Google’s AI Mode: What you need to know.

Thanks to Google, things are about to completely change for your business. Why? Because with the introduction of AI Mode and Gemini 2.5, the way that people search, discover, and engage with your brand has been flipped on its head.

But what does that mean for business and your brand? With AI Mode expected to launch in the UK in Q3 2025, here’s the lowdown of what’s going on and why it matters.

First, what’s the same?

Before diving into what’s changing, we want to emphasise what’s the same. Yes, there’s a shift toward AI-driven results like AI Overviews and AI Mode, but the foundational principles of SEO remain the same.

Make your content accessible, user-centred, and technically sound. And we’re also doing a bigger push for multimodal content like high-quality images and videos, delivering a unique and satisfying experience for users.

So while things are definitely evolving, we’ve already been optimising our clients’ content for this new wave of artificial intelligence. And since there’s still a lot of unknown until AI Mode is fully rolled out and we have the data, this is mostly about sticking to the basics and growing with AI, not working against it.

Now we know the current situation, here’s what the near future is looking like and how things are changing…

New wave of artificial intelligence: AI Mode & Gemini 2.5

Google’s vision is clear. Powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5, they’re using AI Mode to upgrade search from a digital Yellow Pages into an intelligent, personal research assistant that you can have an actual conversation with.

This means the traditional Search Engine Results Page (SERP) display will be completely replaced by a new interface similar to Gemini’s AI chat. These chats will evolve as you provide more information and ask follow-up questions, alongside drawing on user data from sources like Gmail to further tailor results.

Along with advanced reasoning and deeper exploration of queries, the result is an interactive search experience that’s smarter and more responsive than anything we’ve seen to date. Search can now tap into a user’s personal context, emotions, and intent, and both AI Mode and AI Overviews are already seeing a 10% increase in usage.

AI Mode Vs. AI Overview: What’s the difference?

AI Overviews was launched in the UK in August 2024 and provides an AI summary at the top of your traditional SERPs. Meanwhile, AI Mode will completely replace your traditional SERPs with a chat, providing custom results as it learns about your intent.

AI Mode has already been rolled out in the US. There has been no confirmed date for the UK, but it’s expected in Q3 sometime between July and September 2025.

So, what features does AI Mode offer?

• Deep Search

If you need to do thorough research, this feature will perform hundreds of searches to create expert-level, cited reports in just minutes. And if there’s conflicting information, it’ll use intelligent reasoning to provide a solid answer.

• Search Live

Smartphones have been flipping the script on web design, and Search is no different, with users searching for what they see using their cameras. But now, AI Mode has taken the next step with Search Live, allowing us to have actual conversations about what we see and get real-time answers.

• Agentic capabilities

Google is set to become your personal concierge, searching hundreds of options and filling in forms to help you buy tickets, create restaurant reservations, and make local appointments. It’s effectively a platform designed to help you get stuff done.

• AI shopping partner

The new AI Mode shopping experience delivers smarter browsing, helping you search and narrow down your options. There’s even a virtual try-on feature. Once you’ve decided, Google Pay creates a speedier checkout with price notifications.

• Personal context

Only with your permission, search results will be shaped by your activity across Gmail, Maps and other Google apps for things like event recommendations near your hotel during an upcoming holiday. Cue a lot more ‘How did it know that?’ moments.

• Custom charts

We know that illustration is a powerful communication tool that makes the complex accessible. Google are now tapping into this by creating visuals for data and numbers customised to your query.

What this means for your brand & marketing

The digital marketing handbook has been completely rewritten. Let’s break it down.

• The marketing funnel has collapsed

The classic marketing funnel of awareness and interest through to conversion was already outdated, and now it’s obsolete. AI Overviews give people everything upfront, removing the need to visit your site and endless click journeys. We now need to meet people where they are with the exact content they need, right then and there.

• Everything is more nuanced

AI Mode actively encourages deeper, more conversational queries. It’s less ‘I want a product’ and more ‘I’m feeling anxious and need a solution.’ But since personal context, browsing history, and intent shape the outcome, the same query can produce dramatically different results depending on who’s asking. There’s no longer a one-size-fits-all approach, and content must go beyond keywords to tap into the emotions and context behind the query.

• Organic CTRs are shrinking

Alongside AI Overviews serving instant answers, users will also have to specifically ask for sources. This means your visibility all depends on being cited directly, so your organic click performance is likely going to dip.

• Go beyond just Google

Google it. Or you could TikTok it or YouTube it. The reality now is that every digital platform has become a search engine, and with AI Mode taking over, SEO strategies need to break free from a Google-only mindset.

• New competition

And on that note, your rivals are no longer just other business websites. They’re Reddit threads, forum replies, blog comments, and anything else that Google deems credible. Competition just became a whole lot stiffer.

Measuring performance with AI Mode

With no current way of tracking clicks or impressions that come from within AI Mode or Overviews, this is all going to change how we measure performance. If organic ranking search results are becoming less important and we’re unable to track the data from these new AI features, then clicks and impressions may become less meaningful.

But the good news is that it’s not just about clicks anymore. While the CTR for AI Overviews might be lower than traditional SERPs, Google claims that the quality of those leads is far higher. So instead of looking at traffic volume, what we can do is focus on specific behaviour and how we can optimise your website to really maximise those leads.

5 steps for AI SEO

While there’s still a lot of uncertainty, what’s clear is that this is more than just a change in the Search interface. It’s a complete change in which content gets displayed and when, and your brand’s visibility is no longer about ranking. Now, it all depends on whether or not you get referenced in their AI responses.

So, how do you make that happen? If you haven’t already, here are 5 SEO steps you can start actioning now, informed by Google’s own advice on performing in AI Search.

1. E-E-A-T

Content needs to be quotable by AI Mode, and generic or thin content risks getting buried. Continue to create in-depth content that demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness, removing any fluff for original, high-quality information that offers real value. Alongside thought leadership, think research, statistics, and case studies.

2. Know your audience

With search becoming hyper-personalised, generic messaging is a no-go and simple keyword research will no longer suffice. Use sophisticated audience-insight platforms to understand exactly what your audience wants, how they think, and what keeps them up at night. Then tailor your strategy to them, focusing on layered queries and intent.

3. Smart formatting

Use headings and bullet points to create a visual hierarchy, cut out the fluff and any repetition, and structure content according to themes. This will make sure everything is scannable, answer-driven, and AI-friendly.

4. Technical SEO

Essential for the user experience, reducing bounce rate, and traditional SERPs, your foundation of technical SEO is also relevant for AI. Use schema and structured data, make sure you’re mobile-friendly, improve internal linking, and keep your page speed fast.

5. Semantic SEO

TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and every other social app and forum are all part of search now, with Google taking it all into account to contextualise your brand. But don’t just repurpose content, make sure to optimise it for each space.

SEO: A shift from keywords to human signals

The long and short of it is that we’re now in the era of human-first SEO, where it’s no longer about optimising content for generic keywords. We need to focus on what really matters, looking beyond traffic as numbers and instead looking at who they actually are, why they’re visiting, and what they do next.

If we’re looking for chocolate to go with our Friday night bottle of wine, we aren’t going to just search for chocolate. Instead, we’re going to be looking for recommendations on what pairs well with a red. We need to meet the user where they’re at, not wait for them to come to us.

It’s also about building clear authority. You need to feed Google with rich semantic signals across multiple sources and platforms to build your brand’s credibility and expertise, while also adapting to new search environments for a multi-platform audience.

And remember, Google is watching how AI is used and how content is made. Stay ethical, stay transparent, and stay trusted.

Impact on paid search

This shift away from keywords also applies to Paid Search. AI mode is conversational. It uses human, emotive, and complex language. And that’s going to make it impossible to tailor your Ads to every search query.

In AI Overviews, these Ads appear either within or alongside the provided summary, giving the potential for great visibility. But it also means that users can now go from a vague question to a purchase in a single conversation, cutting out the entire research phase.

And it’s that research phase that usually guides keywords, since users typically look up a product, shop around, and then narrow it down to more specific options. Now, users might never reach that point.

This means that for ads to show within AI Overviews, they need to be relevant to both the user query and the content of the AI Overview. And this is where Google’s AI-powered targeting solutions will come in, like broad match and Performance Max, avoiding exact match ads.

As with AI Mode, this inclusion of Paid Ads is due to be rolled out in English-speaking countries like the UK later in 2025. But once rolled out, it’s still likely going to take time for AI-generated responses to build trust. Basically, we’re just going to need to keep a close eye on campaign performance to see how users and AI react to this new ad placement.

Adapt & be the brand AI trusts

This is more than just a tweak to the algorithm. It’s a complete redefinition of how Search works and how people interact with both the internet and your business.

If we’re going to keep moving forward, we need to embrace AI with a deep, strategic understanding that ensures your brand isn’t just part of the conversation, it’s leading it.