Google is rolling out their fully AI-powered search engine, called AI Mode. It's live in the United States right now. They're replacing the traditional Google results page with a full Chat GPT-like interface. Not just the AI Overviews that they've been using for a year but a whole chatbot-like experience.
For SEOs, this could be concerning because of studies suggesting that AI-generated content will reduce click-throughs to websites. Yes, Search is going to change, and Google is going to deliver less traffic. But this isn't bad news for SEOs; it's just news. I've been there. You just need a plan.
AI Mode was announced on May 20th, 2025. It's a conversational back-and-forth, like the ones you have with ChatGPT. Google won't just spit out one result, forcing the user to start over with a better or improved search query.
Why are they doing this? They had to. Google has been feeling pressure from companies like TikTok and ChatGPT, taking some of their market share. So, what's the plan? There appear to be two distinct groups of website owners at the moment. Website owners who should worry (informational searches) and those who shouldn't (transactional searches).
Folks that should worry.
- Recipe sites
- Product comparison sites
- Listicles
- DIY / tutorial sites
- Natural health blogs
- Fitness information sites
- Sites that scrape and build content only for SEO
Publishers that rely on informational clicks from Google should be concerned. They've already seen Chat GPT eat away at their traffic, but it'll get worse. These searches for information will be snatched up and result in a zero-click search.
Folks that should not worry.
- Local businesses
- E-commerce and retail sites
- SaaS and web apps
- Professional service providers (law firms, therapists, dentists, accountants)
Websites that rely on transactional clicks or those that require user interaction. It will be mostly business as usual. Their SEO driven blog traffic might decrease, but not the core of what they do.
Young people love it.
Google has tested Google AI mode on various audiences, and the early adopters are predominantly young. The studies they have ran conclude that younger audiences prefer a quick answer rather than having to hit the site and look for it. It makes sense.
What about Search Ads on Google?
AI Mode doesn't interfere with Google Search Ads. The ads are integrated in a pretty seamless way. They're not going to shoot themselves in the foot introducing AI. Ads are their bread and butter, and they're including them in a way that results in the same amount of ad clicks.
What to do? What's next?
For most businesses, this won't be a significant shift. Google results and AI results are pretty similar for business or service recommendations. Give it a try. Google for "hr consultant in vancouver" and then try the same thing in Chat GPT, Perplexity, or something else. You'll find a ~90% overlap.
For publishers that rely on informational traffic to drive ad sales, this might be a turning point. It may be time to integrate more and deeper interactions and information on your site.
I'd love to chat
I'd love to see what others are seeing in their stats and how they're thinking about this. AI is turning the dial, we just gotta keep up with it. Hit me up on LinkedIn or email me here.
