AI Overviews Now Sit Beside Brand Searches: How to Protect Your Brand on Google, Organic and Paid

The most valuable search for your business is not "best hospital in Hyderabad" or "digital marketing agency near me". It is your own name.

People who type your brand already want you. They want your phone number, directions, timings, reviews, or the login page. For years you could count on two things in that moment: your website at the top, and a knowledge panel on the right that broadly described you correctly.

That is changing. On 2 November 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google had moved AI Overviews for many brand searches into the right-hand column on desktop, where the knowledge panel used to sit. In the same week, Google updated its Ads help page to say Performance Max may filter out brand searches in favour of dedicated brand Search campaigns.

If you have been asking "should I still pay for my own brand name?", this is the week to answer it properly. This guide explains what changed and gives you a clear plan for both the organic and paid side.

Quick answer: For many brand searches, Google now shows an AI-written summary in the right column instead of a classic knowledge panel, and Performance Max may skip brand queries so that brand Search campaigns can handle them. Keep a small, tightly controlled brand Search campaign, make sure your website and Google Business Profile state your key facts clearly, and check what the AI summary says about you every month.

What changed on the results page

According to Search Engine Roundtable, searches for brands such as Apple, Zillow and Coke now show the AI Overview in the right-hand column instead of at the top or middle of the main results. The main column looks more like the classic list of links again.

PPC Land's analysis added important context:

1. The published examples were all US results, and Google made the change without an announcement.
2. Ahrefs data cited in the article found AI Overviews on 82.91% of branded keyword results in a 29 September 2026 measurement.
3. In the Zillow example, the AI text gave a different founding year from a fact row in the same panel.

That last point is the real risk. A knowledge panel was built from facts you could claim and correct. An AI summary is generated, and you cannot edit it directly. If your website, listings and directories disagree about your founding year, locations or services, the summary may repeat the wrong version.

Key takeaways

1. For many brand searches, the right column now holds an AI Overview, not a classic knowledge panel.
2. Examples so far are US desktop results; layouts vary by query, device and country.
3. You can't edit the AI summary, so the facts on your own site and listings matter more than ever.

What changed on the paid side

Google added a paragraph to its help page on how Performance Max interacts with other campaigns. It says Performance Max campaigns "may also filter out navigational or brand-specific search queries to prioritize serving them through dedicated Search campaigns". Google advises advertisers to give brand Search campaigns sufficient budget and high-quality ads, and to consider adding Search Themes to Performance Max.

In plain words: if your whole account is one Performance Max campaign, you may not be sure your ad still shows when a patient or customer types your name. Google hasn't said how often this filtering happens.

At the same time, advertisers are questioning their Google spend. Digiday spoke to 18 media buyers who said clients are scrutinising search budgets, with some putting 10% to 30% of spend under review. PPC Land also reported a Tinuiti finding that branded cost per click rose 5% in the third quarter. Brand clicks are not free, and they are getting more expensive.

Should you bid on your own brand name?

There is no single answer, but here is how to decide.

1. Competitors or aggregators show ads on your name. Bid on your brand?: Yes. Why: Otherwise the first thing a ready-to-book patient sees may be someone else.
2. You run Performance Max and no brand Search campaign. Bid on your brand?: Yes, add a small one. Why: Google says PMax may skip brand queries; a brand campaign gives you control.
3. Your organic result, sitelinks and Business Profile cover the page well and nobody bids on you. Bid on your brand?: Test it. Why: Pause in one region or for set weeks and measure total brand clicks and leads.
4. You want to push a specific offer, new branch or booking page. Bid on your brand?: Yes. Why: Ads let you control the message and landing page.
5. Brand campaign is taking credit for leads that would come anyway. Bid on your brand?: Reduce, don't guess. Why: Measure incrementality before cutting.

For hospitals and clinics, brand searches often include a doctor's name or a branch ("[hospital] Kondapur", "[doctor name] appointment"). These are high-intent searches. Losing them to a competitor or a listing site is costly.

How to protect your brand search: a 7-step plan

Step 1: Search your own name like a customer

Search your brand, your brand plus "reviews", your branch names and your key doctors' names. Do it on desktop and mobile, logged out. Screenshot what you see: the main results, any AI Overview, ads and the map pack. Repeat monthly so you can spot changes.

Step 2: Fix the facts at the source

The AI summary draws on what the web says about you. Make sure these all match exactly:

1. Your website's About and Contact pages (founding year, locations, services, phone numbers)
2. Your Google Business Profile for each branch
3. Major directories and social profiles
4. Organization structured data on your homepage, matching what's visible on the page

If any of these disagree, fix them. Google's own guidance on AI features in Search says there are no special optimisations for AI Overviews beyond normal Search best practices, so clear, consistent, crawlable facts are your best lever.

Step 3: Build a dedicated brand Search campaign

1. Use exact and phrase match brand keywords, including common misspellings and branch names.
2. Write ads that answer brand-search intent: booking, phone number, location, timings, latest services.
3. Add sitelinks to your most-used pages (Book appointment, Doctors, Branches, Contact).
4. Set a budget that will not run out by midday. Brand searches are usually limited in volume, so the budget can be modest.

Step 4: Keep brand and non-brand apart

1. Add your brand terms as negative keywords in non-brand Search campaigns.
2. In Performance Max, use brand exclusions if you want PMax to focus on new customers, and add Search Themes for your services, as Google suggests.
3. Report brand and non-brand results separately. Mixing them makes average cost per lead look better than it is and hides weak non-brand performance.

Step 5: Measure whether brand ads are really adding leads

Don't decide based on feelings. Run a simple test:

1. Pick a period (say four weeks) and, if possible, a region.
2. Pause or reduce brand ads there.
3. Compare total brand clicks (paid plus organic), calls and booked appointments against a similar period or region.

If total leads hold steady and nobody else bids on you, you can save budget. If leads drop or competitors move in, turn the campaign back on with confidence.

Step 6: Strengthen what sits around your brand

The AI summary is only one part of the page. Make the rest work for you:

1. Earn real reviews and reply to them professionally (for healthcare, follow NMC rules and never ask for reviews in exchange for anything).
2. Keep a clear, fast website with a strong homepage title so your sitelinks look good.
3. Publish helpful pages that answer what people search with your name: fees, insurance, parking, timings, how to book.

Step 7: Check your brand in AI tools too

Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI Mode what they know about your business. Note wrong facts, then trace them back to the source page or listing and fix it. This is slow work, but it compounds.

Key takeaways

1. Make your facts identical everywhere: website, Business Profile, directories and schema.
2. Run a small, controlled brand Search campaign and keep brand out of non-brand reporting.
3. Test before cutting brand spend, and check AI summaries of your brand every month.

A note for hospitals and clinics

Patients often search a doctor's name rather than the hospital's. Make sure each doctor has an accurate profile page on your site with specialities, timings and the branch they sit in, and that this matches their Business Profile and directory listings. Keep ad text within Google's healthcare policies and India's NMC guidelines: no "best", no guaranteed results, no patient testimonials in ads.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Google showing an AI Overview instead of my knowledge panel?

Search Engine Roundtable reported on 2 November 2026 that Google moved AI Overviews for many brand searches into the right-hand column on desktop, in place of the classic knowledge panel. Examples so far are from the US, and layouts vary by query and country.

Can I edit what the AI Overview says about my business?

Not directly. You can make sure your website, Google Business Profile, directories and structured data all show the same accurate facts, and use the feedback option in Search to report errors.

Does Performance Max still show ads on my brand name?

Google's help page now says Performance Max may filter out navigational and brand-specific searches so that dedicated brand Search campaigns can serve them. Google advises running a brand Search campaign with enough budget and good ads.

Should a small clinic pay for its own brand keyword?

If competitors or listing sites bid on your name, yes. If nobody does and your organic result is strong, test pausing it in one period and compare total calls and bookings before deciding.

Is brand bidding expensive?

Brand clicks are usually cheaper than non-brand clicks, but not free. PPC Land reported a Tinuiti finding that branded cost per click rose 5% in the third quarter of 2026. Keep the budget modest and measure results.

How do I stop brand searches inflating my campaign results?

Put brand terms in their own Search campaign, add them as negatives elsewhere, use brand exclusions in Performance Max if needed, and report brand and non-brand leads separately.

Protect your brand search with an AI-led performance team

Pengwin Solutions is an AI-based performance marketing and SEO company founded in 2019, with teams in Hyderabad and Vizag. We set up brand and non-brand campaigns that are measured separately, fix the facts Google and AI tools use to describe you, and report on real leads, not just clicks. Explore our Google Ads and SEM services, SEO services, digital marketing and healthcare marketing solutions. You might also find our comparison of Google Ads vs Meta Ads for lead generation in Hyderabad and our guide to AI performance marketing in Hyderabad useful.

Call +91 90326 18332 or contact us for a free brand search and Google Ads audit.