Google Doubles AI Search Usage — And Launches New AI Tool for SMBs

Google Doubles AI Search Usage — And Launches New AI Tool for SMBs

This week, Google made three significant announcements that define where its ecosystem is heading:

1. AI Mode and AI Overviews are driving record growth in search.
   

2. Google Labs and DeepMind launched Pomelli, an AI marketing tool for small businesses.
   

3. Chrome will soon warn users before loading insecure HTTP sites.

Each of these moves connects to one theme: Google is building a tighter ecosystem around trust, AI, and usability. Let’s unpack what all these mean for search, marketing, and site owners.

1. AI Mode and AI Overviews Lift Search Usage

In Google’s Q3 earnings report, Sundar Pichai called it an “expansionary moment for Search.”

Despite fears that AI Overviews might reduce clicks, Google says the opposite is happening. Total search queries, including commercial ones, are up year over year and growing faster than in Q2.

Here’s what stood out:

• AI Mode queries doubled in Q3, hitting 75 million daily active users.
  

• AI Overviews drove even stronger query growth, especially among younger users.
  

• Global rollout: AI Mode now supports 40 languages and more than 100 new features.

Pichai was clear about Google’s stance:

“AI highlights the web. It sends billions of clicks to sites every day.”

The message is that AI search isn’t cannibalizing traditional search — it’s expanding it.

Still, what’s missing is transparency. Google didn’t share outbound click metrics or provide new tracking in GA4. For marketers, that means analytics visibility still lags behind user behavior.

But there’s a critical insight here: AI-led sessions are now part of the search funnel. Users aren’t leaving Google; they’re discovering through AI summaries. That’s why content built for AI readability — structured, factual, and expertise-driven — matters more than ever.

And the numbers back it up. Alphabet reported:

• $102.3 billion in quarterly revenue (its first $100B quarter)
  

• $56.6 billion from “Search & Other” — up 14% year over year
  

• YouTube Shorts now generate more revenue per watch hour than traditional in-stream ads

The takeaway: Google’s investment in AI Mode and Overviews isn’t slowing down. With Gemini 3 on the way, expect AI surfaces to dominate more of the query experience and shape how your content gets discovered.

2. Pomelli: Google’s New AI Marketing Tool for SMBs

In a much subtler but equally important announcement, Google Labs and DeepMind launched Pomelli, an AI experiment designed for small to medium businesses.

The tool builds what Google calls a “Business DNA” which analyzes your website’s visuals, tone, and copy to create a complete brand profile.

Here’s what it does:

• Scans your website to extract your brand’s color palette, tone, and voice
  

• Builds a Business DNA profile that keeps all assets consistent
  

• Generates campaign ideas and editable creative assets for social, ads, and websites

Pomelli’s purpose is simple: give smaller businesses the ability to produce brand-consistent campaigns fast — without commissioning agencies or design teams.

Google says it’s aimed at cutting down on brainstorming and production time by auto-suggesting campaign directions and generating finished, editable materials.

It’s currently available in beta across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and may roll out globally later this year.

Why this matters for marketers

Pomelli’s launch signals Google’s next play in democratizing AI marketing. By bringing branding, copywriting, and campaign creation under one roof, it’s reducing dependence on third-party creative tools.

For digital marketers, that means two things:

• AI-assisted brand building is becoming mainstream.
  

• Content consistency across visuals, tone, and message will soon become a staple.
  

Pomelli might start as an experiment, but given Google’s history, expect it to integrate into Google Ads and Merchant Center later.

3. Chrome Tightens Security with HTTPS Warnings

The third update is about trust and safety — a core pillar of user experience.

Starting October 2026, Chrome will enable “Always Use Secure Connections” by default. Any site using HTTP (without encryption) will trigger a warning before loading.

The rollout will begin with Chrome 147 in April 2026, reaching 1 billion users under Enhanced Safe Browsing before becoming the default six months later.

Here’s what’s changing

• Chrome will warn users before opening public HTTP sites.
  

• Private networks (local IPs, intranets) are excluded.
  

• Users can bypass the warning, but not disable it entirely without changing the settings.

Google’s security team noted that HTTPS adoption is already above 97% globally, but the remaining few percent represents millions of risky visits each day.

For website owners, this update is a clear deadline: migrate to HTTPS now or risk losing visitor trust and traffic in 2026.

Chrome will also limit the warning frequency to avoid alert fatigue. The median user will see fewer than one per week.

Why it matters

For marketers, these warnings aren’t just about encryption. They affect perception.

A red warning screen before your site loads can tank trust and conversions instantly — even if your content is perfect.

If you manage older microsites, landing pages, or redirects that still use HTTP, now is the time to clean them up.

The Bigger Picture: Google’s Unified Strategy

Taken together, these updates, AI search expansion, Pomelli’s marketing automation, and Chrome’s HTTPS enforcement, share a single purpose: to shape a more cohesive, AI-driven, and secure web ecosystem.

Google wants users to:

• Search more (through AI Mode and Overviews)
  

• Create more (through Pomelli and Gemini-powered tools)
  

• Trust more (through Chrome’s HTTPS-first design)

For marketers and brands, this means adapting across three fronts:

1. AI visibility: Structure your content for AI readability and citations.
   

2. Creative efficiency: Test Google’s AI tools to scale branded content safely.
   

3. Trust signals: Strengthen your site’s technical foundation before Chrome enforces new standards.

Final Thought

Google’s Q3 results tell a clear story — AI is now at the center of everything from search growth to creative production and browser security.

The opportunity lies in how fast you adapt. Whether it’s optimizing for AI Mode, experimenting with Pomelli, or securing your sites, every move you make now helps your brand stay visible in an AI-first web.

The next phase of search isn’t about fighting AI. It’s about partnering with it — strategically, securely, and creatively.

Smarter Marketing Starts Here

Most marketers waste money on channels that don’t actually drive results. The secret? Incrementality.

Our free ebook, Unlocking Incrementality: A Guide for Marketing Success, shows you how to measure what really moves the needle—so you can stop guessing and start scaling.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• The difference between attribution and true incrementality

• Proven testing methods to measure real impact

• How to double down on the channels that actually work

• Case studies from top brands already seeing outsized ROI

Don’t just run campaigns. Run campaigns that count.

Download the guide and start proving your impact.

Looking for more in-depth strategies and exclusive content?

Check out my Gumroad page for courses, guides, and tools that can help take your digital marketing to the next level. Whether you're looking to master SEO, influencer marketing, or content strategies, I've got resources to get you there. Plus, you'll find some free content to help you get started right away!

Visit my Gumroad page and explore everything I have to offer!

1. Found the insights helpful? Forward this email to help fellow business owners or marketers.

2. Spread the word. Encourage your friends or followers to sign up.

3.  Have us test and review your marketing or business tool on ShaneBarker.com. We can write a product review, comparison, or industry listicle for you.

If you have any specific questions or topics you'd like us to cover in future newsletters, please feel free to reach out. We'd love to hear from you!

To your content marketing success,
Shane Barker