With the rollout of Google AI Mode, most marketers are focused on generative results, zero-click answers, and AI-driven visibility. But just below the surface, Google is evolving traditional SERP elements that continue to shape how users evaluate brands often in ways that go unnoticed.
One such feature “People Also Consider, a mid-SERP module, visually similar to “People Also Search For,” that surfaces alternative brands, categories, or follow-up queries even when users didn’t ask for them.
People Also Consider is gaining traction across various industries and query types. And unlike People Also Ask, this feature is labeled “Sponsored”, despite not behaving like a paid ad (yet).
Google is clearly testing to see whether or not people will click on those suggested searches if they have the Sponsored label right above.
Learn more about some of GrowByData’s many Search Intelligence Solutions:
At GrowByData, we track not just Google’s AI results (both AI Overviews and now AI Mode), but the full SERP including emerging modules like this that reshape brand visibility without warning.
People Also Consider is a Google SERP feature that inserts clickable, suggestion-style tiles below ads or organic listings. These tiles recommend competing product categories, models, or services often leading the user to restart their journey with a new, Google-triggered search.
The SERP feature “People Also Consider” box is labeled “Sponsored”, which makes it seem like an ad but it’s not a paid placement.
“This is a sponsored unit placed by Google… The suggestions are ranked using a number of factors, including relevance to your search terms, and likelihood of showing Ads.”
That’s a subtle but critical distinction.
Using GrowByData’s SERP tracking system, we analyzed feature presence from late January to early August 2025. What we uncovered is clear: this is no longer a small test. It’s a rapidly expanding visibility layer in high-intent search.
Between January 25 and July 31, 2025, the presence of People Also Consider in Google SERPs rose from just 0.22% to 3.56%.
That’s a growth of over +1500% in less than 6 months.
| Industry | Peak Presence in SERP |
|---|---|
| Travel | 6.6% |
| Technology | 4.9% |
| Automotive | 5.1% |
| Retail | 3.5% |
| Finance | 3.4% |
| Service | 2.5% |
| Healthcare | 0.2% |
With competitors being suggested on your own branded searches, your brand needs to be the clear, top-of-mind choice. Focus on creating a strong, consistent identity that builds trust and loyalty, making users less likely to click on a competing suggestion.
Don’t just rely on organic rankings. New features like “People Also Consider” show that you need a strategy to dominate the whole SERP. This means optimizing for top SERP features, using paid search to protect your brand, and ensuring your brand’s presence across all relevant modules.
The SERP is always changing. Brands must actively track these new, non-paid features to understand their impact. Use this intelligence to prepare for potential monetization and adjust your strategy to maintain visibility in this evolving landscape.
→ Learn why SERP tracking is essential in today’s highly competitive search landscape in our article on The Importance of SERP Tracking in 2025.
GrowByData’s Search Intelligence Solution now easily tracks “People Also Consider” alongside other new SERP features, giving brands clarity into:
LLM Platform is rewriting the top of Google.
People Also Consider is quietly rewriting the middle.
And while marketers debate whether they’re losing clicks to AI, they may already be losing visibility to non-paid, competitor-inserting boxes without realizing it.
➡️ Want to see how often your brand appears in “People Also Consider”?