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Google’s search experience has majorly changed—are you ready for it?
This week, Google officially rolled out its new AI Mode in the UK, introducing a radical shift in how search results are displayed and engaged with. Rather than seeing a list of blue links, users opting into AI Mode are presented with a rich, conversational summary powered by Google’s Gemini AI.
While the traditional search interface remains, this AI-powered experience is becoming increasingly prominent—and it will affect how users discover, interact with, and trust your brand online.
What Is Google AI Mode?
AI Mode is a new search experience that uses generative AI to answer user queries in a conversational format. It breaks down complex questions, searches multiple sources in parallel, and synthesises the results into a helpful summary—with far fewer outbound links than before.
In short: more answers on Google, fewer reasons to click away.
This marks a major change in the visibility of your content online. And it’s happening now.
What’s Changing In Google’s Search Experience?
- Click-through rates may drop: As Google serves richer, more complete answers within its own results page, fewer users may feel the need to click through to external websites.
- Content quality is king: The AI summary draws from multiple sources. Websites that offer clear, accurate, and helpful content are more likely to be featured.
- Conversational tone matters: AI understands and rewards natural, question-led content. It’s built to respond like a human, not just a search engine.
- Less is not more (in this case): Thin, outdated, or vague content will increasingly get left behind.
Why Brands Need to Act Now
“By 2025, over half of all search queries will be served through AI-powered features such as featured snippets and voice responses.”
This projection tells a clear story: AI is not a trend—it’s the future of search.
Mobile voice queries have already surged by over 200% in the past two years. Whether through smart speakers, smartphones, or desktops, users now expect instant, authoritative answers—and AI Mode delivers just that.
If your content isn’t ready to appear in these AI-driven results, your brand risks being invisible at the exact moment a customer is ready to engage.
What Does Google AI Mode Mean For Your Business?
If your brand relies on organic traffic (and let’s face it—most do), this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity.
On one hand, visibility may decline if your content isn’t optimised for this new format. On the other, brands that invest in helpful, structured, human-centric content could find themselves featured in AI summaries—and seen by more people, faster.
This is a chance to:
- Reframe your messaging around real customer questions.
- Update old pages with clearer, more relevant answers.
- Double down on topics where your brand can offer genuine expertise.
- Embrace SEO not just as keyword stuffing—but as smart, helpful structuring.
How We’re Helping Clients Respond
At Mackman, we’re actively adapting strategies in light of this launch. Our approach focuses on:
- Creating human-first, structured content that AI models favour.
- Re-optimising existing content to align with conversational search patterns.
- Monitoring search visibility across both traditional and AI-powered modes.
- Exploring rich media formats (like image + text answers) that will thrive in multimodal search.
Whatever your industry, we can help you navigate the AI shift without losing visibility—or personality. Contact our team to discuss further.
Final Thought
Google AI Mode isn’t just a tool—it’s a preview of the future of search. While it may cause some initial uncertainty, businesses that embrace it will find new ways to be discovered, trusted, and remembered.
Now is the time to ask: Is your content ready to be seen—and understood—by AI?