It’s no secret that AI is keeping business stakeholders on their toes – no matter what industry you may be working in. Following the rollout of AI Overviews, Google has recently introduced their new feature, AI Mode.

If there’s one thing you should know, it’s that the impact of artificial intelligence on marketing is both immense and changing by the day. It can be a lot to keep up with but MoreVisibility is dedicated to results-driven marketing solutions that utilize the latest and greatest technology, including AI. Reach out to us to keep your marketing practices up to date with strategies tailored to your business goals.

What’s an AI Overview?

An AI Overview is a search feature in Google that uses AI to generate a concise summary of information that appears at the top of the search results page. These overviews use generative AI to pull together information from multiple sources across the internet. This feature cites multiple sources and includes links to even more online resources for users that want to dig deeper.

What is AI Mode?

AI Mode is a new search feature from Google that uses their Gemini model to answer your questions and help the user begin the research process with comparisons, follow up questions to consider, ratings and reviews, and relevant web links. This new feature allows users to “ask nuanced questions that might have previously taken multiple searches,” per Google’s blog, The Keyword.

The search feature is now displayed underneath the search bar so users can easily navigate into this tool. This feature helps users that are in the information-gathering phase of their customer journey. AI Mode provides the user with Google Ratings, summarizes Google Business reviews, creates a list of considerations for the user, shows locations if applicable on Google Maps, and even outlines next steps, like get a quote.

AI Mode vs AI Overviews: How They’re Similar

Here’s where you’ll see similarities between these two search features:

  • Both use Google’s Gemini model to generate answers with AI-powered summaries.
  • Each of these features include web links to support the information they provide. Relevant links are provided to allow the user to continue their research.
  • The two features both utilize Google’s ranking algorithm to determine which sources to cite.

AI Mode vs AI Overviews: How They’re Different

However, there are differences between these two AI search features that are worth noting:

  • AI Mode uses multiple searches to generate one answer. Searches are run for related questions so that the output can include a more in-depth response than what users see from an AI Overview.
  • AI Mode was rolled out of its beta phase this week; this feature is now available for all users in the United States. AI Overviews have been public since May 2024.
  • AI Mode was built for more complex questions and even allows follow up questions, like ChatGPT. AI Mode has voice mode and Google has confirmed that they plan to roll out more input modes so that users eventually can upload photos and even live video to include in their search.

How AI Search Features Will Impact Organic Search Traffic

With users gaining the ability to get the information they need without leaving Google, publishers across the web are seeing decreases in organic traffic. This is being referred to as “zero-click traffic.”

Here’s our take on this change: search is now an even larger part of the brand awareness journey. Previously, publishers may have seen users return to a website multiple times before converting. Today, users may have multiple impressions of your brand through AI models before they ultimately visit your website and convert.

The AI search features that we’ve discussed here provide an opportunity for web publishers to build trust with users before the user ever visits their website. Think about it! Imagine you are looking to paint a wall in your home office and see the same paint brand in multiple stores being recommended as both high quality and easy for DIYers. You may take multiple trips to the home improvement store to see what brands they carry while picking up lightbulbs, ask questions to the associate in the paint section, and collect paint swatches to show your partner. Each time you visit the store, you’re seeing the paint brands, overhearing conversations from other customers about their choices and preferences and ultimately forming an opinion. This is the in-person version of what’s happening with AI search features today.

Users see companies linked to explanations of what they’re searching, they’re noticing what companies are surfacing in Google’s AI features, and they’re seeing these companies as trusted web publishers.

Optimizing for AI Search

Reading about how much the digital content realm is shifting may feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to! Also overwhelming? All the acronyms around AI:

  • AIO, which can mean Artificial Intelligence (AI) Overviews or Artificial Intelligence Optimization
  • AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization
  • GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization

Content still should be written to be helpful and for people but there are some ways to prepare for zero-click search including:

  • Updating your Google Business Profile à keeping information current allows for more visibility in local results as well as some AI mode and AI Overviews.
  • Focusing on high-quality, original content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
  • Answering commonly asked questions directly and concisely. Bonus points for including lists, tables, and bullet points that can easily be scanned.
  • Utilizing structured data markup to help search engines understand your content and showcase it appropriately.

Ready to get started? Connect with the MoreVisibility team today to discuss your AI strategy.