--- title: "The AI shift: How search is changing and what it means for nonprofits" description: Search has shifted from keyword-based discovery to behavior-based intelligence. Rethink how you show up on the results page. image: https://blog.rkdgroup.com/hubfs/image%20(23).png --- [![](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/210111-RKD-Groupthinkers-Rebranded-Logo-Blog-png.png?width=157&name=210111-RKD-Groupthinkers-Rebranded-Logo-Blog-png.png)](https://blog.rkdgroup.com) - [Solutions](https://rkdgroup.com/services/) - [Mid-Level Giving](https://rkdgroup.com/services/mid-level-giving/) - [Monthly Giving](https://rkdgroup.com/services/monthly-giving/) - [Lapsed Giving](https://rkdgroup.com/services/lapsed-giving/) - [Personalization](https://rkdgroup.com/services/personalization/) - [Connectors](https://rkdgroup.com/services/connectors/) - [Machine Learning](https://rkdgroup.com/services/machine-learning/) - [Marketing + Fundraising](https://rkdgroup.com/services/marketing-fundraising/) - [Audience Development](https://rkdgroup.com/services/audience-development/) - [Creative Services](https://rkdgroup.com/services/creative-services/) - [Data Management](https://rkdgroup.com/services/data-management/) - [Strategic Planning](https://rkdgroup.com/services/strategic-planning/) - [Analytics](https://rkdgroup.com/services/analytics/) - [Causes](https://rkdgroup.com/causes/) - [Animal Care](https://rkdgroup.com/causes/animal-care/) - [Food Banks](https://rkdgroup.com/causes/food-banks/) - [Health + Hospitals](https://rkdgroup.com/causes/health-hospitals/) - [Humanitarian](https://rkdgroup.com/causes/humanitarian/) - [Missions](https://rkdgroup.com/causes/missions/) - [Salvation Army](https://rkdgroup.com/causes/the-salvation-army/) - [Results](https://rkdgroup.com/results/) - [Acquisition](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=acquisition) - [Digital](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=digital) - [Mid-Major Programs](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=mid-major-programs) - [Advanced Analytics](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=advanced-analytics) - [Direct Mail](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=direct-mail) - [Multichannel Strategy](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=multichannel-strategy) - [Data Management](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=data-management) - [Media](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=media) - [Website Development](https://rkdgroup.com/results?cat=website-development) - [Resources](https://rkdgroup.com/insights/) - [Blog](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/) - [Benchmarks](https://info.rkdgroup.com/benchmarks) - [Webinars](https://info.rkdgroup.com/webinars) - [Ebooks + Research](https://info.rkdgroup.com/ebooks-research) - [Podcast](https://info.rkdgroup.com/group-thinkers-nonprofit-marketing-podcast) - [Field Guides](https://info.rkdgroup.com/field-guides) - [About Us](https://rkdgroup.com/about/) - [Leadership](https://rkdgroup.com/about/leadership/) - [Careers](https://rkdgroup.com/about/careers/) - [Let's Chat](https://rkdgroup.com/lets-chat/) #### Subscribe to our blog ### Subscribe to Email Updates ## Featured Post   [RKD Group](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/author/rkd-group) ## [RKD Group Acquires Whiteboard](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/rkd-group-acquires-whiteboard) Premier Marketing Agency Bolsters Conceptual Creative Capabilities by Acquiring Award-Winning Agency PLANO, Texas, July 27, 2026 — Today, RKD Group, Nor\[...\] [Digital Fundraising](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/digital-fundraising) [Direct Mail Fundraising](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/direct-mail-fundraising) [Multichannel](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/multichannel) [Fundraising](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/fundraising) [Nonprofit Industry](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/nonprofit-industry) [RKD](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/rkd) [Brand](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/brand) [Read More](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/rkd-group-acquires-whiteboard)   [Shane Thornal](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/author/shane-thornal) ## [Why nonprofits must unite SEO, social and paid media in one strategy](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/why-nonprofits-must-unite-seo-social-and-paid-media-in-one-strategy) Someone at your organization “owns” paid media. Someone else—often younger and under resourced—runs the social accounts. A third person (or maybe no one\[...\] [Digital Fundraising](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/digital-fundraising) [SEO](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/seo) [Digital Media](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/digital-media) [Social Media](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/social-media) [Data & Analytics](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/data-analytics) [Read More](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/why-nonprofits-must-unite-seo-social-and-paid-media-in-one-strategy) ## Recent Posts [Digital Fundraising](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/digital-fundraising) [Technology](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/topic/technology) # The AI shift: How search is changing and what it means for nonprofits By [Ashley Walker](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/author/ashley-walker) *[![1771346696367](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1771346696367.png?width=1201&height=186&name=1771346696367.png)](https://info.rkdgroup.com/subscribe)* *Mitchell Chokas, RKD's SEO Supervisor, contributed to this blog post.* Remember when search used to be simple?  You’d plug in a few keywords, scroll through a list of blue links and click on the one that looked most promising. Maybe you even clicked on an ad at the top—intentionally or not. But today? Search looks *nothing* like that.  AI has fundamentally changed the way we search—and how results are served.  Whether you’re looking at organic SEO or paid ads, search has shifted from keyword-based discovery to behavior-based intelligence. And for nonprofit marketers, that means rethinking how you show up on the results page—and how you *stay* visible in a world where clicks are getting harder to earn.   ## AI is everywhere (even if you don’t notice it)   We’ve seen AI slowly integrate into our daily routines. From Siri and Alexa to Netflix recommendations, AI is now part of how we make decisions—big and small.  And search? It’s no exception.  Search engines, social media and even smart assistants now rely on AI to understand intent, not just input. That shift means people are having more natural, conversational interactions—and expecting quicker answers in return. They want less scrolling, more solving.  This evolution is so widespread that [69% of homes now have a smart device](https://geeksonsite.com/knowledge-base/smart-home/how-many-smart-home-devices-are-there/#:~:text=An%20estimated%20175%20million%20homes,home%20devices%20in%20their%20household). The future is here—and it talks back.    ## AI has disrupted the search engine market  For the first time in more than a decade, [Google’s market share has dropped below 90%](https://searchengineland.com/google-search-market-share-drops-2024-450497#:~:text=Google's%20search%20market%20share%20drops%20below%2090%25%20for%20first%20time%20since%202015).  That’s not just a stat—it’s a signal. Users are exploring new platforms like Microsoft Bing’s AI-powered Copilot and tools like SearchGPT, which combine organic results, paid placements and AI-powered summaries all in one.  These tools prioritize content based on user behavior, data signals and intent—not just keyword density or bid strategy. For nonprofits, that means both paid and organic strategies need to evolve fast.    ## SEO and PPC are now deeply connected It used to be easy to draw a line between your SEO and PPC strategies. Not anymore.  Today’s AI algorithms pull from both to make decisions in real time. They analyze:  - User behavior across paid and organic listings  - Landing page experience and content  - Search intent signals from clicks (or lack thereof)  - Metadata and structured content that helps categorize pages  That means success in one area can impact the other—positively or negatively.  If your landing pages aren’t relevant or your content doesn’t align with user intent, AI will notice. And it might cost you in both paid and organic performance.   ## Fewer clicks, more frustration  Here’s one of the biggest changes that’s hitting nonprofits hard: AI is delivering answers directly on the search results page.  That means fewer people are clicking through to your site—even when your content is excellent.  A recent study found that nearly [60% of searches end in zero clicks](https://searchengineland.com/google-search-zero-click-study-2024-443869). That’s especially true on mobile, where space is limited and AI-generated summaries dominate the top of the page.  The result?  - Less organic traffic  - Lower impression share for paid ads  - Fewer conversions from previously high-performing keywords  Even worse, AI responses often aggregate content from multiple sites, diluting your brand voice and removing context. The story you want to tell gets reduced to a sentence or two—without your call to action.    ## The paid search shakeup  AI isn’t just changing organic traffic. It’s transforming paid search too.  Let’s talk about what’s happening behind the scenes:  - **Smart bidding strategies** now rely on dozens of signals—from user demographics to device type to time of day  - **Keyword match types are looser**, making it harder to control when your ads appear  - **Search term reports show fewer queries**, meaning less insight into what’s working  - **Dynamic creative and ad recommendations** are applied automatically unless manually adjusted  And while automation can be powerful, it also introduces risk. More competition, less visibility and shrinking impression share means your Google Grant account or paid search budget may not go as far as it used to.    ## So, what can you do?  Let’s break it down by channel:  ### ✅ For SEO: Think beyond keywords  Keyword stuffing is out. Context is in.  Search engines now use natural language processing to understand the *meaning* behind a search, not just the words. That means you need to create content that reflects:  - Comprehensive coverage of a topic  - Clear structure and readability  - Authentic expertise and lived experiences  In 2024, Google added another “E” to E-A-T, making it Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). It’s not just about what you say—it’s about *who’s* saying it and how much real-world insight they bring.  If you're not already, now’s the time to:  - Run technical audits (site speed, crawlability, schema markup)  - Use tools like Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools  - Align your content with E-E-A-T principles  ### ✅ For paid search: Equip AI to work with you  Modern ad platforms thrive on data. So feed them what they need.  Start by ensuring robust conversion tracking. Use Google Tag Manager, enhanced conversions and server-side redundancies to make sure every action is captured—whether it’s a donation form started, a lead form submitted or a key page viewed.  Next, optimize for Performance Max—especially if you’re using Google Grants. These campaigns take advantage of AI’s full range of capabilities, including automated placements across Google properties, dynamic creative and contextual targeting.  And don’t forget your ad extensions:  - Sitelinks  - Images  - Callouts  - Structured snippets  - Lead forms  The more data you provide, the better AI can optimize—and the higher your ads will rank.    ## Final thought: Don’t fight the change—shape it  The future of search is AI-driven. That’s not a threat. It’s an opportunity.  For nonprofits, this shift is a call to action:  - Reimagine how you show up in search  - Create content that adds real value  - Adapt to automation, without losing control  - Let data guide your decisions—not just best guesses  AI is changing the rules of engagement. But with the right strategy, your mission can still rise to the top—clicks or no clicks.  Want help navigating the new search landscape? Let’s talk about what it means for your organization—and how we can adapt your strategy for the AI era.  ### [Ashley Walker](https://blog.rkdgroup.com/author/ashley-walker) Ashley oversees PPC and Google Ad Grant efforts at RKD Group, helping manage how we optimize conversions across our client's marketing platforms. Ashley is actively involved as an ambassador for the Ad Grant Certified Professionals, a cohort designed to develop and share best practices across the Google for Nonprofit member community. 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