Search Is a Surf Break Again

Field Notes

Google’s AI overviews now show up on one in four commercial queries in Europe. CNBC reports that advertisers are rewriting entire funnel strategies because the AI layer swallows traditional top-of-page placements. At the same time, Brussels just prodded Google to simplify how it shares user data with ad buyers. Translation: the search break you knew is gone. You either paddle into the new formation or get washed into page two.

Signal Check

• AI overviews privilege structured data, real credentials and multimedia proof. Keyword stuffing is dead; expertise and linked evidence win.
• EU regulators want clearer user consent for personalized ads. Expect more prompts and plenty of people opting out, shrinking cookie-based remarketing pools.
• Founders with strong owned channels (newsletter, Dawn Patrol essays, community spaces) suddenly look smart because they’re not renting reach.

Marketing Pulse

Rewrite search playbooks around “evidence blocks.” Every article or landing page should include three proof assets: an embedded clip, a data chart and a customer quote. Mark them up with schema so AI summaries pull your words verbatim. The Personal Business Trainer should log which pages already include structured data, and nudge you to fix the stragglers. Don’t chase every keyword; pick the five questions your ICP asks weekly and answer them with raw honesty.

Operations Flow

Search volatility is an ops issue because it wrecks forecasting. Build two traffic models inside the trainer: one assuming AI overviews steal 30% of clicks, another assuming 60%. Pair each with contingency spend (podcasts, TikTok, email swaps). Update the model monthly so finance knows how to fund marketing experiments without panic.

Innovation Muscle

Treat AI search as a lab. Spin up microsites that experiment with new structures—FAQ-led layouts, scrollytelling, interactive financial models. Track how often the AI overview quotes you directly. When it works, fold that pattern back into the main site. When it fails, dissect why: missing credentials, weak schema, poor media mix.

Experiments for this week

1. Audit your top ten pages for structured data, embedded media and clear author bios. Fix at least three and reindex them.
2. Script a Dawn Patrol episode that explains AI overviews to your audience. Teach them how to make their own pages quotable and tie it to your services.
3. Launch a “search resilience” cohort: six founders, four weeks, deliverable is a dual-channel plan (search + owned) with the trainer tracking lead origin.