Have you noticed Google feels a little different lately?
Not too long ago, searching meant typing a question into Google, scrolling through the results and clicking on a website to find what you needed. Now, Google can increasingly just… answer you.
Between AI search, overviews, and Google’s more conversational AI Mode, you can ask a question, get a detailed AI-generated response and even ask follow-up questions without necessarily clicking through to a website at all.
It’s handy when you’re searching. But if you’re a business relying on Google to bring people to your website, it raises a pretty important question: What does all of this mean for SEO?
What Actually Is Google AI Mode?
AI Mode takes Google beyond the traditional page of search results. Instead of simply finding webpages that match your search, it can break a question down into multiple searches, pull together information from different sources and use what it finds to create an answer for you.
You can also keep the conversation going with follow-up questions, making it feel much more like using an AI assistant than a traditional search engine. For example, instead of searching: “best website platform for a small business” and opening five different articles to compare your options, you could ask Google which platform might suit a small business with your specific budget, goals and requirements.
Google does a lot more of the searching for you. And people are using it. Google says AI Mode has now passed one billion monthly users, so we’re well beyond this being a feature businesses can simply ignore.
So… Are People Going to Stop Clicking on Websites?
If Google can answer somebody’s question without them leaving the search results, surely that means fewer clicks for websites? For some searches, potentially. If somebody wants a quick answer and Google’s AI gives them everything they need, they might not have a reason to visit another website. But that doesn’t mean websites are being cut out of the equation.
Google’s AI still needs to find that information somewhere. AI Mode searches across different topics and sources to build its responses, with links to relevant websites included throughout.
Google has also been developing how those sources appear, including website previews and links that encourage users to explore a topic further. So rather than websites disappearing from search, the way they appear within search is changing.
Does SEO Still Matter Then?
Absolutely. Although we’d probably start thinking about SEO as more than simply trying to get your website into that number-one spot. Traditional rankings still matter, but there’s now another opportunity: your website becoming one of the sources Google’s AI uses and recommends when answering a question.
And here’s the good news – you don’t need to throw your entire SEO strategy out and start again. Google’s own guidance says the same SEO fundamentals still apply to its AI search features. Your website needs to be technically accessible, easy for Google to understand and, most importantly, genuinely useful to the people searching.
There’s no secret piece of “AI SEO” code you suddenly need to add to your website. Good SEO is still good SEO.
From Ranking in Search to Becoming a Source
This is where things get interesting. Let’s say someone asks Google: “What should I look for when choosing a web design agency for my small business?” Previously, the goal might have been to write a blog answering that question and get it as high as possible in Google’s search results.
That’s still valuable. But now, information from that blog could also help Google answer the question itself, with your website appearing as one of the supporting sources.
So instead of only asking: “Where does my website rank?” businesses may increasingly need to ask: “Is my website giving Google the kind of useful information it wants to surface?”
Google has even introduced Search Console reporting for its generative AI features, allowing website owners to better understand how their content is appearing within AI-powered search. That tells us one thing pretty clearly: AI visibility is becoming another part of search visibility.
What Does This Mean for Your Website Content?
Don’t take this as your cue to publish 300 AI-generated blogs this afternoon! If anything, the rise of AI search gives businesses another reason to focus on content that is actually worth reading.
Google continues to recommend useful, original and people-first content. That means answering the questions your customers genuinely have rather than producing content purely because a keyword tool told you to.
Think useful guides. FAQs that answer real questions. Case studies. Expert advice. Clear explanations of your services. Original insights that couldn’t simply have been copied from ten other websites.
And don’t forget the website itself. Clear structure, sensible internal linking, good performance and content that makes it obvious what your business does all help Google understand your site – whether it’s considering your page for a traditional search result or an AI-powered response.
Is AI Search Good or Bad for SEO?
The slightly annoying answer is: it’s not really that simple. For certain searches, AI-generated answers could mean fewer clicks because people can get what they need without leaving Google.
But AI search also creates new opportunities for businesses to appear when people ask more detailed, specific questions – including questions that might previously have required several separate searches.
SEO isn’t disappearing. It’s just getting a bigger job. Ranking well still matters, but so does creating a website and content that Google can understand, trust and use when helping somebody find an answer.
And as the way we search continues to change, businesses that keep their websites useful, relevant and genuinely helpful are going to be in a much better position to change with it.
Is Your Website Ready for the Way Search Is Changing?
Your customers aren’t necessarily searching in the same way they were a few years ago, so your website probably shouldn’t be standing still either. At VOVO Digital, we create websites with people, search engines and the changing digital landscape in mind – from web design and development to SEO and content.
Want to know how your website is performing and where there could be room to improve? Get in touch with VOVO Digital and let’s take a look.