Google AI. Opportunity or Threat? 

Last week, Google announced the release and roll out of its latest search feature, Google AI Mode. Typically, the marketing and tech world is both excited and nervous about the release, so we asked our digital team their views on how Google AI Mode will impact search behaviour and what we should be doing to prepare. Is it doom and gloom? Or is it just something else for our ever-changing to-do list!

Lauren, Senior Content Strategist 

There’s no denying that AI Mode will change how people search – and here’s how I think those changes will manifest themselves:

Users will click less and skim more

The instantaneous, conversational style answers AI Mode gives means that users are less likely to read the source information (even when the sources are cited in the answers). This is comparable to behaviour we’re already seeing for AI Overviews.

Users will use longer-tail search queries

The personalised answers AI Mode (and other AI Search engines) present to users will encourage longer search queries. For example, instead of typing ‘mens trainers size 9’, a user might search ‘best mens trainers in size 9 for running long distances.’

Users will use other channels to verify recommendations

Everyone knows that AI-generated content isn’t always accurate (my first impression of AI Mode is that there’s still a long way to go when it comes to accuracy, but that’s a different post!). As such, I think that many users will verify AI Mode answers. A user asking for recommendations on ‘things to do in Liverpool when it’s raining with the kids’ might then do further research on recommendations via branded Google search, Instagram, TikTok, TripAdvisor.

Fraser, Senior Paid Manager 

With regard to how AI will change my role, it’s already handling a lot of the manual aspects of my work. Campaign builds such as Performance Max handle bidding, targeting, and creative combinations. However, the output is only as strong as the input, and increasingly, I am becoming more focused on account setup and data integration to make sure Google’s AI can make the best-informed decisions for its bidding process – namely first-party data, correct GA4 setup, enhanced conversions etc. All of these tasks are becoming far more important as AI handles the more manual aspects of account management.

Testing is now becoming far more commonplace within Google Ads. Different asset types, audience lists and audience segments can be used across campaigns to test our assumptions and improve an account. I think search behaviour will largely remain the same, but the way in which the results are presented to customers will be key. Google is increasingly condensing search results to answer the customer’s needs as quickly as possible, as evidenced by AI overviews. The new AI mode on Google is an expansion of that, with AI overviews combined with shopping listings etc.

Abi, SEO Manager

The impact of AI on SEO has been playing out over the last year, and we’ve been expecting AI Mode and an increase in conversational AI for a while. Since AI Overviews were rolled out by Google, we’ve been seeing traffic decline and the rise of the zero-click searches. Because of this, the SEO industry has already done its panicking and has been pivoting their methods the whole time. So AI Mode may not be the game-changer many think it is – bear in mind other conversational AI platforms account for ~1% of organic traffic.

My prediction is it will continue trends we’ve already seen – higher impressions and less click-through, zero-click searches, and a growth in long, highly-specific search terms. As for what we’ll be doing? A change in focus from keywords to intent, multi-platform optimisation, brand strengthening, and growing topical authority.

Is it RIP to SEO? No, search is simply shifting, like it has done numerous times over the last few years. AI Mode will change how people search, but it doesn’t change why – and that last little nugget kick-starts our recommendations of what we need to focus on during this search shift.

• Make sure you understand your personas
• Don’t abandon traditional search engine optimisation
• If you’re not marketing cross-channel, start.
• Test! Don’t be afraid to test new strategies – everyone else will be.

If you’re still not sure how you should be optimising your site or pivoting your search strategy for the newly coined “Search Everywhere Optimisation” then get in touch with our team and we’d be happy to guide you through this exciting period for the future of marketing.