Last year, we were discussing AI Search as something experimental. Today, it’s (almost) the default. With the launch of Google AI Mode, digital marketers need to take note, because we’re not just witnessing a new feature, we’re seeing arguably the most significant structural shift in how users experience search since the advent of mobile-first indexing.
This isn’t just a technical update; it’s widely regarded in the digital marketing community as a strategic and emotional transformation. If you work in brand, social, content, data, paid, or organic search, you need to pay attention. This isn’t another algorithm tweak. This is the beginning of a new way users engage, behave and live with search.
So the question is:
Is AI Mode changing how people search?
Or is it a response to how they’ve already started changing?
In this article, Remarkable’s VP Digital Marketing, James Gray, explores what AI Mode is, and the impacts it will have for digital marketers.
Google’s AI Mode is the new, AI-enhanced version of Google Search that leverages the Gemini 2.5 model. It blends traditional search with generative AI, offering natural-language responses, contextual suggestions, and hyper-personalised results.
It’s conversational. It remembers what you asked five minutes ago, and what you searched last week. And it uses your search history, calendar, Gmail, shopping behaviours, and more (with consent) to deliver you-specific results.
This isn’t speculative. Here’s how it’s already working:
What this means: the SERP is no longer universal. It’s unique to you.
The video below features Liz Reid, VP and Head of Search at Google, talking with Bloomberg’s Jackie Davalos at Google I/O about the changes and why this isn’t the end of blue links as such, but is certainly the future of the search experience.
AI Mode changes everything. Not just for SEO, but for how we think about visibility, discovery, and the buying journey itself.
1. The Funnel Is Collapsing
Search is no longer linear. We’ve gone from a funnel to a series of micro-moments. Users don’t follow a predictable path; they jump from idea to decision in seconds. The content you produce needs to reflect that – intent-layered, modular, and tied to specific contexts or events.
“Content should now be mapped to life events – not just keywords.”
Google I/O 2025
2. The SERP Is Now Emotional
AI Mode isn’t built around logic. It’s built around context, behaviour, and feelings. It remembers what users like, dislike, avoid, and want. Brands need to create content that understands pain and passion points, not just technical questions.
Forget “10 best mattresses.”
Think: “I’ve had back pain for two weeks and need sleep.”
Relevance has never been more human.
3. Brand Is Becoming the Differentiator
AI Mode is reducing clicks. Research shows that AI Overviews are already lowering CTRs, and this trend is accelerating.
So what happens when users see your brand mentioned but never visit your site?
You still win… if your brand is known and trusted.
This is why brand equity now matters more than ever. If users keep seeing your brand pop up in AI-generated answers, authority builds, whether or not they click.
AI-driven search is a visibility engine. But only recognisable, trusted brands benefit from it.
In a timely update titled “Succeeding in AI Search”, Google lays out how businesses can adapt their content strategies for AI Mode.
Here are some key takeaways:
“We’ve seen that when people click to a website from search results pages with AI Overviews, these clicks are higher quality, where users are more likely to spend more time on the site.”
This is a pivotal insight: traffic might go down, but engagement could go up. According to Google, this happens because AI Overviews give users more context before they click, creating a more informed and intentional audience.
“This may provide a more engaged audience and new opportunities with visitors, but you might not optimise for these if you focus too much on clicks instead of the overall value of your visits from Search.”
The message is clear: success in AI search isn’t about traffic volume anymore, it’s about audience quality.
Google advises evaluating success through broader conversion metrics such as:
Marketers are encouraged to optimise for usefulness, not just keywords, and to continue following long-standing best practices around EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
“Creating people-first content remains as important as ever.”
—Google Search Central, May 2025
This future is already here. It’s fragmented, filtered, hyper-personalised. And it means we need to reframe what we measure and how we operate:
As specialists in these sectors, we’ve provided some examples of how the introduction of Google AI Mode will change customer behaviours and impact marketing.
In Travel and Hospitality, AI Mode is shifting how users plan trips. From vague, keyword-based searches to highly contextual, preference-driven journeys.
Old Search Behaviour:
“Best family hotels in Barcelona”
New AI Mode Behaviour:
“Where should I stay with two kids near the beach in Barcelona in July? We don’t want to hire a car and need vegan breakfast options.”
Implications for Marketers:
In Financial Services, users increasingly want emotional reassurance and relevant, regulated answers, fast. AI Mode will meet these needs with deeply personalised, trust-sensitive responses.
Old Search Behaviour:
“Best credit cards UK 2025”
New AI Mode Behaviour:
“What’s the best cashback card for someone earning £40k a year, who doesn’t want to pay annual fees and shops mostly online?”
Implications for Marketers:
AI Mode will reframe how consumers discover and purchase products. The classic “category page” won’t be enough — shoppers will expect guided, taste-aware recommendations.
Old Search Behaviour:
“Running shoes for flat feet”
New AI Mode Behaviour:
“I’ve just started couch to 5K, I’m flat-footed and usually run on concrete. What gear should I get?”
Implications for Marketers:
In Manufacturing and B2B sectors, buyers don’t want to scroll catalogues, they want quick, context-aware answers that understand their challenges.
Old Search Behaviour:
“High-efficiency HVAC units for commercial buildings”
New AI Mode Behaviour:
“What’s the most energy-efficient HVAC solution for a mixed-use building in a cold climate, with existing ductwork and solar panels?”
Implications for Marketers:
Brands that fail to adapt to AI Mode risk fading out of the discovery journey, without even realising it. Not because they were outranked, but because they weren’t remembered.
There’s also a temptation to over-optimise. Trying to be everything to everyone is likely to result in content that Google ignores altogether. As they’ve already warned: bland, over-generalised content will be penalised.
This is about relevance, resonance, and restraint.
As it stands, AI Mode and AI Overviews are giving marketers significant challenges in tracking and attributing traffic.
Currently, clicks from AI Mode are not recorded in Google Search Console (GSC), and the links use the ‘noreferrer’ attribute, which strips referral data. This means that traffic from AI Mode often appears as ‘Direct’ or ‘Unknown’ in analytics platforms, obscuring the true source according to Ahrefs.
According to John Mueller (Search Liason), in a comment on LinkedIn, this should be temporary: “My assumption is that this will be fixed; it looks like a bug on our side”.
Even in the short term, this lack of transparency makes it difficult to measure the effectiveness of content appearing in AI-generated results. Without accurate attribution, it’s challenging to assess the return on investment for SEO efforts targeting AI features.
Moreover, while Google has indicated that AI Overviews are included in GSC’s Performance report, the data is aggregated with traditional search results, making it hard to isolate and analyse AI-specific metrics.
To navigate these attribution issues:
As AI continues to reshape search behaviour, developing strategies to accurately track and attribute traffic from AI features will be crucial for measuring success and optimising digital marketing efforts. So, “come on Google, give us some measurement tools!”
AI Mode signals a shift from information retrieval to intelligent response. From static answers to evolving, contextual conversations. This isn’t about optimising for a query, it’s about earning a place in a memory.
We’re already talking to clients about re-thinking their approach, reopening the door to longer-term brand-building campaigns, creating trust-building content, and designing experiences that enhance the customer journey at every touchpoint – even if it doesn’t lead to a traditional ‘click’.
Are you ready for an era of remembered relevance? If you’d like to discuss your brand’s readiness for the new way customers will be finding your products and services, get in touch with our team.
Remarkable are one of the world’s leading digital experience agencies. As a double Platinum Sitecore and Optimizely partner, we offer technology solutions to help brands build experiences that convert.
