This week’s AI marketing updates highlight how quickly search, social, and advertising platforms are evolving. Google expanded its AI Mode worldwide with agentic upgrades, Meta unveiled new AI ad tools ahead of the holiday season, and Google’s Knowledge Graph was dramatically slimmed down. These developments show the dual track of AI marketing: expanding automation on one hand, and sharpening quality and authenticity on the other. Here’s what happened and the suggested actions to carry out for your business.
Weekly Marketing Round-Up (18–22 August 2025)
1. Google expands AI Mode to 180 countries
Google rolled out AI Mode to 180 countries and territories, adding practical agentic features such as restaurant bookings, service appointments, and ticket purchasing. This signals Google’s intent to move AI Mode from an experiment into a mainstream search experience.
Suggested actions to carry out
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Adapt landing pages to answer broader, conversational queries.
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Prepare schema for local services, events, and bookings to align with AI-driven results.
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Track rollout in your region to anticipate changes in traffic sources.
2. Meta launches AI ad tools for holiday campaigns
Meta released AI-powered features to help advertisers maximise holiday sales. Updates include creator marketplace filters, shoppable Reels with video carousels, and creator-catalog ads. Early testing shows a 7% lift in conversions when these tools are used.
Suggested actions to carry out
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Trial shoppable Reels for product launches or seasonal promotions.
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Explore creator partnerships with new marketplace filters.
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Monitor conversion metrics closely to justify scaling AI-driven placements.
3. Community marketing offers authenticity vs AI saturation
Experts warn that over-reliance on AI-generated content risks uniformity. Community-led engagement and real creator voices remain vital for differentiation and emotional impact.
Suggested actions to carry out
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Invest in community managers or ambassador programmes.
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Blend AI efficiencies with authentic human storytelling.
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Audit existing content to ensure brand voice feels distinct and human.
4. Google trims 3 billion Knowledge Graph entities
Google carried out its largest Knowledge Graph clean-up in years, cutting more than 3 billion entities. The move reflects Google’s shift toward prioritising accuracy and focus as it integrates AI more deeply into search.
Suggested actions to carry out
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Review structured data to ensure accuracy and relevance.
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Keep entity pages (about your business, products, or people) up to date.
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Monitor brand presence in AI Overviews to track visibility.
5. Google enhances iOS App Campaigns with AI
Google introduced new AI-powered formats and bidding tools for iOS app campaigns. Updates simplify campaign creation, improve targeting, and maintain privacy standards.
Suggested actions to carry out
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App developers should test the new formats early to benchmark performance.
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Revisit bidding strategies to align with AI-driven automation.
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Prepare creatives in multiple aspect ratios for flexibility in AI placement.
6. AI is reshaping search, but Google remains dominant
A new study by the Nielsen Norman Group shows that while generative AI is changing how people search, traditional habits are deeply ingrained. Participants consistently defaulted to Google because of convenience and familiarity, even as they experimented with Gemini, ChatGPT, and other AI tools.
The research revealed that AI overviews at the top of Google’s results capture significant attention and often reduce clicks to websites, creating challenges for content publishers. However, AI has not replaced search altogether. Instead, users frequently use AI chats and traditional search in tandem — turning to AI for quick answers or synthesis, then using search engines to fact-check or explore deeper.
Suggested actions to carry out
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Continue investing in SEO — Google remains the starting point for most users.
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Optimise for AI Overviews by ensuring content is structured, accurate, and concise.
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Track shifts in referral traffic to understand the impact of AI summaries on site visits.
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Prepare content that works both for AI-driven synthesis and traditional keyword search.
