Google has introduced ‘ Google AI Mode ‘ a new search experience in the UK that uses artificial intelligence to generate answers in a more conversational style, a major change for the world’s most-used search engine.
Instead of the familiar list of blue links, “AI Mode” will show an AI-written summary designed to answer their query directly, often with far fewer outbound links to other sites.
The traditional Google Search isn’t going anywhere, but experts believe AI-powered search will increasingly become the default for most users. This shift is already raising concerns among organisations, businesses, and publishers that depend on search traffic for visibility and revenue.
So, what does it mean for your website and what should you be doing about it?
📌 How Google’s AI Search Works
The new AI Mode is an evolution of the AI Overviews feature, which has been live in the UK since August last year. It scans the web for relevant information, then generates a natural language answer, blending insights from multiple sources.
Here’s the big change:
- Informational queries (e.g., “how to start a podcast”) will likely be handled in AI Mode.
- Commercial, transactional, or branded queries (e.g., “buy podcast microphone Amazon”) will still favour the traditional SERP.
Your content can be referenced without a direct link, meaning users may never need to visit your site.
📉 Why This Could Mean a Drop in Traffic
If much of your SEO strategy relies on ranking for informational keywords, AI Mode could reduce click-throughs. For example, a search for “best eco-friendly cleaning products” might now show an AI-generated answer with a few brand mentions, but no clickable link to your buying guide.
That means visibility may not translate to traffic in the same way it has for the past two decades.
🛠 How to Adapt: Double Down on Helpful Content
While this sounds worrying, the solution isn’t to panic, it’s to make your content more useful and authoritative so Google wants to pull from it, and so users still have a reason to click through.
1️⃣ Go Beyond the Basics
Move past standard product descriptions. Offer buying guides, comparison tables, authentic customer reviews, and video demos. For SaaS companies, create fair comparison pages (not just sales fluff), detailed case studies, and practical how-to guides.
2️⃣ Build Long-Term Trust
Google is clearly assessing the overall authority and trustworthiness of your entire domain. That means:
- Publishing consistently.
- Keeping information accurate and up to date.
- Showing real expertise through author bios, references, and original insights.
3️⃣ Offer Click-Worthy Extras
If AI Mode is summarising your content, give people something they can’t get from the summary, such as tools, downloads, interactive elements, or deeper analysis.
4️⃣ Social Media Marketing
Social channels are a vital way to maintain visibility and drive traffic, even if AI reduces organic clicks. Share your helpful content, guides, videos, and case studies on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to reach audiences directly. Encourage user interaction and reviews, social signals can reinforce your authority online and feed back into Google AI’s trust algorithms.
🔗 Don’t Neglect UX and Technical SEO
Strong content is only part of the picture. A smooth user experience and clean technical SEO can make the difference between someone bouncing and someone converting.
- Ensure fast mobile loading times.
- Make navigation intuitive.
- Keep your design user-friendly across all devices.
🚀 The Big Picture
Google AI is not replacing SEO, but it is changing what SEO success looks like. Ranking is no longer the only goal; becoming a trusted, authoritative source that AI consistently draws from is the real win.
That means:
- Focus on genuinely helpful content.
- Strengthen your site’s authority over time.
- Continue building quality backlinks and improving the user experience.
The brands that succeed in this new era will be those that embrace AI-driven search while sticking to the timeless principle of putting the user first.
