Google Is Deprecating Call-Only Ads: What It Means for Visibility, Leads, and AI-First Search in 2026

In late 2025, Google announced a significant change for advertisers: the traditional Call-Only Ads format is being deprecated and replaced by Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) with Call Assets.

This is not a minor PPC update. It signals a broader shift in how visibility, lead generation, and search itself will work for businesses in 2026 and beyond.

Google’s Official Timeline for Call-Only Ads deprecating

According to Google’s announcements, the transition will happen in phases:

• February 2026 – Advertisers will no longer be able to create new Call-Only Ads (including via API).

• February 2027 – All existing Call-Only Ads will stop serving impressions entirely.

While calls are not going away, the standalone call-only format is.

This change reflects Google’s larger strategy: moving away from rigid, single-purpose ad formats toward AI-optimized, flexible ad systems that adapt to user intent.

Responsive Search Ads With Call Assets: What’s Replacing Call-Only Ads?

Instead of running ads designed only to generate phone calls, businesses will now rely on Responsive Search Ads enhanced with Call Assets.

This means:

• Multiple headlines and descriptions

• AI-driven combinations tested automatically

• Optional call assets (phone numbers) added to the ad

• One ad that supports both calls and clicks

  
  

Rather than serving a static “call now” experience, Google’s machine learning evaluates context, intent, device, and behavior to decide when a call option makes sense.

What This Means for Businesses:

• Ads become more adaptable

• Lead generation becomes integrated, not siloed

• Phone calls become one conversion signal among many

This is a fundamental change in how performance is measured and optimized.

Why This Matters Beyond Paid Ads

Although this update affects Google Ads, it reflects something much bigger happening across search as a whole. This is a microcosm of the AI-driven transformation of visibility.

1. AI Answers Are Replacing Clicks

Search engines increasingly generate answers directly on the results page through AI summaries and overviews. Fewer users click through to websites unless the content is:

• Clearly structured

• Easily interpreted by AI

• Recognized as authoritative

If your content cannot be understood and cited by AI systems, it risks never being surfaced at all.

2. Structured Data Is No Longer Optional

Search engines and AI models rely heavily on structured data, schema markup, FAQs, and clear metadata to understand what a business does.

Without structure, your content becomes invisible — not only to search engines, but to AI-powered discovery systems.

3. E-E-A-T Is Now a Visibility Requirement

As AI increasingly shapes search results, Google prioritizes content that demonstrates:

• Experience

• Expertise

• Authoritativeness

• Trustworthiness

Thin, generic, or recycled content is being filtered out regardless of keyword usage or backlinks.

This Shift Isn’t Just Technical. It’s Strategic

Google’s deprecating Call-Only Ads reveals a deeper truth: In 2026, visibility is no longer about “ranking on page one.”

AI systems increasingly decide:

• Which answers are generated

• Which brands are referenced

• Which businesses are trusted as sources

SEO is no longer just about being found by search engines.

It is about:

• Being understood by AI

• Being selected as an authority

• Being referenced inside AI-generated answers

This requires systems, not isolated tactics.

What Businesses Should Do Now

Rather than optimizing for outdated models, businesses need to adapt to an AI-first discovery environment.

• Design Content for AI Visibility: Create content that is clear, structured, and machine-readable so algorithms can understand and reference it.

• Build Integrated Growth Systems: Your website, paid campaigns, content, and automation should work as one ecosystem — not disconnected efforts.

• Demonstrate Real Authority: AI prioritizes lived experience, proof, and depth over repetitive keyword strategies.

• Plan for AI-First Discovery: Google is not the only gatekeeper anymore. AI assistants, generative summaries, and answer engines increasingly influence what gets seen.

This Is Bigger Than Ads

Yes, the deprecation of Call-Only Ads matters. But more importantly, it signals this reality:

Visibility is no longer something you hope for. It is something you architect.

Brands that fail to adapt their structure, authority, and AI readiness risk being ignored, even if their products or services are excellent.