Google
AI Mode

Dear valued LOCALiQ customer,

Google has just launched a new feature called “AI Mode” in its search results.

As your digital marketing partner, we’re making sure we keep you in the loop and help you understand what it means for your business and SEO campaign.

🔍 What is Google’s AI Mode?

In a nutshell, AI Mode is Google’s new AI-powered search experience. It’s an extension to AI Overviews, which generates an instant answer at the top of the search page, rather than just showing the usual list of websites for a query.

AI Mode is currently a dedicated tab at the top of the search results page and gives users a search experience that resembles a mini-Q&A or conversation within Google.

For example, if someone searches for “How do I improve my online store sales?” and navigates to AI Mode, Google’s AI will display a detailed answer (sourced from various websites) on the page. Users can even ask follow-up questions in this mode, almost like chatting with Google. This works and feels similar to ChatGPT.

This feature has been live in the US since June 2024 and has now been launched in the UK.

It’s a significant change in how search works – Google is becoming more of an answer engine than just a search engine.

🤔 What does it mean for your business and SEO?

AI Mode may impact your website’s traffic and the way customers find you, particularly if AI Mode becomes the default or preferred search experience for your customers.

Here’s why:

• When Google provides an answer directly, users may not click through to websites as frequently as they did before. In practical terms, if a prospective customer asks Google a question that’s answered on your website, Google’s AI might show parts of that answer upfront. The user gets their answer without leaving Google, which means you might see fewer visitors coming to that page on your site for that query.
• However, it’s not all downside. Your business information can still appear in the AI answer, and conversions may also occur directly within it (i.e., via an email, phone number, or Google Maps embed call-to-action). Google’s AI will cite sources and pull content from websites it trusts. Our goal is to make sure your site is one of those trusted sources.
• Another effect: we might observe changes in the types of visits you get. Perhaps fewer “just browsing” visitors, but the ones who do click through from these AI-driven results could be more ready to act. One early insight from markets where AI Mode has been live for a few months: overall search clicks might drop, but the conversion rates can improve because the people who click are highly interested. We’ll be monitoring this closely for you.

✅ What are we doing about it (and what should you do)?

First and foremost, don’t panic. We’ve navigated many Google changes over the years, and we’ve been working on an action plan for AI Mode:

• Ensuring your content is “AI-friendly”: We are reviewing your website content to make sure it directly answers the kinds of questions your customers are likely to ask. Google’s AI favours content that is clear, factual, and authoritative. We’ll likely add or tweak some content on your site (for example, adding an FAQ section on certain pages, working on improving some more transactional pages, or writing a new blog post addressing a top question in your industry) so that your expertise is front and centre. The easier we make it for Google’s AI to grab a great answer from your site, the better chance we have of your brand being featured in those AI results.
• Strengthening your site’s authority: Content quality matters more than ever. Google will be selective about which sources to trust for AI answers. We’re continuing our work to build your site’s credibility through quality, informative content and improving and tweaking the content on your transactional pages. These send signals to Google that you are a trustworthy source. This improves both your traditional SEO and your chances with AI Mode. Early indications also suggest backlinks & brand mentions play a key role in success within AI-powered search. So, if you haven’t already explored our Digital PR Link Building service, we highly recommend getting in touch with your Digital Marketing Consultant.
• Monitoring and adapting: We will be keeping a close eye on your search performance metrics. Whilst AI visibility reporting is still in its infancy, we’ll be looking to incorporate this into our reporting over the coming months once these tools become more accurate and sophisticated. We’ll be able to see if, for example, one of your blog articles or service pages is getting impressions via AI Mode and other LLMs. We’ll share these insights with you in our reports. If we see certain content isn’t getting picked up, we might refine it. If traffic patterns change, we’ll investigate and explain what’s happening. Rest assured, we’ll be on it, making adjustments so you continue to get a steady flow of potential customers from search.
• Communication and guidance: As part of our commitment to you, we’ll keep you informed every step of the way. If there’s something important you should know about AI Mode (for example, if Google makes an update or if we notice a significant impact on your campaign), your Client Success Manager will reach out proactively. Our team is here to answer any questions you have – no question is too small. We understand this might sound technical or worrisome, but that’s exactly why we’re here: to handle the technical stuff and give you peace of mind.

🤝 How LOCALiQ is positioning you for success:

Finally, we want to emphasise that we see this change as an opportunity for you. While some agencies might take a “wait and see” approach, LOCALiQ is being proactive:

• We’re already reviewing our strategies (and even our tools) to account for AI Mode.
• Our content experts are excited to leverage your existing content in new ways. If Google’s AI is craving concise answers, we’ll extract those gems from the great content you already have or create new pieces as needed.
• Because LOCALiQ works with many businesses across industries, we’ll be gathering cross-industry insights on AI Mode. If we learn something in one sector that could benefit you, we’ll apply it. It’s like having an early warning system and a pool of knowledge backing your campaign.

In summary, Google’s AI Mode is a big change, but we’re on top of it. Our mission is to ensure you continue to get found by customers online. We’re reviewing our tactics so that whether someone clicks a regular link or gets an AI-provided answer, your business is visible and well-represented.

Thank you for trusting LOCALiQ with your digital marketing. We take that trust seriously, and that means keeping you abreast with changes like this.

If you have any immediate questions or concerns about Google’s AI Mode, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Client Success Manager. We’re always here to help.

Plus, prepare for Google’s AI Mode with our helpful webinar. We break down exactly what’s changing in the search landscape, what it means for your website, and what you need to do now to stay competitive and visible in the age of AI-powered search.

Sincerely,
Your LOCALiQ Team