-as-buyers-question-search-budgets) that Google moved AI Overviews on many desktop brand searches into the right column, and that Performance Max documentation now says brand and navigational queries may go to dedicated brand Search campaigns. For a small business, the practical question is simple: should you still pay to appear when someone types your own name? Here is what changed, what is still unconfirmed, and a short audit to settle it with your own numbers.
What changed on brand searches
According to PPC Land, citing Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable, Google began showing AI Overviews for many brand keywords in the right column, where the knowledge panel used to sit, instead of at the top or middle of the page. Schwartz described it as "essentially replacing brand knowledge panels with AI Overviews", with examples including Apple, Zillow, Coke, and Google.
Two caveats matter. Google made no announcement, and the published examples were all US results. Treat this as a reported layout change that may vary by country, device, and query, and check your own results before changing anything. A Google spokesperson, quoted by PPC Land, said AI Overviews "create new opportunities for brands".
The numbers behind it
PPC Land cited Ahrefs data showing AI Overviews on 63 of 100 brand names by September 30, 2026, with 48 of those in position one. On July 1 the same tracking found them on only five of 98 usable results. A separate Ahrefs measurement on September 29 put AI Overviews on 82.91% of branded keyword results. The samples and methods differ, so read these as signs of direction, not one fixed rate.
Reported, not confirmed by Google: the layout change comes from trade press and one search-industry observer. Verify it on your own brand name before you move budget.
Why advertisers are questioning budgets
PPC Land relayed Digiday interviews with 18 media buyers. Lindsay Marty of Above the Bar Marketing put the contested share at "10% to 20% of the Google budget" and said "the incremental 10% to 20% is becoming less automatic." Farhad Divecha of Accuracast said about 10% of the Google budgets his clients manage are under question, possibly 20% to 30% around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Bryce Hamlin of Power Digital cited 10% to 30% of search budgets being reallocated.
These are agency-scale quotes, not small business data. The useful part is the question they raise: how much of your Google spend is branded, and is it earning anything extra?
What Performance Max now says about brand queries
Google's updated help page, as quoted by PPC Land, says Performance Max campaigns "may filter out navigational and brand-specific searches in favor of dedicated brand Search campaigns". It advises giving brand Search campaigns adequate budgets and strong ads, and says adding Search Themes to Performance Max may help keep the two aligned.
Read plainly: if you run Performance Max and no brand Search campaign, some of your own-name traffic may be served by neither. If you already test Performance Max, our note on Performance Max A/B testing covers how to compare setups without guessing.
The brand search audit: 5 steps
- 01Look at your own results first. Search your business name on desktop and mobile in a private window. Note where the AI Overview, your ad, your site, and your profiles appear.
- 02Split spend in Google Ads into branded and non-branded using the search terms report for the last 90 days. Write down cost, clicks, conversions, and cost per conversion for each.
- 03Check for a dedicated brand Search campaign. If you run Performance Max without one, set up a small brand Search campaign with exact and phrase match on your name, and give it its own budget.
- 04Track branded CPC and impression share. Rising branded CPC with flat conversions is a signal that competitors are bidding on your name or the page has changed around you.
- 05Run a short holdout if your branded spend is large. Pause brand ads for a set period on a low-risk segment, compare total conversions from your site, and restart if leads fall. One test on your data beats any benchmark.
| What you find | What it suggests | Next move |
|---|---|---|
| Competitors bid on your name | Brand ads protect your position | Keep and fund a brand campaign |
| No competitor ads, high organic rank, brand ad converts little extra | Spend may be duplicating organic clicks | Test a holdout, cut cautiously |
| Performance Max only, no brand campaign | Brand traffic may be filtered out | Add a brand Search campaign |
| AI Overview text is wrong about you | Buyers read an error before your site | Fix your sources, see the checklist below |
Make sure the AI answer about you is right
PPC Land noted an error in one reported example: the AI text gave Zillow's founding year as 2006 while a fact row in the same panel said 2004. The same can happen to a small business with an old address, a retired service, or a wrong price. State your business name, services, location, and a one-line description the same way on your site, schema, and profiles. Our AI Overview brand search checklist walks through the check, and brand entity for AI search covers the groundwork.
What not to do this week
Do not cut all brand spend because of a trade press report, and do not raise it out of fear either. Layout tests change quickly. Measure branded versus non-branded results on your own account, fund a proper brand campaign if you lack one, and revisit monthly.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Did Google move AI Overviews on brand searches?
PPC Land, citing Search Engine Roundtable, reported on November 2, 2026 that Google moved AI Overviews on many desktop brand searches into the right column where the knowledge panel used to sit. Google made no announcement and the published examples were US results, so check your own brand search.
Should a small business still pay for brand search ads?
It depends on your data. Split your last 90 days of Google Ads spend into branded and non-branded, check whether competitors bid on your name, and consider a short holdout test. If competitors bid on your name, a brand campaign usually protects your position.
What does Performance Max do with brand queries?
Google's help page, as quoted by PPC Land, says Performance Max may filter out navigational and brand-specific searches in favor of dedicated brand Search campaigns. If you have no brand Search campaign, add one with its own budget.
How common are AI Overviews on brand searches?
Ahrefs data cited by PPC Land showed AI Overviews on 63 of 100 brand names by September 30, 2026, up from five of 98 on July 1, and a separate measurement found 82.91% of branded keyword results on September 29. The samples differ, so treat the figures as directional.
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