The way we search for information on Google is changing for good. With the official launch of AI Mode in Brazil, the search experience now goes beyond the traditional blue links and rich results we’re used to.
Instead of simply listing pages, Google now uses generative AI to provide direct, fast, and contextual summaries right at the top of the results.
This shift changes not only how people consume information but also how websites and brands need to position themselves. What used to be a race for clicks and organic rankings is now a challenge of gaining visibility inside AI-generated summaries.
That raises an inevitable question: where does SEO fit into this new picture? In this article, we’ll break down how Google AI Mode works and how this new technology directly impacts organic content.
What Is Google AI Mode?
Google AI Mode marks a major shift in how we use the search engine. Instead of showing a list of links to articles, websites, and videos, Google now generates AI-based summarized answers on the topic searched.
The first change came with AI Overviews, which appear at the top of the page and highlight the most important points about the topic searched, along with links for anyone who wants to dig deeper.
This evolution, officially unveiled at Google I/O on May 14, 2024, started out as an experiment called Search Generative Experience (SGE). After a few updates, it’s now available in its own dedicated tab, appearing even before the standard results — and it’s been renamed AI Mode.
This feature can break a search down into subtopics, run multiple searches at once, and pull together more organized, relevant information in one place.
The idea is simple: let the AI do most of the legwork, saving time and surfacing the information it considers most relevant to what you’re searching for.
Are Gemini and AI Mode the Same Thing?
Elizabeth Reid, Google’s Head of Search, explained in the article “Generative AI in Search: Let Google do the searching for you“ that the AI search experience comes from combining Gemini — Google’s multimodal AI model — with Google’s own search technology.
That tells us we’re talking about two different, but connected, things. To simplify:
- Gemini is the engine: it’s Google’s most advanced AI model, capable of understanding and generating information across formats — text, images, audio, and video. It’s the technology powering everything underneath, and technically it’s a family of models that includes LLMs (Large Language Models) and multimodal versions (LMMs).
- AI Mode and AI Overviews are the vehicles: for search specifically, Google built a customized version of Gemini designed to handle real-time queries and deliver fast results.
- AI Overviews: generate smart summaries that appear at the top of search results, along with links for further reading.
- AI Mode: offers a more interactive experience, letting people dig deeper into their questions, explore new angles, and keep a running conversation going.
To put that difference another way: think of Gemini (the LLM) as a car engine. Each new version of Gemini is an updated engine with better performance.
Behind the scenes, this experience runs on Google’s infrastructure — the Search index, quality systems, and ranking algorithms. Using techniques like query fan-out (a process that splits a search into related sub-queries), this structure crawls the web to gather and synthesize information into one answer with relevant links.
That’s how Gemini gets the data to generate results. The “engine” (Gemini) delivers the performance and understanding, while the “vehicle” (AI Mode/AI Overviews) organizes the experience to get people from point A to point B in a more interactive way.
How Does Google’s AI Search Feature Work in Practice?
In practice, AI Mode makes the search experience more direct. Instead of just showing links or videos, it acts like a built-in smart assistant inside Google itself.
So when someone asks a question using this feature, the system analyzes the context, identifies the key points of the question, and organizes the answer into summarized blocks. There’s nothing to turn on — it’s already built into the platform.
Google AI Mode can break a search into subtopics, as mentioned, run simultaneous searches across different sources, and then present a broad overview ready to be reviewed in seconds.
Another important point: Google’s AI results keep the original source links below or alongside the summaries. That means people can still verify information and access more detailed content — which is essential for the credibility of the answers.
In short, this model cuts down on the need to open multiple tabs, making search faster. On top of that, AI Mode learns from interactions, refining how it organizes results over time.
Looking ahead, the bet is that this feature will evolve beyond just information search. As our CEO, Ruan Barbosa, puts it:
“Google is already working on initiatives to add new capabilities to AI Mode, such as letting people complete a purchase directly on the results page. While that’s not live yet, the progress we’ve seen on other platforms, like ChatGPT, suggests that adding transactional actions is the next logical step for this kind of technology.”
Will Regular Google Searches Disappear?
No, traditional search isn’t going away — but its role is shifting in a meaningful way. Google’s own leadership has emphasized that this shouldn’t be seen as a choice between AI and conventional search but rather as “AI in Search.”
In an interview with Semafor, Liz Reid, Google’s Head of Search, put it clearly: “We don’t see it as a divide. I see it as AI enabling search to do more of what it always wanted to do.”
In practice, that means that, for Google, AI isn’t replacing search or the web — it’s becoming part of both, in a multimodal, personalized way that’s connected to how the internet already works. In other words, a strategy meant to evolve the experience, not erase it.
To accommodate people who prefer the classic format, Google added an “All” filter for conventional search and an “AI Mode” filter, in Brazil, to separate the two types of search — the same way “Images” and “News” tabs already work.
How Does This Change Affect SEO for Websites?
The arrival of Google AI Mode, alongside AI Overviews, represents a major shift for SEO. These tools affect two fronts at once: a possible drop in organic traffic and the need for strategic adaptation from brands and content creators.
Several studies already show how Google’s AI is cutting down clicks on blue links:
- A Pew Research Center study found that when an AI summary appears, only 8% of people click through to a link, compared to 15% when it doesn’t.
- Ahrefs, after analyzing 300,000 keywords, found that the presence of an AI Overview led to an average 34.5% drop in click-through rate (CTR) for the page ranked first. The study focused on informational searches, which — according to the research — trigger 99.2% of AI summaries.
These numbers are speeding up what’s known as “zero-click searches” — when Google delivers the full answer right on the AI results page, with no need to visit the site at all.
Read also: Ahrefs — Discover What it is, how it Works, and What its Features Are
New SEO Trends and Strategies
Given this new landscape, the strategy is no longer just about ranking first. While that’s still one of the main goals, a few others are gaining ground:
1. Getting cited in Google’s AI-generated answers
Beyond ranking at the top of the blue links, the goal now is also to be mentioned inside the answers AI generates. Even without a click, showing up in the summary builds authority, visibility, and brand strength.
2. Quality above everything: E-E-A-T
The priority is creating content that demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) — essential for sensitive fields like health, finance, and law. In other words, content that’s relevant, original, and clearly answers people’s questions tends to get favored by AI.
3. Structural and technical optimization
How content is structured directly affects whether AI will use it. Well-organized structures — clear headings, lists, structured data (Schema), and direct answers right after a question — make it easier for the algorithm to identify and surface relevant information.
In other words, SEO in the age of AI is no longer just about competing for individual keywords. The focus now is on topical authority and well-structured content that’s useful both to people and to Google’s generative systems.
Now that you know what AI Mode is, ask yourself: is your company’s content strategy ready to reach both people and Google’s AI?
If the answer is no, know that you can count on Ecto’s expertise to build an SEO and content plan that positions your brand in search engines and delivers real results.
Talk to our team of specialists and find out how we can help grow your business online.
