Google AI Mode (Not AI Overviews!) | Google's new AI search is coming: Why websites could lose up to 64% of their traffic – Image: Xpert.Digital
The end of Google search as we know it: How radically the new AI mode changes everything
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The "AI Overview" in German Google search results corresponds to what is internationally known as AI Overviews, AI Summary, or Google AI Overview. This is an AI-generated summary displayed above the classic search results list—without text in the image, but as a directly embedded answer from Google.
Google's AI mode – often called "AI mode" or "AI Mode" – is a more advanced, dialogue-based, and interactive search function. It utilizes advanced generative AI (e.g., Gemini 2.5) and provides conversational answers, logical reasoning, multi-step queries, and personalized content. AI mode is significantly more comprehensive and, when activated, replaces the traditional results list with a completely new search experience.
Google's biggest search revolution is launching soon in Germany: What the new AI mode means for you
Google is facing the most massive transformation in its history. The way billions of people search for information every day is about to change fundamentally. With the upcoming launch of Google AI Mode in Europe and Germany, the search engine giant is signaling the end of the era of the "ten blue links," replacing them with an intelligent, conversational assistant that answers complex questions directly on the results page.
What promises users a more convenient and faster search experience is developing into an existential threat for millions of website operators, publishers, and online businesses. Initial studies warn of dramatic drops in organic traffic of up to 64 percent, as users have little reason to click on external links. Powered by the advanced AI model Gemini, personalized features, and future "agentic capabilities" such as automatic restaurant reservations, AI Mode is more than just a new feature—it's a paradigm shift. This article examines how it works, its far-reaching consequences for SEO and online marketing, and shows how users and businesses must prepare for the impending AI revolution in online search.
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Google AI Mode: The future of online search – A revolutionary change to the search experience
Google is preparing for the biggest change to its search engine since its founding. Google AI Mode, already available in over 180 countries, is about to launch in the European Union and Germany. This new search feature marks the transition from a classic link-based search engine to an intelligent, conversational assistant that delivers complete answers directly on the results page.
What is Google AI Mode?
Google AI Mode represents a fundamental reinvention of Google Search. Instead of the traditional list of ten blue links, AI Mode presents a completely new user interface as an additional tab alongside familiar categories like Images and News. Users receive complete, AI-generated answers directly on the search results page, without having to click through to external websites.
The technology is based on Google's most advanced AI model, Gemini 2.0, which has been specifically optimized for internet search. A key feature is the so-called query fan-out technique, in which the system breaks down a user query into several related subtopics and researches them simultaneously across various data sources. The results are then summarized into a coherent, easily understandable answer.
The AI mode accesses a wide range of Google's own data sources, including the Knowledge Graph, real-time data, shopping data for billions of products, and high-quality web content. This comprehensive data integration allows the system to generate deeper and more nuanced answers than would be possible with simple text analysis.
Availability and current developments
Following its launch in the US in May 2025 and expansion to India and the UK, Google AI Mode is now available in over 180 countries, but not yet in the European Union. The EU's strict data protection laws and regulations, particularly the AI Act and the GDPR, are likely the reason for this delay.
Nevertheless, signs of an imminent EU launch are mounting. Initial tests have already been observed in Romania, where users have shared screenshots of teasers and pop-ups referencing the AI Mode. These developments suggest that Google is accelerating the technical and legal preparations for the EU rollout.
In Germany, AI Overviews have been available since March 2025. This precursor to AI Mode displays AI-generated summaries above the traditional search results. These now appear in approximately 17 percent of all search queries and are already having a noticeable impact on user behavior.
Functionality and technical innovation
Google AI Mode differs fundamentally from the classic search engine due to its conversational nature. Users can ask complex, multi-part questions in natural language and receive detailed answers immediately. After the initial answer, follow-up questions can be asked, enabling a dialogue-oriented research experience reminiscent of interacting with a human expert.
The technology makes it possible to answer questions that previously would have required several separate search queries. For example, AI Mode can provide a comprehensive analysis of the differences between sleep-tracking features of various devices, comparing smartwatches, smart rings, and tracking mats and highlighting their specific advantages and disadvantages.
Another innovative element is the personalization feature. The AI Mode takes into account previous conversations, search queries, and interactions in other Google services such as Maps. For example, if a user frequently searches for vegan restaurants, relevant recommendations will be automatically prioritized.
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Enhanced agent capabilities
In the US, so-called agentic capabilities have already been added to AI Mode, enabling the AI to independently perform complex tasks. The most prominent example is restaurant reservations: users can express their preferences in natural language, such as the number of guests, the desired time, the type of cuisine, and the location. AI Mode then automatically searches various booking platforms like OpenTable or Resy, checks availability in real time, and presents a curated list of suitable restaurants with direct booking links.
This functionality is based on Google's Project Mariner, a prototype for human-AI agent interaction within the browser. The system performs multiple tasks simultaneously, such as searching, planning, and entering data, and leverages the capabilities of the Knowledge Graph and Google Maps.
In the future, further agent-based functions will follow, including booking event tickets and appointments for local services. Google is working with established partners such as Ticketmaster, StubHub, and Booksy.
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Impact on website traffic and online marketing
The introduction of AI Mode brings profound changes for website operators. Since AI Mode provides complete answers directly within the search interface, users are less likely to need to click through to external websites. Initial studies already show dramatic effects: websites can experience declines in organic traffic of 18 to 64 percent.
Information-oriented websites such as advice portals, travel blogs, medical information sites, and cooking websites are particularly affected. The British Publishers Association has already filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission, accusing Google of exploiting the structural dependency of content providers and causing serious, irreparable damage.
The click-through rate (CTR) on organic search results drops significantly in the presence of AI-generated answers. Studies show declines of 47.5 percent on desktop devices and 37.7 percent on mobile devices. Even websites cited in the AI answers experience significantly lower CTRs than in traditional search results.
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- Google Ai Overviews: Global expansion and new monetization strategies transform the search landscape
New SEO strategies for the AI era
The changes brought about by AI mode necessitate a fundamental reorientation of search engine optimization. Instead of relying on classic ranking factors, it is becoming increasingly important to design content in such a way that it can be easily understood and cited by AI systems.
Originality and uniqueness of content are gaining importance, as AI systems preferentially cite specific, data-driven information. Structured data is becoming more crucial to facilitate content understanding by crawlers. The readability and organization of content must be optimized to make it suitable for AI processing.
Website operators need to rethink how they measure success. Instead of relying solely on traffic figures, visibility in AI-generated responses is becoming a crucial new indicator. This requires new analytical methods and tools to understand when and how content appears in AI-mode responses.
Personalization and user experience
AI Mode offers a highly personalized search experience. The system learns from user behavior and adjusts responses accordingly. With repeated interactions, the AI takes previous preferences and interests into account, continuously improving the relevance of the results.
An innovative feature is the ability to share AI Mode results. Friends and family can join an AI conversation directly via a link and ask their own questions. This creates new forms of collaborative information seeking and could accelerate the feature's adoption through word-of-mouth recommendations.
The Canvas feature allows users to organize and plan information across multiple sessions. This feature was specifically designed for complex tasks such as creating study plans or travel itineraries and demonstrates the potential of AI Mode as a long-term digital assistant.
Impact on the advertising landscape
Google plans to integrate advertisements into AI Mode, based on its experience with other AI features. This could create new, highly attractive advertising opportunities, as users spend more time within the Google environment and click less often on external websites.
Companies face new challenges in customer acquisition. Traditional SEO strategies are losing effectiveness, while optimization for AI-generated citations is gaining importance. Businesses may need to reallocate their advertising budgets and focus more on paid placements in AI-generated responses.
International expansion and linguistic diversity
Although AI Mode is already available in over 180 countries, its functionality is currently limited to English. Google has announced plans to expand access to more languages and regions, though the EU remains excluded due to regulatory challenges.
The global expansion demonstrates Google's ambition to establish AI Mode as the standard search function. Experts predict that AI Mode could become the dominant form of online search in the coming years, increasingly pushing traditional link-based search into the background.
Technological competition and market development
The AI Mode competes directly with other AI search platforms such as ChatGPT Search, Perplexity AI, and Bing Copilot. This competition drives innovation and leads to rapid development of available features.
The market for AI search engines is growing rapidly. A market volume of US$43.63 billion is projected for 2025, rising to US$108.88 billion by 2032. This growth is primarily driven by generative AI, which is expected to achieve a market share of 54.2 percent by 2025.
Social and ethical implications
The transformation of Google search through AI raises important questions about the diversity of information and the formation of opinions. If a single AI generates the answers to millions of search queries, this could lead to a homogenization of information and perspectives.
Relying on AI-generated answers could impair the critical evaluation of information. Users might be less inclined to consult various sources and consider different viewpoints if they have already received a seemingly complete answer.
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Preparing for AI-dominated search
Businesses and website operators should prepare early for the changes brought about by AI. This includes adapting content strategies, optimizing for AI citations, and developing alternative traffic sources.
Creating high-quality, original content is more important than ever. AI systems prefer specific, well-structured, and data-driven information. Companies should align their content accordingly, paying attention to readability and logical organization.
The future of search
Google AI Mode represents just the beginning of a comprehensive transformation of online search. The integration of multimodal capabilities, the processing of images, videos, and audio files, as well as the development of even more advanced AI models, will further revolutionize the search experience.
The pace of development is accelerating. While previous Google innovations took years to reach a global audience, rollout cycles are now significantly shortening. This demonstrates Google's commitment to maintaining its leadership position in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
The coming years will be crucial for shaping the digital information landscape. AI could fundamentally transform the internet and set new standards for human-machine interaction. At the same time, the impact on the diversity of information sources and the economic foundations of digital publishing must be carefully monitored and, where necessary, regulated.
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