ChatGPT and co. have hurt Google. Now the giant is switching into attack mode.
Imagine you go to your favourite restaurant, but instead of the menu, the waiter puts your favourite dish right in front of you. No scrolling, no deciding, no ten menus to choose from. Welcome to the age of "answer not choice".
Google has recognised this and reacted: With the Google AI Mode (currently only live in the USA and India). A new, radically different way of searching. And to find. Without ten blue links. But with AI-generated answers, directly in the search interface.
What does that mean? Publishers, SEOs and content teams need to completely rethink their approach.
What is Google AI Mode?
The Google AI Mode is a new display of Google search, which (as of June 2025) is only being rolled out for logged-in users in the USA. Instead of the classic list of results, a dialogue-like area with:
- direct AI-generated answers
- optional follow-up questions
- partially quoted sources
- Context-based calls to action (e.g. booking a flight, calling up a shop)
During "AI Overviews" like an intelligent add-on module in addition to the classic search results place, the new AI Mode replaces the entire SERP. Especially on mobile devices, this creates a completely new user experience, almost like a chat window instead of a list of links and thus similar to ChatGPT or Perplexity.
Why is this a real upheaval?
For decades, Google was the Gateway to the web. Now it's becoming the end of the line itself.
Instead of providing links, Google provides answers. Instead of mediating, it curates. We are familiar with this behaviour from ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity - but not from the number 1 search engine.
Google AI Mode is not an AI feature. It is Google's new identity.
Comparison: ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity vs. Google AI Mode
| System | Interface | Sources? | Focus |
| ChatGPT | Conversational chat | partial, often vague | Recommendation, counselling |
| Copilot (Bing) | Integrated in Edge | Web + MS data | Assistance + Research |
| Perplexity | Clearly structured | Always linked | Fact-based + explorative |
| Google AI Mode | Complete SERP replacement | selective & dynamic | User loyalty + action |
Realisation: AI Mode is Google's attempt, not only to react, but to push ahead and secure its position of power.
What does this mean for publishers?
If answers are generated directly in the search Your content as a raw material for Google's AI. Visibility no longer means: Rank 1, but rather: "Are you being cited?" Also read our Guide to Content 2.0.
New rules of the game:
- Chunkable content only with clear answers have a chance of being cited
- Classic keyword stuffing no longer works
- Structured data (Schema.org) with about property is becoming increasingly important
- Brand reputation counts: Google trusts established sources more
You no longer write texts for readers, but for an editor who turns them into something new - and only mentions you if you seem trustworthy.
Loss of Google users due to AI search?
According to a study by OneLittleWeb is the use of chatbots to 80.9 % compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, chatbots currently only account for around 3 % of all web traffic - Google is still dominant with 34 times more traffic.
A survey by Bain & Company shows once again that around 80 % of the users at least with 40 % of your search queries rely on AI summaries. As a result 15-25 % of organic traffic lost.
Statistics agree: 60 % of all searches today end without a clickbecause AI answers provide enough - according to Forbes.
Conclusion: Google is not yet losing masses of users, but the Click rate decreases significantly - Traffic losses of 15 to 25 % are already a reality. These are clear alarm signals for publishers.
How to prepare for AI mode
✅ 1. make content AI-citable
- Answer precisely, directly under the subheading
- Write micro-answers (H2 + 3-4 lines)
- Use semantically strong terms (instead of vague empty phrases)
✅ 2. clever use of Schema.org
- Use about, mainEntity and author
- Highlight products, FAQs, reviews - but don't over-optimise
Exude authority ✅ 3.
- Own studies, opinions, practical examples
- High mention density in social media & on specialised portals
- Clear brand identity (e.g. consistent author profiles)
✅ 4. think multi-format
- Videos, audio, slide decks - Google loves multimodality
- Especially with e-commerce: Provide product data in a structured way (Feeds, Markup)
Conclusion: Google AI Mode is the new standard in the making
Imagine you had never been on your website, but had seen all your information directly in the Google window. Welcome to the future.
For publishers, this means that anyone who only writes content for rankings will become invisible. Those who write content for machines, people and brands becomes relevant.
Google AI Mode is not the end of SEO. But it is the end of SEO as we knew it.
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