A few weeks ago, our content marketing team sat down to brainstorm new ideas for blog posts. Naturally, brainstorming and research mean you end up spending most of your time looking things up and surfing through SERPs.

One of our team members searched for something on Google—and instead of the search engine’s usual layout of 10 blue links topped with AI Overviews, she saw this screen:

We always knew AI Mode was being rolled out, but we thought of it more like a ChatGPT-style chatbot—something you'd have to visit separately to use. We didn’t expect it to just pop up in our faces every time we typed in a query and completely change the search game.

A million questions came to mind, starting with the most obvious one: If people start relying on AI Mode to get their information, what does that mean for businesses that market content to sell?

The opportunities are getting thinner.

Sure, there’s an option to turn off AI Mode from Google’s Search Labs—which stops the search engine from showing AI-generated results and brings back the good old blue links. But as marketers and businesses, we can’t assume people will turn it off.

Nobody stopped using ChatGPT, right? In fact, its search market share is growing as we speak.

And why would anyone want to turn AI Mode off, anyway? Google has been training its audience for years to stop relying on websites and links to get information. It started with rich results and featured snippets, then came AI Overviews—and now, it’s cranked up a notch. One thing is clear: Google doesn’t owe websites any traffic. In fact, it treats sending users to websites as a “necessary evil.”

So, the real question is: how do we play the game?

AI Mode was officially launched in the U.S. on June 27. We started writing this piece exactly 30 days later. Yep—we waited at least a month to see what changes AI Mode is actually bringing to the table. Is it just a plain-old, Gemini-powered AI tool? Or is it still holding on to parts of the Core Algorithm?

Now, we’ve got a game plan.

What Is AI Mode in Google Search

AI Mode is Google’s newly released Search Labs product—a chatbot that can handle and respond to queries like a search engine. It’s built to tackle complex, multi-part questions—think reasoning, math, coding, and multimodal inputs (text, voice, images)—all within a conversational UI.

It runs behind the scenes using a "query fan‑out" technique: issuing hundreds of searches across subtopics, then synthesizing a cohesive, fully cited answer. It also includes features like “Deep Search” for high-level research and agentic capabilities such as AI‑powered business calling.

Unlike ChatGPT’s knowledge base—which, for newer models like GPT-4.1 and o4-mini, contains data up to June 2024—AI Mode uses Google’s Gemini 2.5 engine, with a knowledge cutoff of January 2025. That alone makes it more current.

On top of that, AI Mode pulls its information from (and cites) Google’s vast index of the web and its Knowledge Graph. That means Google’s AI model is deeply integrated with its core search infrastructure.

At the time of writing, Google Search AI Mode is only available in the U.S. and is gradually rolling out in India and the U.K. But Google has announced plans to expand to “over 200 countries and territories” in more than 40 languages. The message is clear: AI Mode is Google’s next evolution of AI‑powered search—transforming traditional search into a global, interactive, chatbot-like experience

Diving Deeper in AI Mode: What Does It Mean for Your Business

Whenever there’s a tech revolution, people are more likely to adapt than ignore it and stick to the old ways. The implication? Businesses have to evolve too.

In this case, AI Mode is set to change the dynamics of how search works.  And if you look closer, there are clear signs of what that could mean for your website.

Reduced Click-Through Rates (CTRs)

AI Mode is designed to answer questions directly within the search interface—often summarizing content from multiple sources into a neat little box. That means users may never need to click through to your site. Even if your content is cited, that visibility doesn’t always translate into actual traffic.

For transactional queries, Google might now provide comparisons, reviews, and calls-to-action right there—bypassing your funnel entirely. Instead of clicking a link to “Top 10 project management tools,” users could see the tools, features, and pricing all summarized in a single AI response.

More Competition Above the Fold

AI Overviews, sponsored results, shopping widgets, and People Also Ask boxes all shrink the real estate available for organic links.

Your content can get pushed further down—even if you traditionally rank #1.

For publishers—especially those monetizing through ads—that can lead to significant drops in pageviews and revenue.

Unpredictable Attribution

AI Mode may quote or paraphrase your content without always driving attribution effectively. Sometimes your site might get cited in a footnote-style reference. Sometimes not at all—especially for factual or commoditized content. Google says it tries to highlight sources, but it's inconsistent—and often buries them under dropdowns or "learn more" links.

In the image below, you can see three citations, but there are potentially more hidden behind the “Show all” button.

Not everyone’s going to click that button, so your content could easily go unattributed in AI responses.

Impact on Lead Generation

If you're a service-based business or SaaS brand relying on educational content to attract users, there’s a real risk of losing top-of-funnel leads—because users can now get answers without ever reaching your blog or landing page.

Even conversion-focused queries (like “best web design agency in LA”) might be answered directly by Google, pulling from business listings, reviews, or even placing calls to businesses through AI Mode.

New Opportunities After AI Mode

AI Mode isn’t all bad—and it’s certainly not the death of SEO. It just calls for a shift in your content strategy. And if you play it right, it could open up new opportunities that work in your favor.

Longer Sessions and More Events

Now that AI Mode has taken over Search, expect fewer clicks. But the users who do want to visit websites will still click your link.

The casual Googler who just wanted a quick answer? They’ll get it from AI Mode and move on. But the ones who do click are actively choosing to go deeper—to explore nuance, or to get a real take instead of a summarized response.

That means you can expect these users to stay on your website longer, scroll further, and engage more. But this only works if you’re creating content not just to compete—but to dominate your niche.

Run-of-the-mill content written just to manipulate search rankings won’t hold up in this new era. If your site’s content is well-structured and interlinked, high-intent visitors are more likely to click around, explore case studies, read blogs, or compare service pages.

What will work? Detailed, highly informative, unique, and authentically written content that users actually want to read.

Conversion Rate Will Be Higher

While CTRs and traffic may drop, your traffic-to-conversion rate will likely go up. Why? Because users who want a human perspective—not a robot’s—will still rely on websites.

The ones who click through to your site are actively choosing human-generated content over a summarized AI response. They’re more invested, more curious, and often further along in their buying journey. So even if your overall traffic decreases, your conversion rate (conversions ÷ visitors) may rise.

You’re no longer casting a wide net—you’re attracting the people who truly want what you uniquely offer.

But there’s still a trade-off. Even with a higher conversion rate, here’s what you need to consider:

If your traffic drops by 70%, but your conversion rate only doubles, you’re still converting fewer total users than before. For high-volume lead gen models, that can hurt—unless you’re capturing the right traffic or monetizing it more effectively.

Content that once built awareness may become less discoverable.

So, you’ll need to choose quality over quantity.

Query Fan-Out Technique Will Benefit Websites Not Ranking On the First Pages

AI Mode uses a technique called “query fan-out,” where Google breaks down a user’s original query into multiple sub-queries or subtopics—often covering different angles, nuances, or related concepts.

Here’s what happens with those sub-queries:

• They’re run in parallel using traditional search methods.
• They gather dozens (sometimes hundreds) of data points from across the web.
• Then, everything is synthesized into a single, cohesive AI-generated response—complete with summaries, comparisons, citations, and even visual elements.

Unlike AI Overviews, which pull information primarily from the first few high-ranking websites, AI Mode casts a wider net. It pulls data from all over the web—including sources buried beyond the first few pages of search results.

So yes, there’s a chance (if we’re hopeful) that even a site not ranking at the top might get cited in AI results. The catch? Your content has to be packed with value and authenticity.

EEAT still matters—maybe now more than ever.

The AI Mode Era Is Here, Now What?

Google’s AI Mode isn’t just a shiny new search feature. It’s a fundamental shift in how people discover, engage with, and act on information online.

Yes, you may see fewer clicks. Yes, your top-of-funnel traffic might dip. But that doesn’t mean your content is doomed.

In fact, this is your opportunity to:

• Get laser-focused on content quality
• Speak with real expertise and clarity
• Optimize not for search bots, but for humanswho actually care

As AI Mode filters out the casual searchers, the ones who do visit your site will be more intentional—and more ready to act. That means higher conversion rates, better engagement, and more meaningful brand interactions… if you’re ready to meet them where they are.

Now’s the time to rethink your content approach. Not to panic—but to evolve!