Until recently, having a real conversation with the internet—asking layered questions and getting thoughtful, step-by-step answers—was mostly limited to tools like ChatGPT. Now, Google is rolling out AI Mode and putting that same experience at the fingertips of billions, right inside the search engine people use by default.
This shift goes beyond answering trivia or simple facts. AI Mode allows users to tackle nuanced scenarios, compare options, and refine their queries through natural follow-ups, all backed by Google’s real-time data and massive information ecosystem. Suddenly, anyone can interact with Google the way early adopters have interacted with AI chatbots, but at a scale only Google can offer.
For marketers, publishers, and brands, this update brings new expectations—and new opportunities—for how information is found and presented. As the line blurs between search and conversation, strategies built for static results will need to adapt to a more dynamic, dialogue-driven experience.
What Is Google’s AI Mode?
Google’s AI Mode is an experimental feature in Search that introduces a conversational interface, allowing users to engage in multi-turn interactions directly within the search experience. Powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5, Google’s most advanced AI model to date, AI Mode enables users to explore complex topics, compare options, and ask follow-up questions seamlessly.
Unlike traditional search results, AI Mode employs a “query fan-out” technique, breaking down user queries into multiple sub-questions and retrieving information from various sources, including real-time web data, the Knowledge Graph, and shopping databases. This approach provides synthesized, comprehensive answers that cater to nuanced inquiries.
How AI Mode Changes User Search Behavior
AI Mode is transforming the way people interact with Google, especially when it comes to online shopping. Instead of the old pattern—type a question, sift through articles, and open multiple tabs—users are now getting tailored product recommendations and comparisons instantly, right at the top of their search experience.
Shoppers can ask detailed, scenario-specific questions (“best running shoes for flat feet,” “compare noise-cancelling headphones under $200,” or “alternatives to the Dyson hair dryer”) and receive curated results that highlight relevant products, current prices, and direct purchase options. Google’s AI draws on real-time data and its massive product catalog to streamline research that once took ten clicks down to a single response.
This conversational flow also makes it easy to refine searches. Follow-up questions can narrow down color options, shipping times, or even compare two brands directly—without ever leaving the search page. The process feels more like messaging with a knowledgeable assistant than browsing a traditional list of blue links.
For eCommerce businesses and brands, this is a dramatic shift. Google isn’t just listing your products; it’s actively recommending and ranking them in a context-aware conversation, influencing purchase decisions in real time. Content and product data now need to be structured, current, and ready to answer layered questions. Visibility is no longer just about ranking a product page—it’s about being included in the curated answers and recommendations that guide users from question to checkout, faster than ever before.
The Impact on Traditional SEO Tactics
AI Mode is rapidly changing how search value is created and measured. The metrics that once defined success—organic clicks, page views, time on site—are starting to lose their relevance as users rely more on Google’s direct responses and product suggestions. With AI Mode, answers, comparisons, and even shopping recommendations appear instantly in the conversational interface. For many queries, the need to click through to a website disappears entirely.
Zero-click searches are now the default for a growing range of eCommerce and informational queries. When Google’s AI Mode presents a curated answer or highlights a product in real time, it absorbs the attention that previously went to organic links. Brands may see their visibility drop below the fold, and traffic that once seemed secure simply vanishes from analytics reports.
This shift is exposing a real difference in approach between agencies. Many traditional firms are still optimizing for historical metrics—focusing on keyword rankings, organic sessions, and position tracking—even as those numbers tell less of the actual story. Meanwhile, agencies tuned into AI-driven search are adjusting their strategies: integrating richer product data, optimizing for inclusion in conversational answers, and tracking new forms of brand exposure where a “click” never happens.
As AI Mode becomes more central to how Google delivers results, the gap will widen between brands and agencies that can adapt and those that are stuck with yesterday’s playbook. Measuring real visibility now means understanding how AI Mode is presenting and recommending content—not just where you appear in a list of links.
For a deeper breakdown of how to optimize for AI-based search engines, this guide from Optimum7 offers practical strategies and technical steps to help brands keep up with the latest changes.
What’s Next? Predictions for the Future of Search and SEO
Visibility Shifts from Keywords to Topical Coverage
In the world of AI Mode, granular keyword rankings are losing their value. Instead, success will be measured by how present and relevant a brand is across an entire topic cluster. For example, instead of tracking rank for “running shoes” and “best running shoes for flat feet,” brands will look at their overall presence in all queries related to running footwear.
This shift will push SEO tools to develop new metrics—think “topical visibility scores”—showing how much of the conversation or answer space a brand owns within a given subject. Brands that offer complete, trustworthy coverage will stand out in AI-driven results.
Personalization Becomes Standard
AI Mode is built to interpret user context, preferences, and previous interactions. Over time, Google will likely increase the level of personalization, delivering answers that are increasingly tailored to the individual behind the query.
This could mean users see product recommendations, comparisons, and even informational content that reflects their shopping habits, location, or recent searches. Brands that build flexible content and rich product data will benefit from this tailored approach, while static, one-size-fits-all pages will become less visible.
Paid Placements and Monetization in AI Mode
With more user engagement happening directly in AI Mode, Google will look for new monetization opportunities. It’s reasonable to expect sponsored placements and paid product recommendations to become integrated into AI-powered responses, especially for commercial and shopping-related queries.
This would further blend organic and paid visibility, and brands will need to monitor how these placements impact both reach and conversions. The traditional separation of SEO and PPC will blur even more as AI Mode develops.
The Agency Divide: Traditional vs. Modern Approaches
The move to AI Mode will expose—and accelerate—the split between agencies clinging to legacy SEO and those leading on brand, topical authority, and data-driven strategies.
Traditional agencies that keep reporting on position rankings and basic organic traffic will struggle to demonstrate value as those metrics shrink in importance. Agencies that invest in structured data, content depth, and measurement of true topical presence will pull ahead. The ability to influence brand visibility inside AI-powered answers—rather than just on a list of links—will become a clear differentiator.
New Analytics and Search Console Features
As AI Mode claims a larger share of user attention, measurement tools will need to catch up. Expect Google to introduce new reporting within Search Console or dedicated dashboards for AI-driven visibility.
Metrics may include “AI answer visibility,” topic-level presence, or share-of-voice within dynamic search experiences. This will give brands and agencies clearer insight into their real influence—beyond just clicks and impressions.
Final Thought: Search Is Now a Conversation
As AI Mode evolves from an experiment to a default experience, search will feel less like a transaction and more like an ongoing conversation. Success will go to brands that can be present, relevant, and trusted at every step—no matter how the questions change.
