The New Search Landscape: More Resilient Digital Strategies for the AI Era
Google announced in May that it’s rolling out some of the biggest changes to search we’ve seen yet. For several months now, AI‑generated answers have been taking up more space in Google results, pushing traditional organic links and paid ads further down the page. Many organizations are seeing reduced visibility, fewer organic clicks, and more volatility in performance, even when campaigns are well optimized.
Most recently, Google launched a refreshed search engine, which runs on the Gemini 3.5 Flash model. The search field now expands to allow for longer, more conversational queries, similar to how Gemini and ChatGPT work. Users can also create “agents” in Google’s search engine that can track or research topics on their own, which may lead to fewer searches over time.
Besides the growing challenges presented by AI, there are also real opportunities to build resilience and diversity into your digital strategy and reach supporters in new ways, wherever they’re searching, scrolling, or engaging.
We’re recommending a two-pronged approach to staying visible amid these changes: 1) leaning into AI features in Google Ads, and 2) adopting a more diversified, multi‑channel approach that reduces reliance on Google alone and strengthens your overall digital presence.
Lean Into Google’s AI‑Powered Ad Features
Performance Max & AI Max
Performance Max campaigns and the new AI Max features in search campaigns help overcome some of the long‑standing constraints of keyword‑based targeting, particularly for health-related organizations. These tools allow Google’s algorithm to:
- Identify new high‑intent audiences
- Surface emerging search queries you may not have targeted manually
- Expand reach beyond strict keyword matching
- Adapt to AI‑generated search behaviors
If you are currently running only brand-focused campaigns, opening up to these AI-focused bidding strategies will expand the queries you appear on to non-brand and competitor brand terms, though exclusions are still allowed.
This increased flexibility comes with a learning curve as Google tests different audiences and placements, but the potential payoff is broader visibility in a search environment where traditional keyword strategies are losing ground.
Diversify Your Digital Presence Beyond Google
The strongest nonprofit marketing strategies in 2026 and beyond will be multi‑channel, resilient, and audience‑first. Here are the channels we recommend prioritizing this year:
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Microsoft Ads (Bing, MSN, Outlook)
Microsoft Ads is often a cost‑effective and strong-performing opportunity for nonprofits, particularly during awareness months and at year-end.
Some benefits of MS Ads include:
- Lower competition and CPCs
- Strong intent‑based traffic
- Growing AI integrations through Copilot
- Access to partner networks like DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, AOL, and Ecosia
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ChatGPT Ads
As conversational AI becomes a primary way people search for information, ads inside ChatGPT represent a major new frontier. Advertisers enter their own conversation topics and phrases rather than traditional keywords, and the ads are served based on real-time conversational intent rather than keyword matching or cookie-based behavioral tracking.
This is especially powerful for nonprofits focused on education, awareness, or resource‑driven content.
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Video Advertising (Meta, YouTube, CTV)
Video is becoming the most reliable way to reach audiences early, emotionally, and at scale. For nonprofits, it’s ideal for:
- Storytelling
- Awareness campaigns
- Event promotion
- Donor engagement
Meta and YouTube remain dominant, but Connected TV (CTV) is growing fast and offers highly targeted, premium placements. Additionally, short videos can also be used to boost the performance of Performance Max campaigns in Google.
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Organic Content + SEO Built for AI
Traditional SEO has shifted. Content now needs to be structured so AI systems can easily understand, cite, and surface it.
That means prioritizing:
- Clear, structured answers to common questions
- Strong internal linking
- Schema markup
- Authoritative, well‑sourced content
- Topic clusters instead of isolated blog posts
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Email + Owned Channels
As platforms become more algorithm‑driven, owned channels become more valuable. Email, SMS, and gated community platforms give you direct access to supporters without relying on search engines or social feeds.
What This Means for Nonprofits in the Months Ahead
“NOCC’s investment in SEO has shown us that long-term digital strategy still matters, even as the search landscape continues to change. With Revunami’s support, we’ve been able to strengthen our website content, improve how people discover our programs and resources, and grow organic site traffic in a meaningful way. This work has also helped us think beyond traditional search and better position NOCC for visibility across AI-powered discovery tools.”
– Alex Poynor, Director, Campaigns & Brand Strategy, National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
The challenges presented by AI are not a reason to pull back or give up — they’re a reason to expand and evolve.
The organizations that will thrive in this new landscape are those that implement several of these tactics:
- Experiment with AI‑powered tools
- Diversify traffic sources
- Strengthen owned channels
- Build content for humans that AI systems can easily understand and serve
- Invest in storytelling and awareness throughout the marketing funnel
