May 2025, Google announced one of the most significant changes in the history of the SEO: the activation of the AI Mode in its search engine. This update represents a profound transformation in the way users interact with search results and how professionals must adapt their strategies.
Throughout this article we will explore what exactly is the AI Mode, how it is impacting the web positioning, what are the implications for the SEO and how brands can prepare themselves for this new era marked by the artificial intelligence and interaction with a virtual assistant.
Illustrative example of AI Mode in Google search results. Image taken from Google's official blog.
Results are for illustrative purposes and may vary.
What is Google AI Mode?
The AI Mode is a new search experience powered by the Search Generative Experience (SGE). This functionality allows users to interact with the search results through a summary generated by artificial intelligence, accompanied by reliable sources and the option to ask follow-up questions.
Main characteristics:
- Generation of contextual responses in real time.
- Integration of a virtual assistant within the search environment.
- Conversational experiences without leaving the results page.
- Enriched results with links and additional context.
This functionality is already available in English in the United States and is expected to expand globally during the second half of 2025.
Illustrative example of AI Mode in Google search results. Image taken from Google's official blog.
Results are for illustrative purposes and may vary.
Towards more conversational and predictive search
The new approach to Google transforms the search for a more intuitive and human experience. Users no longer just write keywords; they can now have a conversation with the search engine, which profoundly changes search intent and click behaviors.
This transition from a traditional interface to a web-enhanced environment is a virtual assistant also brings with it a different expectation: the user is looking for immediate, complete and contextually relevant answers.
In addition, the artificial intelligence integrated in the AI Mode allows searches anticipate the user's needs. By analyzing history, location, and context, the search engine can provide more accurate suggestions, even before the user finishes typing his or her query.
This predictive behavior represents a key change: the conversational search is no longer just reactive, but also proactive. This obliges content creators and specialists in SEO to adapt its strategy towards issues that respond not only to the questions that already exist, but also to those that are likely to come.
In this new scenario, the content that is positioned is not necessarily the one that best optimizes a keyword, but the one that best interprets the full context of the user's intent.
Impact of AI mode on SEO: From clicks to AI responses
How does AI Mode affect traditional SEO?
The AI Mode has triggered a rethinking of the strategies SEO. The traditional competition for the first places in the SERP is no longer sufficient. With answers generated directly by the artificial intelligence, in many cases, clicks to web sites are reduced.
Main implications:
- Reduction of traditional CTR.
- Increased competition to appear as a reliable source in the AI summary.
- Relevance of semantics and context vs. keywords
- Importance of having a good user experience (UX).
- Need to update content more frequently.
- Increased investment in visual and multimedia formats to complement text.
- Adaptation to a more conversational and less direct response logic.
Practitioners should consider that the AI Mode prioritizes content that clearly, structured and reliably addresses the intent behind each query. This implies that traditional linkbuilding or over-optimization lose weight against the actual quality of the content.
In addition, the presence in the AI Snapshot (the summary generated by the virtual assistant Google) will be a new goal to achieve. This will require subject matter authority, good domain reputation and depth of responses. offered by the website.
Reports and analysis in Search Console: What changes?
One of the main current challenges is the lack of clear metrics related to the AI Mode. Although sites may benefit or lose visibility from this new experience, Google Search Console does not yet provide a detailed report of traffic from the AI Mode.
Revealing Google's AI Mode Performance Metrics
What is expected from Google?
According to John Mueller, Google Search Advocate, Google is working on new functionality within Search Console to enable performance tracking in this new modality. Experts expect that, just as with rich snippets, it will eventually be incorporate metrics to measure the visibility and impact of the content within the AI Mode.
These metrics are expected to include:
- Specific impressions and clicks from the summary generated by IA.
- Rate of appearance in the AI Snapshot.
- Frequently asked questions associated with each URL.
- Mentions or citations from the content of the generated abstract.
For now, practitioners must rely on indirect metrics such as changes in CTR, bounce rate, and page stay to infer the impact of the AI Mode. It is also advisable to use third party tools that analyze enriched results and monitor new variants of the SERP.
The future of SEO goes beyond traditional rankings
The role of branding in an AI-dominated environment.
As the summary of artificial intelligence As the brand's presence becomes more prominent, brands need to focus on establishing a reliable and consistent presence. The domain authority, consistency in the message and quality of content will be key to Google include them in the generative summaries.
Focus on useful, detailed and up-to-date content
Generic and superficial content has no place in this new scenario. To appear in the AI Mode, it is essential that the pages offer information that is useful, in-depth, up-to-date and aligned with real user questions.
User experience as a determining factor
Elements such as the loading speed, intuitive navigation and mobile adaptability will be even more important. The positioning will no longer depend only on the text, but on how the user interacts with the site.
Illustrative example of AI Mode in Google search results. Image taken from Google's official blog.
Results are for illustrative purposes and may vary.
Key strategies to adapt to AI Mode
With the arrival of the AI Mode from Google, professionals face a scenario that demands innovation and adaptation. Traditional tactics based on the use of keywords and surface optimization are no longer sufficient to position oneself in an environment where the artificial intelligence generates contextual and conversational responses. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies that take full advantage of the new system's capabilities and that allow websites to stand out in both the summary generated by the virtual assistant as in traditional organic results.
- Optimize content for conversational search intent. Beyond focusing on keywords , the content should answer questions in a natural and conversational format, anticipating possible additional queries.
- Focus on E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust. These factors become even more important for us to Google consider the site as a reliable source for the summary of IA.
- Use structured data schemas to facilitate the interpretation of the data by the IA, helping to Google better understand the context and key elements of the content.
- Prioritize in-depth topics over superficial content. The quality and quantity of detailed information is essential to stand out in the AI Mode.
- Maintaining a content strategy evergreen that it remains useful and relevant over time, updating as necessary to ensure its currency.
- Build relationships and mentions on trusted sites, increasing domain authority and visibility.
- Investing in multimedia formats and visual elements to enrich the experience, given that the AI Mode values contents that combine text with images, videos and explanatory graphics.
- Evaluate new KPIs related to visibility and interaction, beyond direct traffic, including presence in the AI Snapshot and the impact on brand perception.
Hierarchy of IA Adaptation Strategies
Adapting to the AI Mode is not simply tweaking keywords or creating more content, but reinventing the way we understand search and user interaction. Successful strategies will be those that integrate deep understanding of search intent, efficient use of structured data, and focus on a holistic experience that combines text, multimedia and user-friendly navigation.
Only those who know how to anticipate user needs and provide clear, reliable and contextual answers will stand out in this new search system. For this reason, investing in innovation and quality will be fundamental to dominate the new search system. SEO in the era of AI Mode. To have a SEO consulting the specialized expertise can be key to better understand these changes and adjust the strategy effectively.
What about organic results?
Although the AI Mode presents a summary generated by artificial intelligence At the top of the results page, traditional organic results are still present and essential. However, the dynamics have changed: many users are now get immediate answers without clicking on links, which reduces direct traffic to websites.
This forces professionals to rethink how to stand out within the ecosystem. To continue to capture the user's attention, it is essential to optimize so that the content appears in enriched elements such as the featured snippets, image or video carousels, and other formats that Google used to present information quickly and visually appealing.
In addition, it is essential for websites to improve their user experience (UX) to engage and retain those who do decide to enter the site, ensuring that navigation is intuitive, fast and useful. The goal is that when users click through, the experience is so valuable that it drives loyalty and conversion.
Is this the end of organic traffic?
No, the end of traditional organic traffic is not imminent, but it is undergoing a profound transformation. The emergence of the AI Mode implies that the organic traffic is diversifying and that success metrics must evolve.
Instead of measuring only the number of clicks, it is now just as important to assess the brand presence, subject matter authority, and brand visibility within AI-generated summaries. This means that a site may have fewer direct clicks, but gain exposure and recognition through the content the site is offering. virtual assistant used to respond to users.
Therefore, the key to maintaining and increasing organic traffic lies in extending the strategy to include positioning in the conversational ecosystem of Google, the company's branding strategy is to improve the quality and depth of content, and to strengthen brand trust and authority.
Adapt or fade away
The arrival of the Google's AI Mode does not eliminate SEO, but it does reinvent it. We are facing a new era where the key will be to understand how information is generated, how results are presented and how to earn a place in the conversational summary, which will often be the only point of contact with the user.
Brands, professionals and agencies must embrace this transformation not as a threat, but as an opportunity to improve, innovate and connect more authentically. Adapting a SEO strategy effective search will be key to staying relevant in this new search ecosystem based on artificial intelligence.
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Written by Barbara Cabrera/Marketing Analyst
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