With the launch of AI Mode in the US this week, Google is transforming the way users interact with search, moving from a passive tool that simply finds and presents information to an intelligent assistant that helps you actually act on it. For marketers, eCommerce teams, and content creators, this is a pivotal moment of change. Here’s what you need to know.

From Information to Intelligence

Google’s vision is clear: “We’re going beyond information to intelligence” they say. This new search experience uses advanced reasoning, multimodality, and a whole host of intelligent features that make search more contextual, more visual, ‘hyper relevant’, and way more helpful.

We won’t just be searching anymore. We’ll be researching, comparing, visualising, creating, and purchasing, all directly from the SERPs.

What Exactly is Google’s AI Mode?

AI Mode is Google’s most powerful AI search experience to date. It’s not just an upgrade to the interface, it’s a fundamental paradigm shift in how search works and how humans use it in their daily lives. We can’t emphasise enough how much this is going to change the game.

Key features include:

Deep Search: Generates hundreds of queries behind the scenes to gather, reason through, and synthesise expert-level, cited answers. Think of it as Google doing hours of research in minutes, and returning with a report. This is going to make homework a piece of cake – which is probably not a good thing.

Search Live: Use your phone camera to show Google what you’re looking at in real time. Google will respond with contextual insights, turning Search into a real-time, visual learning partner. If you’re drawing, designing, or building something, simply point your camera at it and ask for Google’s help. Again – super helpful, but potentially a slippery slope away from real human creativity and learning.

Agentic Capabilities: Borrowed from Project Mariner, AI Mode now enables users to complete tasks like buying concert tickets for the best seats and the best price, or checking out products, all within Search. Life admin is instantly reduced, which probably is a good thing for everyone!

AI Shopping Experience: Google combines the Gemini AI model with its Shopping Graph to help users browse, compare, and even virtually try on clothing by simply uploading one photo of themselves. Then, it can complete purchases using Google Pay when the price is right, so you don’t need to keep checking back for sales, and you won’t miss out on your size when it does go on sale. Genius!

Custom Charts and Data Visualisation: Ask Google to compare complex data (like financials or sports stats), and it will create custom visuals tailored to your query to make that information more digestible and understandable. Perfect for including in presentations.

Personalised Context: AI Mode will soon consider your past searches to offer more relevant suggestions, this will be under your control at all times so you can switch it off if you wish.

The Impacts for Marketers and SEOs

This is more than a cosmetic change. It’s a shift in how users engage with content, and how brands need to respond.

With Deep Search synthesising information across sources, informational content will become even more critical. Your website’s content needs to be useful, detailed, and genuinely helpful. Google wants “unique, valuable content for people” and it’s doubling down on that expectation. Your content team just became even more important.

Will SEOs see traffic drops because of AI Overviews? Possibly. If users get their answers directly in SERPs, traffic for top-of-funnel queries may decline. The challenge will be ensuring your brand still shows up in AI citations, and gives users a reason to click through. Generative Engine Optimisation just became even more important.

Conversion strategies must evolve as Google is now offering checkout functionality and shopping advice directly in the SERPs. eCommerce strategies will need to adapt, with rich product data, seamless UX, and strong visual content becoming even more important. 

What Google Wants From Marketers

As usual, Google has issued some high-level guidance for success in AI search environments. Much of it will be familiar to SEOs:

Create content for humans, not just algorithms,

Make sure your content is accessible and fast,

Use structured data correctly,

Provide a good page experience,

Think beyond text by including images and video,

Know the true value of your traffic,

Adapt with your audience.

Nothing revolutionary,  but the stakes are higher than ever.

Can SEOs Track AI Traffic?

The shot answer is no, and this is the main concern of our SEO team. Our SEO Team Lead, Sam, said: ‘for me the biggest bombshell about this is we won’t be able to track clicks from links within AI mode in Google Analytics, all the traffic will be reported as Direct in GA’. Technical Director, Chris, agreed, saying: ‘if only Google would provide insights into impressions and clicks via AI Overviews and AI Mode! Wouldn’t that be nice!’

Until Google opens up more transparent reporting, marketers are left in the dark around AI traffic, unsure which content is driving visibility and engagement in AI Mode. For now, SEOs will need to double down on high-quality content, technical optimisation, and brand visibility while pushing for more clarity and accountability from Google. Because if AI Mode is the future of search, it’s only fair that we get to measure our place in it!

Search is Now a Service

Google Search is no longer a passive tool. With AI Mode, it’s becoming a full-service assistant: answering questions, completing tasks, guiding decisions, and even helping users shop smarter. As Google itself says, this isn’t just about finding links, it’s about taking the next steps with users.

The question now is: how will your brand show up when Google becomes the customer’s co-pilot?

AI Mode is live in the US now, global rollout is only a matter of time. We’ll be monitoring developments closely and will share further insights on how to adapt SEO and paid strategies accordingly.

Need help making sense of it all? Let’s talk.