If you’ve searched for something on Google lately, you might have spotted a new option: a little prompt that says “Dive deeper in AI Mode.”
This isn’t just a flashy extra button. It's part of a major shift in how Google works and how people find information online.
The short version?
Google is moving from searching for links to directly giving answers, using artificial intelligence (AI) to pull those answers from across the internet.
And that changes the game for every business with a website.
To understand AI Mode, you first need to understand Google itself. Google’s sole focus is the user. Not businesses. Not advertisers. Their mission is laser-focused on making life as easy as possible for the person searching. Every update, every new feature is built to serve the user, not the other way around. That ruthlessness is what drives AI Mode.
Traditionally, when you searched for something on Google, you got a list of links (the “blue links”), ranked in order of what Google thought would help you most. You had to click through to learn more.
Then in 2023, Google started experimenting with AI Overviews, short AI-written summaries that appeared at the top of the results, giving you a quick answer without clicking anywhere.
AI Mode takes that further.
Instead of giving you one quick AI summary, it turns search into an ongoing conversation.
For example, if you search “Best ways to reduce energy costs for a small bakery”, AI Mode might first show you:
If you click one of those, you stay in AI Mode and get another custom AI answer, without ever leaving Google. These query examples perfectly illustrate how Google has evolved: ten years ago, users would have to guess the right keywords to find an answer. Today, Google focuses on how people actually search, anticipating their needs and delivering answers in the most intuitive, effortless way possible.
A new Pew Research study found:
That means your website could still be used as a source in Google’s AI answers, but many people will read the answer without ever visiting your site.
For businesses, this creates a new challenge:
It’s not just about ranking high on Google anymore; it’s about being the trusted source AI chooses to quote.
You might be asking yourself: if fewer people are clicking through to websites, why does it matter if my brand is quoted? The answer is brand recall. When someone sees your business name cited in multiple AI Mode answers, you’re building trust and recognition, even if they don’t click through immediately.
This “silent branding” can influence future decisions and still lead to sales later, particularly for big-ticket or trust-based purchases.
Here’s how you can adapt your strategy so AI Mode works for you instead of against you:
1. Go deep on topics you know best
Google’s AI Mode looks for content that explains things fully.
2. Use cognitive empathy and write for real people’s questions, not just keywords
Old-school SEO was about matching the words people typed. Now, it’s about matching the questions they ask out loud, because AI Mode understands natural language.
Instead of just optimising for “cheap wedding photographer London,” you might write: “How to find an affordable wedding photographer in London without compromising on quality.”
3. Keep your site technically healthy
Even though AI Mode uses AI, it still draws heavily from Google’s normal ranking rules:
4. Use visuals and multimedia
AI Mode is starting to integrate with image search and Google Lens. That means product images, infographics, and charts can increase your chances of being included in a result.
At Fingo, we help businesses not just cope with changes like AI Mode, but actually leverage them.
Here’s how we can support you:
Our goal is simple: make you the business Google’s AI wants to quote, again and again.
Contact the Fingo team today to start building your AI Mode advantage.