We are in the midst of the AI boom. Beginning in the late 2010s and exploding around the pandemic, AI use in everyday society by most people is becoming the norm. According to a UN report, the global AI market will go from $189 billion in 2023 to $4.8 trillion in 2033.
As consumers and users become more used to AI, businesses of all sizes must jump on board and engage with technology that will come to dominate the landscape.
Why AI Is at the Forefront of Google’s Evolution
AI has moved to the forefront of search engines and other digital platforms. The rise of ChatGPT has led to users asking more conversational and detailed queries, rather than getting answers by hoping to hit keywords that will bring up relevant results.
In fact, Gartner has predicted that by 2026, traditional search engine volume will drop by a quarter due to AI chatbots and other virtual assistants. Search engines, especially Google, have responded to the threat by embracing AI.
Turning to AI means that businesses have to adapt. The old ways of hitting keywords for high-performing SEO are not enough anymore, and you have to be savvier and more relevant to show up on SERPs.
It may sound like you, as a small business, have to change your whole approach to marketing. You don’t. This is a simple guide to how Google has embraced AI and what you can do to optimise your website and content to grow effectively.
What Is Google AI Mode?
Google’s response to the rise of AI in search is Google AI Mode. It is an AI tool that is optional and positioned next to the search button on Google.
Whereas a traditional Google search produces a list of links to websites, in AI Mode, it instead responds directly to the user’s query with a detailed AI-generated response. In the response, source links and citations are integrated into the response so you can verify and follow up on the answer given. AI Mode is also capable of replying to longer form queries and answering follow-up responses, becoming more conversational and is not wholly reliant on keywords to get the answers you want.
Google AI Mode is closely linked to Search Generative Experience, more commonly known as Google AI Overviews. These overviews appear at the top of any search, providing a quick summary of the query, compared to the more detailed and multimodal functionality of Google AI Mode.
How AI Mode Impacts Search Results and User Experience
As stated above, for all Google queries, you are now provided with AI-generated summaries at the top of the SERP. This even more instant access to the information users want is and will continue to impact user behaviour.
If the answer is provided by the AI summary, then this will result in less desire to explore further. This means users will get quicker answers in fewer clicks, meaning they do not go to the websites that provided Google with the answers.
This lack of further interaction could result in less visibility for businesses, impacting lead generation and traffic on websites. Click-through rates will drop, and businesses may struggle to see how well content is doing, even if Google is using it for summaries.
The Role of AI in Personalisation & Predictive Search
AI has made the marketing journey not a funnel anymore. With your profile on the internet more connected than ever, it means that AI in search now considers your browsing history, the different devices you’ve searched on, your demographic and purchasing patterns to create a clear profile of you.
It can use all this and more to better match your preferences when you are searching for something.
By analysing past behaviour, search engines have become better at predicting what your intent is when searching, rather than just producing results that match keywords. In this case, search is moving from being a reactive tool to something proactive and offering more to users.
Benefits for Businesses: Opportunities and Challenges
AI in search presents both opportunities and challenges to businesses.
Opportunities include:
- Appearing in AI answers will improve brand credibility and authority.
- Users who do click through will be more knowledgeable and more likely to use your services.
- It will help you measure success beyond online traffic and consider metrics such as brand mentions.
Challenges include:
- Risk of reduced traffic as competition for attention from summaries increases.
- Have to adapt content formats to better appeal to Google AI mode.
- Shift in SEO strategy from targeting high-volume keywords to being more authoritative and providing expertise across the online ecosystem.
Like with any new technology, capitalising on it effectively can help you grow. If you are not showing up in AI search, there will be reasons why and ways in which you can make changes.
How to Optimise for Google’s AI Mode
AI is not going away and is not the enemy. There are steps you can take to leverage Google’s AI Mode and positively impact SEO.
- Structured data: This is a form of code that you add to your HTML to help search engines understand your content. Schema.org is the vocabulary you can use to turn content into code.
- FAQs: Question and answer sections are easy extraction points for AI, where your own queries might match the ones being searched by users in Google.
- Conversational keyword use: AI favours longer and more detailed queries, so focus on using more natural language rather than specific words to match user intent.
- E-E-A-T: I know we always talk about this, but Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness are still the name of the game. Ensure your content is credible and provides unique insight to stand out to Google AI Mode.
There are many steps you can take to create content that is more likely to be used in AI summaries. These include:
- Matching user intent and answering specific questions
- Structuring your content (headings, subheadings, bullet points and lists)
- Make sure content is high-quality, authoritative and relevant
- Include multimedia elements
The Future of Search With AI Integration
With how quickly AI is progressing, it feels like the next big thing is just around the corner.
Searching for things on Google will become conversational, and voice-led results will become more and more prominent. Voice searching won’t involve shouting “GOOD COFFEE CLOSE TO ME!” Instead, AI will get better and better at responding to the normal way people talk and ask questions.
The improvement in AI search will lead to increased zero-click searches, meaning people get the answers they want quicker on the results page without having to explore further.
This brave new world brings new challenges for businesses, but embracing the continual change and preparing is much better than getting left behind.
Staying Ahead with AI-powered Search
Google AI Mode presents a huge shift in how users search on the internet. It may seem like it is making businesses’ jobs harder to get noticed, but it actually offers you the opportunity to produce content and market more naturally and effectively for potential customers.
Want to take advantage of AI search and gain an edge on the competition? Get in touch with Maxweb Solutions today to start utilising AI in your SEO and marketing strategy.
Posted on Thursday, October 9th, 2025 in Latest News.
