Google Search Grows But Ad Revenue Lags

Google parent Alphabet reported search queries growing at their fastest rate in five years, yet Search revenue growth slowed to 12 percent year over year in the third quarter, down from roughly 17 percent the prior quarter. Growth in paid clicks, which directly generate ad revenue, also fell from 13 percent to 8 percent. The figures suggest Google has yet to convert rising AI-driven search activity into proportional advertising income.