Understanding AI Overviews and AI Mode for SEO in 2025
In 2025, AI Overviews and AI Mode are revolutionising SEO by reshaping how search results are presented. AI Overviews generate AI-driven summaries at the top of the search results, offering quick, multi-source answers to users’ complex queries, powered by Google AI’s Gemini 2.0 model. This new approach is pushing traditional organic listings further down the page, particularly on mobile devices.
AI Mode takes this a step further, providing an interactive, conversational search experience. Instead of displaying a list of links, users can engage with AI to refine and deepen their search, creating a more dynamic search experience. For SEO in 2025, businesses must optimise content to be both AI-friendly and clear enough for Google to cite it in these AI-generated responses.
How Google AI Mode is Shaping the Future of Organic Search and Traffic
With the rise of AI Mode, organic search and traffic patterns are undergoing a significant shift. In AI Mode, Google answers user queries directly, without the need for users to click through to websites. This reduces click-through rates (CTR) for organic listings, especially for informational searches where the AI provides comprehensive answers right on the search page.
To adapt, digital marketing agencies must think beyond just ranking high in search results. Instead, optimising for AI-driven features is key. This involves creating clear, authoritative content that Google’s AI can use to answer specific user queries. As zero-click searches become more prevalent, content that’s structured for AI summarisation will be more visible and valuable.
Optimising Your SEO Strategies for Better Ranking
As AI tools like AI Overviews reshape the search landscape, SEO strategies must evolve. While traditional tactics like backlinks and keyword optimisation still matter, the focus is now on optimising for AI’s ability to extract and present content directly.
To rank well in AI Overviews, ensure your content is well-structured, easy to understand, and answers questions directly. Utilising structured data, such as FAQ or HowTo schema, helps Google’s AI process your content effectively. Combining traditional SEO strategies with a focus on AI search will increase the likelihood of your content appearing in AI-generated answers.
Key Factors Driving Visibility and Search Results
In the new era of AI search, visibility is heavily influenced by how well content is optimised for AI systems. AI Overviews are taking up more space in search results, often reducing the visibility of organic listings. To ensure your site is seen, it’s essential to prioritise content quality and authoritativeness.
Google’s AI models prioritise content that demonstrates E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Content must be structured for easy extraction by AI systems, with the right balance of clarity and depth to be cited in AI Overviews.
Navigating the New Search Landscape
The introduction of AI Overviews and AI Mode requires marketers to rethink their SEO strategies. While traditional SEO techniques remain important, businesses must now focus on optimising their content for AI search and ensuring it aligns with how AI processes information.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is vital in this new landscape. GEO ensures that your content is formatted in a way that AI can use to create detailed summaries, making it more likely to be included in AI-driven answers. Marketers should focus on user intent and create content that answers questions comprehensively, while also being easy for AI systems to digest and present in AI Overviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are AI Summaries in Google Search?
AI summaries are concise, AI-generated overviews that provide users with quick answers to their queries. Powered by Google’s AI Overviews, these summaries extract information from multiple sources, offering a clear, multi-source response without requiring users to click through to other pages. AI answers aim to satisfy user intent directly at the top of search results, reducing the need for additional searches.
How Do AI Mode and AI Overviews Impact Search Results?
The impact of AI Overviews is significant, as it pushes traditional listings further down, affecting organic CTR and making it harder to capture traffic from Google. AI Mode creates an interactive, conversational search experience where users can refine their queries, while AI Overviews deliver direct, summarised answers at the top of the page.
What Role Does AI Mode Play in Google’s Search Engine?
Google’s AI Mode is a new, interactive search experience that allows users to ask follow-up questions and receive AI answers in a more conversational style. It’s powered by AI engines and designed to provide comprehensive responses in real-time. This evolution in search means users engage with search differently, focusing more on the conversation with AI than clicking through to websites.
How Are AI Engines Transforming Search Engine Optimisation?
AI engines, like those powering Google’s AI Mode, are transforming search engine optimisation (SEO) by shifting focus from keyword-based rankings to optimizing content that can be easily cited in AI Overviews.
How Do AI Overviews Affect Search Traffic and Organic CTR?
With AI Overviews now appearing at the top of search results, traditional organic listings are pushed further down the page, impacting search traffic and organic CTR. Even if your website appears in search, fewer users may click through because they find their answer directly in the AI summary.