Introduction to Google’s New AI Search
Google’s Vice President of Product, Robby Stein, has explained that Google Search is undergoing a significant transformation, converging with AI in a new manner. This change is built on three pillars of AI: AI Overviews, Multimodal search, and AI Mode. The implications of this transformation are profound for online publishers, SEOs, and eCommerce stores.
What are the Three Pillars of AI Search?
The three essential components of the next generation of Google Search are:
- AI Overviews: natural language search
- Multimodal search: new ways of searching with images, enabled by Google Lens
- AI Mode: harnessing web content and structured knowledge to provide a conversational turn-based way of discovering information and learning. Stein indicates that all three of these components will converge as the next step in the evolution of search.
AI Mode: A New Way of Searching
AI Mode is triggered by complex queries, allowing users to have a conversation with Google and tap into its rich information. This includes 50 billion products in the Google Shopping Graph, 250 million places and maps, and finance information. AI Mode brings all of this information together, creating an end-to-end search experience that lets users ask anything and get high-quality, informed responses.
The Future of Search: Beyond Ten Blue Links
The next generation of Google Search will be radically different from what we know today. Stein describes it as a "brain" that users can ask questions and interact with, replacing the concept of ten blue links with a conversational, turn-based mode of information discovery. This change requires SEOs, merchants, and publishers to rethink their approach to content and focus on surfacing information within an interactive, natural language environment.
How AI Will Converge into One Interface
All of Google’s AI features will converge into one unified search system that interprets intent and context automatically. For users, this means that typing, speaking, or taking a picture will all connect to the same underlying process that decides how to respond. For publishers and SEOs, visibility will depend less on optimizing for keywords and more on aligning content with how Google understands and responds to different kinds of questions.
How Content Can Fit into AI-Triggered Search Experiences
Google is transitioning users out of the traditional ten blue links paradigm into a blended AI experience. Publishers, SEOs, and store owners should consider how their content can fit into this new context. This includes curating unique images, useful video content, and step-by-step tutorials, as well as making content conversational and accessible through camera snapshots.
Conclusion
The future of Google Search is rapidly changing, with AI playing a central role. The convergence of AI Overviews, Multimodal search, and AI Mode will create a new, unified search experience that is conversational, turn-based, and highly interactive. Publishers, SEOs, and store owners must adapt to this change by rethinking their approach to content and focusing on surfacing information in a way that aligns with Google’s new AI-powered search. By doing so, they can ensure that their content remains visible and relevant in the evolving search landscape.