Google is launching a new AI-powered search feature that could change how people find information online - and how they find your business. The update, known as "AI Mode," offers users a conversational-style summary instead of the familiar list of blue links. It will be optional for users, but this could mark a shift in the direction Google is heading.
What’s changing?
Standard Google searches return a list of links, with many businesses relying on these to bring in web traffic, enquiries or sales. But with AI Mode, the search results will include an AI-written response with fewer direct links to other sites. This means less scrolling through pages of links for the user but also fewer chances for your business to be found unless you're included in the AI response itself.
The feature uses Google’s Gemini AI and has already been launched in the US and India and may already be available in the UK by the time you read this. Users can opt into AI Mode via a new tab or toggle it directly from the search box.
Google have said that people are using Google search to ask more complicated questions than they did in the past and hope the new optional AI mode will address that need.
Why does it matter?
There is concern that businesses that benefit from traffic driven by Google, whether through organic search results or paid advertising, may see fewer clicks over time. For example, the Daily Mail has reported a 50% drop in traffic to its own website since Google introduced its AI Overview feature.
Google hasn't confirmed how advertising will work in this new setup, so it’s not yet clear whether you’ll be able to pay to be included in these AI summaries.
Google has already introduced AI-generated summaries in its search results. Recent research by the Pew Research Centre indicates that people are far less likely to click a link when there’s an AI summary at the top of the page. This is particularly affecting news organisations who are reliant on click throughs for their business model.
Looking ahead
AI search is still evolving. It’s still unknown how advertising might work within these summaries or how accurate the AI responses will be. But the trend is clear: people are asking more complex, conversational questions, and Google is responding with answers instead of lists.
This could mean the way people discover businesses online will change. So, if you’re reliant on traffic coming to your website from Google, it may be worth talking to your SEO specialist about how this change could affect you. Now might also be a good time to explore email marketing, social media, or partnerships that drive people directly to your website.
See: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyj4zky4zwo