For nearly three decades, the digital ad economy revolved around a simple feedback loop: see link, click link, count link. Banner blindness, keyword bidding wars, and endless landing‑page tweaks all served one supreme metric—click‑through rate (CTR).

But in May 2025, that paradigm received its clearest expiry date yet when Google announced at I/O that AI Overviews are now the default experience for US users and are rolling out to over 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

With 1.5 billion monthly users already interacting with AI‑generated answers—and only a handful of blue links surviving beneath the fold—the click is no longer the North Star it once was.

The AI Shift: Search Without the Surf

Google’s Search leadership framed AI Overviews as a move toward helpful content and user‑first experiences.

Instead of ten links and an invitation to hunt, users receive a concise, conversational answer, often eliminating the need to leave the results page at all.

Google reports that queries that surface an Overview see double‑digit growth in search usage and higher satisfaction scores.

The implication for advertisers is stark: if traffic is no longer the default outcome of a search impression, then success must be measured elsewhere.

From Clicks to Context: The Rise of Zero‑Click Metrics

Digiday aptly calls this the “zero‑click era,” noting that search marketing has evolved from a technical discipline into a broader exercise in semantic relevance and brand presence.

Marketers who once obsessed over average position now ask more nuanced questions:

• Did we occupy the answer box?
• Was our brand framed as an authority?
• How much attention did we capture?

In this landscape, attention, dwell time, and sentiment lift are gaining prominence over CTR. The value shifts from extracting visits to embedding utility inside the native experience.

Why Intrinsic In‑Game Ads Already Operate on This Wavelength

Intrinsic in‑game advertising has spent years optimising for exactly these post‑click metrics:

Viewable by design – ads are rendered as 3D billboards, pitch‑side hoardings, or street furniture inside the game world, meeting (and often exceeding) IAB viewability standards.

Seamless experience – placements complement gameplay instead of interrupting it, mirroring the way AI Overviews deliver value without forcing a detour.

Rich measurement – gaze tracking, exposure duration, and brand‑lift studies provide context‑first signals that outperform raw click data.

What the Data Says: Highlights From Anzu’s 2025 Trends Report

Anzu’s Intrinsic In‑Game Advertising Trends Report (April 2025) backs up the thesis with hard numbers:

• 98 % viewability (vs. the digital display norm of 78 %).
• 2.9 seconds average gaze time—on par with prime‑time CTV.
• 49 % prompted brand recall among exposed players.
• Campaigns beat CPA targets by 21 % thanks to high attention and zero‑scroll waste.

A recent automotive campaign targeting racing titles during the F1 calendar secured 95 % viewability and a 12‑point lift in purchase consideration, without a single forced interstitial or mid‑roll break. The placement was the context.

Implications for Advertisers

As AI reshapes how people access and engage with information, advertisers must rethink how and where they show up. The goal is no longer to interrupt and redirect, but to integrate and enhance.

Here’s how forward-thinking marketers can adapt:

Plan for answers, not just links
Whether it’s an AI Overview summarising the web or a branded billboard in a virtual world, your message needs to exist within the experience, not after it. In this model, visibility isn’t about ranking first—it’s about being contextually relevant at the point of need.

Optimise for attention, not exit
In the past, the focus was on getting users to click and leave. But in a post-click world, the real value lies in how long someone looks, thinks, or remembers. Attention metrics are becoming far more predictive of brand impact than CTR. In-game, where ads are fully in-view and share screen space with the content itself, this kind of passive-yet-powerful attention is already being measured and monetized.

Prioritise native formats
The most effective ads don’t look like ads—they look like they belong. Whether it’s a digital poster on a subway wall in a video game or a sponsored answer in an AI search result, native formats deliver impact without friction. They reduce ad fatigue, increase trust, and create a more consistent experience for users. This is particularly true for younger audiences who are hyper-aware of intrusive advertising and far more receptive to formats that respect their environment.

Future-proof creative
As digital environments evolve—from websites to apps to game worlds to AI interfaces—so must creative strategy. Advertisers need assets that can flex across contexts while still feeling grounded and relevant. Think beyond banners and videos. A well-placed branded object in a game, a dynamic logo in a contextual feed, or an AI-generated response featuring your product. The key is to design for presence, not interruption.

Next Steps

We’re no longer talking about a coming shift—we’re in the middle of it. The way people access information and experience content is being rewritten in real time by AI, immersive environments, and changing user behaviours. For advertisers, the challenge isn’t to future-proof their strategy—it’s to adapt to the moment and respond with formats that meet audiences where they are.

Intrinsic in-game advertising is already aligned with this new reality: context-rich, non-disruptive, and fully integrated into the experience. In a world where value is delivered without the need for a click, these formats aren’t just innovative—they’re essential.

Now’s the time to adjust, not resist. Because when your brand becomes part of the experience itself, you’re not chasing attention—you’re already earning it.