20 FAQs About Google’s AI Mode from LOCALiQ’s Live Webinar

As Google rolls out AI Mode in the UK, LOCALiQ, part of Newsquest Media Group and the 2024 SEO Agency of the Year, is seeing record interest from small businesses eager to understand what this update means for their digital presence.

Over 200 UK business owners and marketers registered for LOCALiQ’s latest webinar, “How to Prepare for Google’s AI Mode: What Every Business Should Know,” making it one of the agency’s most attended sessions to date. The free webinar, hosted by Interim Marketing Director Brandon Griffin alongside LOCALiQ’s SEO Strategy Manager Shai Khullar, provided practical advice for adapting to Google’s new AI-powered search experience.

Why AI Mode matters for businesses

Google’s AI Mode doesn’t just display a list of links anymore. Instead, it uses AI to pull together information from across the web and generate summaries that directly answer users’ questions. For example, if someone searches:

“I’m looking for the best care home in Glasgow for my elderly mum. Please give me some recommendations.”

Google breaks that query into several smaller questions behind the scenes, like:

• What services does the care home offer?
• What are the costs?
• What are the safety protocols and staff qualifications?
• Are there reviews or inspection reports?

This process, known as fan-out, means your website needs to address all these elements clearly on a single, structured page, or risk being replaced by a competitor’s site that does.

Shai Khullar explained:

“To be visible in AI Mode, your page has to provide more than a basic overview. It has to answer the full spectrum of questions Google might interpret from a user’s intent; all in one place.”

That means:

• Structuring pages with clear headers, bullet points and concise content.
• Including summary sections with links to deeper information.
• Using Schema markup like LocalBusiness, Service, and FAQ.
• Ensuring off-site signals (like Google reviews and third-party ratings) reinforce your credibility.

AI Mode vs traditional SEO

While this shift sounds like a major change, the fundamentals of SEO remain just as important.

“AI Mode doesn’t replace SEO; it raises the bar,” said Brandon Griffin. “Google still needs fast, mobile-friendly websites with relevant metadata and original, structured content. What’s changing is that reputation and authority now extend beyond your site to external sources Google trusts.”

Insights from the live AI Mode Q&A

The webinar’s Q&A session covered a wide range of topics.

Here are a few of the most common questions asked:

1. Are traditional SEO practices now outdated given the launch of AI Mode, AI Overviews & LLMs like ChatGPT?

Definitely not. A lot of the factors we’ve talked about today are things modern SEO agencies have already been incorporating in their strategies for years. Whilst there are some tweaks to the tactics, the core principles of good SEO still apply. Websites still need to be easily crawlable and indexed, they need to have original & clear content that is structured well, metadata like titles & descriptions need to be optimised, pages need to be fast and mobile friendly, the right Schema types should be implemented & the user experience should be top-notch. Those factors haven’t changed and will likely never change, but there are tweaks to the things that we must do now & additions to strategies that haven’t always been common, such as Digital PR.

2. Best way for blogs to be included in AI overviews in Google? And are they less and more important now?

Prioritise helpful, clear answers to common questions. Use structured data, strong headings, and demonstrate expertise. Blogs that directly answer user intent and show credibility have the best chance of surfacing. In terms of whether they’re less or more important – we’re probably about the same to some degree. Blogs are useful to demonstrate topical authority to Google & users and to prove you have expertise in your field. However, if you view it through the lens of generating traffic and getting direct conversions – they are less important now as Google is providing blog-style content within its answers. So, the focus for business owners should be on driving traffic, visibility & clicks for their transactional pages, like the homepage, service pages & location pages.

3. I’ve heard things like llms.txt files are important to show up in AI Mode – what’s your view?

Great question. For those that don’t know, websites typically have a robots.txt file that stipulate to crawlers whether they’re allowed to crawl a website & if so, what pages and how should they crawl it. Llms.txt files are slightly different to that but are essentially an iteration on that, which specify which pages should be considered by LLMs in particular. This isn’t something that’s important as it currently stands as it’s a proposed framework and not something that is actively in use by any LLMs, with no immediate plans for it to happen either.

4. Does Google’s AI search devalue clicks?

No, the opposite in fact – clicks are now more valuable in an environment in which it’s difficult to get them. Previously, businesses could get ‘easy clicks’ by having informative content on their website that ranks well and gets traffic. But it’s now harder to get those clicks as Google is providing that information within the search results page. So the value of clicks has now increased as getting clicks is more difficult, but the clicks that you do get should be higher quality and users should be naturally further down the funnel as they’ve already done the research within Google itself.

5. You mention volume of traffic, but what about the quality of traffic between traditional Google Search and AI Mode?

With AI Mode, while overall volume may drop, the quality tends to improve. Users clicking through have already been shown summaries and insights. So by the time they land on your site, they’re more informed and closer to converting.

6. For the Fan-Out method, are Google reviews taken into account?

Yes, absolutely. Google considers third-party sources to validate its answers, and Google Business Profile reviews are among the most trusted. High-quality reviews and regular updates to your profile can help you stand out in AI summaries.

7. What schema would work for a Utilities company?

Utilities companies could benefit from LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ, and Product schema. The key is to clearly outline services, locations, customer support info, and billing or usage tools.

8. How do you implement schema without premium plugins?

If you’re using WordPress, free tools like Rank Math or Yoast SEO offer basic schema features. Otherwise, you can add schema manually using JSON-LD format within the page’s HTML.

9. How does a customer leave a review if they don’t have a Gmail account?

They can still leave a Google review using any email address if they sign in to a Google account, which they can create using a non-Gmail email. It’s helpful to share a step-by-step guide with customers to reduce friction.

10. Any advice for businesses that don’t tend to get reviews, like schools?

Yes, consider collecting testimonials from parents and alumni and adding them to your website. You can also encourage local community engagement and highlight partnerships or press coverage that builds trust.

11. Should we prioritise Trustpilot or Google reviews?

Ideally, both. But if you had to choose, prioritise Google, especially if your goal is better visibility in AI Mode and search results. Trustpilot can complement it by boosting trust and conversion on your website.

12. How can we encourage reviews if customers don’t have Gmail accounts?

Provide multiple options like Trustpilot, Facebook, or your own testimonial form. And as noted, Google accounts can be created using other email providers too.

13. How do we find out what local websites have authority?

Use tools like Moz’s Domain Authority checker or Ahrefs to find local directories or press sites with high domain ratings. News sites, chambers of commerce, and industry associations are good bets.

14. Will local authority websites still be considered authoritative?

Yes, government, council, and .gov.uk or .org.uk domains are often seen as trustworthy sources and contribute positively to your online reputation and validation.

15. How do we indicate follow and nofollow links?

In your HTML, you can add rel=”nofollow” to links you don’t want passing link equity. Most CMS platforms allow this when adding a hyperlink, or you can edit the source code directly.

16. Should the target page for AI Mode visibility be the homepage or another page?

Not necessarily your homepage. Create focused pages based on user intent. Use Incognito mode in Google to test which type of pages are showing up and tailor your structure accordingly.

17. Our blog covers policy and politics how can we align it with AI Mode?

Group your content into topical clusters, like “policy” or “education.” Add TL;DR summaries, structured headers, and address common “People Also Ask” questions to improve AI visibility.

18. What role does Digital PR play in helping businesses surface in AI Mode?

Digital PR is more important than ever. Since Google’s AI Mode pulls from trusted third-party sources, Digital PR helps build your brand authority beyond your own website. Securing backlinks, news mentions, and expert commentary on credible sites boosts your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), which is key for surfacing in AI summaries.

19. How do SEO agencies like LOCALiQ help businesses stay competitive in the age of AI search?

SEO agencies like LOCALiQ combine technical expertise, industry trends, and AI-powered tools to keep businesses ahead of algorithm changes. Our team monitors Google updates closely, tests strategies in real-time, and ensures clients’ content,

structure, and off-site presence meet the evolving standards of AI search engines. We act as an extension of your team, guiding you through change. Interested in finding out how we can help your business? Contact us today.

20. Can small businesses compete with big brands when it comes to AI search visibility?

Absolutely. While big brands may have more resources, small businesses can still win by being faster to adopt AI-optimised strategies and by working with a knowledgeable partner. Agencies like LOCALiQ help SMEs build high-quality, structured content, optimise for long-tail queries, and improve visibility through local SEO and Digital PR; levelling the playing field in AI Mode.

Watch the AI Mode webinar replay

The full webinar recording is now available. As well as resources on preparing your business for Google’s AI Mode.

For more upcoming webinars and free resources on AI, SEO, and digital marketing, follow LOCALiQ UK on LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter.