Google launches AI Mode, marketers ponder impact
Google has rolled out a new AI Mode within its main search interface in a radical change that could have big implications for businesses that rely on search traffic.
AI Mode was announced by CEO Sundar Pichai at the Google I/O annual developer conference along with a raft of other AI projects. The tone of the conference and the breadth of projects indicate the search giant has seized back ground in the AI war that has been threatening its core business.
Sundar Pichai at the I/O conference
The AI Mode product – which went live in the US immediately – incorporates a Large Language Model (LLM) and traditional search in a more seamless way than the existing AI Overviews that appear at the top of the search results. It is not the search default but appears as a button in the text dialog box (see launch video at the bottom of the article).
“No product embodies our mission more than Google search for those who want an end-to-end AI search experience. We are introducing an all new AI mode,” Pichai said. “It’s a total re-imagining of search with more advanced reasoning.”
“You can ask AI mode longer and more complex queries like this [indicates video]. In fact, users have been asking much longer queries two to three times the length of traditional searches. And you can go further with follow-up questions. All of this is available today as a new tab right in search.”
The AI Mode interface
Mumbrella has contacted marketers for comment. Sources indicate initial thinking is that AI Mode could offer better click-through than AI Overviews, given that AI Mode appears to integrate web links throughout its full-page responses.
There has been a sharp division between Google and the search community on the impact of AI on search results, with Google claiming click-throughs have actually improved, while some publishers and advertisers report big reductions.
Last month, In Marketing We Trust’s CEO Paul Hewett told Mumbrella that AI Overviews and people using products like ChatGPT for search had reduced both search volume and click-through.
“One of the things that’s been reported consistently is a decrease in the click-through rate. This isn’t just our data. This is third-party research. People are reporting it’s somewhere between 15-25%. And that is largely put down to the inclusion of AI overviews into commercial searches.”
AI is moving too fast to sit and ponder. Google are going all in on AI Search with anti-trust rulings looming, ChatGPT rising, TikTok tacking on search.
Personalised, generative search results make rank tracking redundant and these “GEO” tools that record prompts and call it brand tracking are little better. A much needed stir for the industry.
I welcome the evolution of search, agency, website and metrics. Thrilled to be working with our partners on what come next.
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