New PPC channel is coming inside Google AI results, rising zero-clicks, and what counts as a bounce

It’s David here, back again with a fresh batch of tips and a glimpse of life from behind the scenes at Backona.

This week’s menu:

• Google is quietly slipping ads into AI answers
• Zero-click results are coming for your traffic
• Bounce rate is a bit high? Not always a bad thing
• Responsive ads give you real performance data
• GTM just made client tracking easier
• You can now ask Backona AI about your Google Ads 

1. Ads are now inside Google AI results, is your data ready?

From my own observation, it seems Google is preparing to launch advertising within its AI results. I came across a clue about this while reading a piece of text inside Google’s AI responses.

(It's only a visualization for now, I haven't seen these ads yet in my browser)

I don't know much about it yet, but I am keeping a close eye on developments. My guess is that it could allow companies to promote their position within Google’s AI results, helping Google maintain strong ad revenue, as more people move from traditional search to the AI-powered experience.

This is the text displayed in Google AI mode results:

"This is a search result, not an ad. Only ads are paid, and they'll always be labelled with 'Sponsored' or 'Ad'."

It’s clear they are getting ready for it.

2. Zero-click results are rising fast!

Those AI Overviews aren’t the only thing changing how users interact with search. More and more answers are now being delivered directly on Google’s results page, no clicks needed at all.

This means that even if you’re ranking high, fewer visitors actually land on your site now. Your ads, product pages, and lead forms might never get seen unless you adapt.

It results in a shift, from chasing visits to earning attention right where the search happens. The better Google understands and trusts your site data, the better chance you have to appear, whether in AI results, featured snippets, or ads.

3. Higher bounce rate? It might be totally fine.

Most people see a high bounce rate and panic, which I understand. We want to keep our potential customers engaged for as long as we can. But often, a bounce is just someone visiting your page and getting exactly what they needed fast.

For example:

• They find contact info or answers and leave satisfied (not a failed visit).
• Users finished reading most interesting to them part of the article and closed the tab without scrolling to the bottom.
• They may be interested but that this is not the ideal time to buy for them. They may come back when they are ready.

What you can do is slightly tweak your setup to track scroll events after 30 seconds. Anyone staying longer than that shouldn’t count as a bounce. This gives you a more accurate view of engagement.

4. Responsive Search Ads - the easy way to boost conversions

Responsive Search Ads adjust headlines and descriptions to match each person’s search.

By offering several options, Google Ads tests combinations, learns what works best, and boosts your reach, click through rates, and conversions.

This saves time, improves performance, and ensures your message fits more searches effortlessly.

5. New GTM template makes tracking much easier.

You can now read client_id and session_id with a new GTM template, no more workarounds.

This helps map the full customer journey more accurately and connect data across sessions.

Meanwhile, In The Backona Universe…

6.Google Ads now connected to Backona AI!

Backona AI now understands your Google Ads data. Add the connector in your settings and just type a question in the chat to get a straight answer.

Check costs, profits, compare campaigns, review performance over different time periods, or even benchmark against industry averages, all through a simple chat.

No time spent digging through reports. Simply ask.

I’m actually battling a fever while writing this, in the middle of summer... The news was so hot, it gave me one!

Time to get some rest, and I’ll see you in the next edition!