Don’t just capture more leads — land the leads that drive growth. Here’s how AI makes it possible

Think about the last time you made a truly life-altering decision: buying a home, choosing a university, or finding the right financial advisor. These aren’t small, everyday purchases. They are significant moments that shape our lives. And if you’re a marketer focused on lead generation, you’re guiding people through that complexity, all while facing intense pressure to prove your efforts are driving measurable, profitable growth for your company.

Today, that journey is changing faster than ever. AI is fundamentally reshaping how people research and make decisions, big and small. And it is redefining how you build trust with them.

Being present with the right message, at the right time, in front of the right person was always the goal. Now, Google AI is making this possible and creating new opportunities for growth — even as the lead-generation journey is getting more complex. Here’s how.

The new reality: People’s decision-making journeys are more fragmented than ever

The path to any kind of decision is no longer a straight line. It’s a dynamic web of touchpoints. People are bouncing around from digital experience to digital experience at a rate we’ve never seen before, with the average consumer using over 130 touchpoints a day. ¹ What are they doing in these moments? They’re streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping . And for considered purchases, this journey overwhelmingly happens on Google and YouTube.

In fact, 71% of potential lead-gen customers who use Google properties claim they make the journey simpler, significantly higher than any other online platforms. ²

The path from discovery to decision might begin with someone streaming a home-renovation show on YouTube on their TV, then scrolling through Shorts for DIY tips on their phone. It could lead to a Google Search for “local mortgage lenders” and a deep dive into reviews and rates.

This interplay between Search and video is powerful for your brand. For advertisers, running Google Search and YouTube together drives 21% higher ROAS than all other media combined. ³

Google AI turns complexity into opportunity

Your potential customers are moving differently, and their evolving behavior creates a huge opportunity for your brand to be there with helpful answers. This is where Google AI becomes your most valuable tool — especially in Search, which is undergoing its greatest evolution yet.

New features like AI Overviews help people quickly get the lay of the land on complex topics. Already, 60% of potential lead gen customers who saw an AI Overview in their search results claim it makes the decision-making process faster, easier, and/or less overwhelming. ⁴

Google AI can also help advertisers find intent in new places. A search like “why is there low water pressure after installing a new sink” might not seem commercial. But our AI can distill the query, understand this person’s frustration, and recognize that connecting them with an ad for a local plumber is the most helpful next step for them — and a high-value lead for the business.

We’re already placing ads directly within AI Overviews and experimenting with them in AI Mode, ensuring your business can show up in these critical moments.

By harnessing Google AI through our suite of next-generation solutions, like AI Max for Search , Demand Gen , and Performance Max , you can translate this complex, unpredictable demand into tangible results. These AI-powered campaigns analyze billions of signals in real time to find new pockets of demand. They connect your business not only to more potential customers, but to the customers most likely to become high-quality leads, helping you drive efficient and profitable growth. This is how marketers move from chasing quantity to delivering quality — the leads that actually convert and become the engine of profitability for your company.

Turn data into your competitive edge for higher-quality leads

To unlock the full potential of AI, you need the right fuel: a strong, comprehensive data foundation . This isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s your competitive advantage. This is how you connect your online efforts and your offline outcomes, so you can see the true value of your marketing. It’s what separates marketing activity from true business impact, giving you the power to focus investments on what drives actual profit.

The most crucial step is connecting your rich, first-party signals with the invaluable offline data stored in your CRM. This process is getting easier with tools like Google Ads Data Manager , which allows you to connect your CRM to Google Ads in just a few clicks. This unified, privacy-safe view teaches Google AI which leads actually turned into valuable customers, closing the loop between your marketing spend and real sales.

With this complete picture, Google AI can help you move beyond optimizing for intermediate actions, like form fills, to focus on your long-term business goals. It learns to predict a lead’s potential value, finds new high-intent customers across Google, and helps you make smarter investments, thereby proving the direct impact of your marketing on revenue and profit.

And that’s the entire point. When you can show your direct impact on revenue, the goal itself shifts. It’s no longer just about getting more leads; it’s about getting better ones — the ones that grow your business. By pairing the power of Google’s AI with your own unique signals, you’re not just keeping up with the future of lead generation. You are building it.

Listen to an audio summary of Think Leads 2025 here .