Google’s New “AI Mode” & The Death of SEO

Google recently announced something they’re calling ‘AI Mode,’ positioned as a significant upgrade to search—but let’s unpack what this really means and why it’s important for everyone.

What is Google’s AI Mode?

Currently, if you’re signed into Google and perform a search, you’ll often see an “AI Overview” at the top of your results. This summary, created by Google’s Gemini AI, provides a helpful but static response. Your options right now are limited: accept the provided answer, or click through traditional search results. Google’s upcoming “AI Mode” expands this concept significantly. Soon you’ll be able to interact directly with the Gemini-generated response, asking follow-up questions, refining your queries, and exploring topics conversationally, effectively chatting with your results.

This sounds impressive, and it certainly is—but let’s be clear: Google isn’t breaking entirely new ground here.

Who’s Leading the Way?

Tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT’s Search Mode already offer precisely this kind of interactive, conversational search experience. I’ve personally seen how Perplexity has changed the way people use the web entirely. Every single person I’ve demonstrated Perplexity to has quickly adopted it as their go-to search method, effectively creating conversations with their search results. ChatGPT’s Search Mode similarly allows exploration and follow-up interactions, proving the huge appeal of a more interactive, personalised internet.

Google’s “AI Mode,” then, is essentially the company catching up to this more conversational future that has already begun shaping online interactions.

Right now, I may be framing Google’s “AI Mode” as just catching up, which is largely true. However, Google’s scale means its adoption of conversational search will likely accelerate the shift more than Perplexity or ChatGPT have done so far which means even more affect on the wider industry.

What does this mean for our websites?

Ultimately this means they will change forever. If bots are visiting our websites instead of people, what’s the point in having a good looking and interactive website?

Why would we waste all that time and expense when the data is simply going to be pulled out and presented to someone elsewhere?

These are valid questions and they really highlight how much the Web Landscape is going to change through the coming years. 

The Rise of LEO – Language Engine Optimisation

As the internet moves into this conversational era, it’s becoming clear that traditional Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) isn’t going to be enough. Instead, we’re rapidly approaching a new era of Language Engine Optimisation (LEO).

LEO means structuring your content so it’s easily understood by AI models like Gemini, ChatGPT, and others. To thrive in this new era, websites need to:

• Use conversational language and clearly structured content.
• Employ structured data (schema markup) to enhance AI readability.
• Prioritise semantic context and natural language queries.
• Keep their websites optimised for fast loading times and strong mobile performance.

Brands might have to rethink engagement—will they need to create “AI-first” content rather than traditional blog posts? Would AI-readable “summaries” of their pages become the most critical asset?

E-commerce will need to think about how their products can be found and purchased by a persons AI, instead of the person visiting their store. With this Perplexity already offers “Shopping” in America with a user not having to leave their chat to buy the products they have found…..

This shift from SEO to LEO isn’t just inevitable; it’s happening rapidly. Soon, websites will be primarily built for optimal scraping by AI, instead of being visited by people, and that means rethinking content creation entirely.

Why Should You Care?

Imagine a world where users rarely visit your site because everything they need appears right inside an AI-powered conversational interface. No visits means more than just a change to how websites look and function, now traditional profiling, advertising, and analytics become challenging—potentially turning current digital marketing strategies upside down. How do you advertise effectively when users never land directly on your website? In the short term, it seems nearly impossible.

However, let’s be realistic. Data is big money, and money drives the digital economy. It’s only a matter of time before trackers and personalised adverts find their way into AI interactions themselves.

Search advertising as we know it will change dramatically, will AI-generated answers include sponsored responses? Will companies fight to be featured in AI summaries rather than competing for top search rankings?

Personally, that’s a future I don’t look forward to. It feels inevitable, though—a logical evolution driven by financial interests rather than user experience.

Looking Ahead

While Google’s announcement isn’t revolutionary in isolation, it’s critical because it marks mainstream acceptance of conversational search and AI-driven browsing. As Google moves forward, other players will follow suit, rapidly accelerating the adoption of this technology.

Excitingly (and perhaps worryingly), we’re entering a world where conversational search becomes the norm—not just on desktops or phones but also integrated into everyday life. Soon we’ll be genuinely chatting with the internet across all our devices, blurring the boundaries between search, conversation, and exploration. This transition is fascinating, even if the inevitable commercialisation of our conversations isn’t something I particularly look forward to.

But like it or not, LEO is on its way—and it’s going to transform how we experience and engage with the digital world profoundly. The future of the internet is almost here, and it’s conversational.