The Rise of AI Search: What Google’s 2025 I/O Keynote Means for Marketers

Google’s 2025 I/O keynote confirmed what many SEOs and marketers had long suspected: AI search is no longer experimental — it’s foundational.

At the centre of this shift is Google’s new AI Mode, a generative search experience powered by Gemini. Rolled out initially in the United States, AI Search represents a dramatic reimagining of how users interact with search. From conversational responses to deep contextual understanding, this isn’t just an algorithm tweak — it’s a step change in how content is found, displayed, and trusted.

Rather than providing a list of links, AI Mode can:

• Synthesise multi-part queries into fully-cited overviews
• Offer real-time answers based on personal context, like your past searches or Gmail data
• Present follow-up actions, including bookings or shopping, right from the search result

For now, it’s US-only. But the direction of travel is clear: search engines globally are moving toward AI-driven, conversational experiences. As a result, marketers must adapt — not just to different SERP layouts, but to fundamental changes in how people search, how content is surfaced, and how trust is assessed.

In this post, we’ll unpack:

• What AI Mode is and how it works
• How it’s disrupting user behaviour and expectations
• What it means for content strategy, SEO, and audience targeting
• What businesses should be doing now to prepare for the AI search era

Let’s explore what this future looks like — and how your brand can stay visible within it.

What Is Google’s AI Mode?

AI Mode is Google’s most significant change to search since the launch of featured snippets. Unveiled during the 2025 I/O keynote, it introduces a fully generative, AI search experience powered by Google’s Gemini model.

Instead of returning a ranked list of links, AI Mode can deliver an AI-generated overview — a conversational, richly formatted answer that directly addresses a user’s query. These results are fully integrated into Google’s core search interface and, critically, often appear above traditional organic listings.

This isn’t a standalone chatbot. It’s not Google Bard. It’s search itself, reimagined with generative AI at the centre.

Powered by Gemini, Contextualised by Google

At the heart of AI Mode is Gemini, Google’s most advanced large language model. But what makes this different from tools like ChatGPT is that Gemini’s responses are:

• Grounded in real-time search data
• Backed by citations and source links
• Informed by your personal context (when opted in)

In fact, AI Mode is capable of:

• Citing web pages, news sources, and video content to support its responses
• Surfacing information from your Gmail, Docs, Calendar or Maps (with permission) for context-aware answers
• Presenting multistep results that include summaries, pros and cons, timelines, or key steps
• Offering follow-up prompts for deeper exploration
• Displaying product suggestions, shopping filters, and direct calls-to-action within the search interface

This is not just AI bolted onto search — it’s a complete rethink of how search works in a generative-first world.

Where and When Is AI Mode Available?

As of May 2025:

• AI Search is live for all users in the United States
• It is expected to roll out to more countries (including the UK and Europe) over the coming months
• Users must opt in via Search Labs, but Google has made it the default experience for mobile users in the US

According to Google, AI Mode will become “the standard search experience” in the future — not an experimental add-on.

How AI Search Uses and Displays Sources

Crucially, every generative overview in AI Mode includes source links — often with clickable callouts that cite the exact point referenced.

This means:

• Websites and content creators can still appear in AI-generated responses
• There is a strong incentive to produce high-quality, structured content that AI can confidently reference
• AI Mode does not replace the web — it organises and explains it more conversationally

For SEOs and marketers, this creates new urgency: to structure content for AI readability and trust, not just keyword match or page authority.

Integrated Commerce, Bookings and Real-Time Actions

One of the most transformative features of AI Mode is its ability to go beyond informational queries. For example:

• It can help users book flights or hotel rooms
• It can recommend and filter products based on reviews, specs, or user preferences
• It supports shopping experiences directly within search, reducing the need to click through to another site

This means transactional intent is increasingly being met on Google itself, which raises important questions about conversion strategy, affiliate content, and brand visibility.

How Will AI Search Change User Behaviour?

When Google changes how search results are delivered, user behaviour always follows. With AI Mode, that shift is even more profound — because it changes the entire interaction model.

Instead of scanning a page of links, users are now invited into a conversational experience, where answers are summarised, contextualised, and visualised — often before they’ve clicked anything.

This fundamentally alters how people:

• Form queries
• Trust information
• Navigate websites
• Make purchase decisions

Here’s what’s already starting to change — and what marketers must plan for.

1. Users Will Expect Rich, Instant Answers

AI Mode gives users what they want straight away — not just links to find it themselves. That means:

• More users will skim AI-generated overviews instead of clicking
• Content needs to surface insights faster, with clear structure and takeaways
• Long-winded intros or keyword-stuffed content will be skipped entirely

Implication:
To stay visible, your content must be answer-focused, not just keyword-optimised. Think: summaries, lists, timelines, pros/cons — the formats Gemini loves to cite.

2. Searches Will Become More Conversational and Complex

Users are learning they can ask Google:

“What are some beginner-friendly DSLR cameras under £500, with good battery life, and where can I buy one near Leeds?”

And Google — via AI Mode — can handle it. This encourages:

• Longer, multi-part queries
• Follow-up questions within the same thread
• A shift from keywords to natural language prompts

Implication:
You need to optimise for search intent, not just phrases. Content should mirror the language people use when talking — not typing rigid keywords.

3. Click Behaviour Will Change (and May Decline)

If the AI overview gives users what they need, many won’t scroll to traditional organic results. Expect:

• Lower organic click-through rates (CTR), especially for top-of-funnel queries
• Higher competition for AI citation links
• Greater emphasis on being the trusted source behind the summary

Implication:
Traffic might decline — but the value of being referenced in AI answers will rise.

4. More Actions Will Happen on Google Itself

AI Mode is designed to streamline user journeys. That includes:

• Booking flights, restaurants or hotels without leaving the SERP
• Comparing product specs, reviews, or availability inline
• Seeing aggregated opinions without clicking into individual blog posts

Implication:
Some traffic may never come to your site. So, your focus shifts to:

• Making content reference-worthy enough to be used in overviews
• Being visible where users act (e.g. shopping feeds, reviews, local listings)
• Ensuring product data, pricing, and CTAs are schema-optimised and up to date.

5. Trust Will Be More Distributed — and More Selective

Users will begin trusting Google’s AI output as much as (and perhaps more than) individual websites. But trust will still be earned through:

• Clear citations from respected sources
• Verified authorship and transparency
• Content that reflects E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Implication:
Your brand must continue to demonstrate expertise and credibility, because you need to demonstrate it to both the end-user and the Search AI.

What This Means for Content and SEO Strategy

AI Mode doesn’t just change how Google presents information — it changes what kind of content gets surfaced, cited, and trusted.

For brands and content teams, this requires a shift from writing for search engines to writing for search-generated summaries. It means optimising not just for visibility, but for reference.

Here’s how to evolve your SEO and content strategy for an AI-first search experience.

1. Structure Content for AI Comprehension, Not Just Crawling

Traditional SEO focused on titles, meta descriptions, headers, and keyword placement. That’s still important — but AI Mode prioritises content that is:

• Clearly structured
• Easily summarised
• Segmentable into snippets, steps, or answers

Best practices include:

• Use clear H2s and H3s to break up complex information
• Write short, focused paragraphs and bullet points
• Summarise key points early (don’t bury your lead)
• Include clear definitions, timelines, pros/cons, FAQs, and step-by-step guides

This helps Google’s Gemini model extract high-confidence answers — increasing your chance of citation.

2. Double Down on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust)

Google’s AI models are trained to prioritise trustworthy sources. That means:

• Author bios matter — especially for medical, financial or legal content
• First-hand experience should be demonstrated (e.g. reviews, how-tos, tests)
• Outbound citations and reference links can support your own authority
• Transparent ownership (e.g. real business contact pages, privacy policies, accreditations)

Sites that invest in E-E-A-T will be the most likely to appear — and be cited — in AI answers.

3. Optimise for Answer Types, Not Just Keywords

Search is becoming more task-focused. AI Mode prefers content that can answer:

• “How to…”
• “Is it worth…”
• “What are the pros and cons of…”
• “What should I consider before…”

Update your keyword research strategy to focus on:

• Search intent clusters
• People Also Ask (PAA) insights
• Long-tail, conversational phrasing
• Comparison and evaluation queries

This content aligns better with the kinds of questions users are asking in AI Mode.

4. Make Product and Local Data Machine-Readable

If you’re in ecommerce or local services, your listings may now appear in:

• Shopping recommendations
• Booking tools
• Filtered product carousels
• Local AI answers

To be eligible, your data must be:

• Marked up with schema
• Consistent across your site, Google Business Profile, and feeds

Think of this as SEO for Google’s front-end interface, not just for blue links.

5. Track New Metrics Beyond Rankings

With AI Mode changing click behaviour, traditional SEO KPIs like “average position” or “click-through rate” may become less meaningful. Instead:

• Monitor AI citations (when your content is referenced in AI summaries)
• Track zero-click conversions (e.g. call button clicks, appointment bookings from SERPs)
• Measure brand visibility in summaries, shopping panels, or local listings
• Use tools like Search Console and third-party AI SERP monitors** to stay informed

We’re entering a world where being mentioned matters as much as being clicked.

This is not the end of SEO. Success in the AI search era will belong to brands that build trustworthy, useful, and well-structured content that’s as useful to an LLM as it is to a human reader.

Prepare for AI Search Now — or Be Left Behind

Google’s new AI Mode marks a turning point for digital marketing. It’s no longer about who ranks first — it’s about who gets cited, who delivers real value, and who earns trust in a generative search landscape.

If your brand wants to stay visible, competitive, and relevant as AI search rolls out globally, you’ll need to:

• Reframe your SEO and content strategies around intent and structure
• Invest in content that’s reference-ready and authority-led
• Ensure your site is technically optimised for AI understanding and schema-rich
• Track new types of visibility — not just rankings, but representation in AI-generated answers

AI Search is The Future

At Zeal, we’re already working with clients to prepare for this next evolution — from AI-ready content strategy to technical SEO that supports discoverability in a citation-first world.

Get in touch with Zeal and let’s future-proof your visibility in an AI-first search world.