{"id":4838,"date":"2025-10-01T11:30:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T09:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.htt.it\/?p=4838"},"modified":"2025-10-18T14:07:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T12:07:52","slug":"ai-mode-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.htt.it\/en\/ai-mode-search\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Mode Search"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Many have already heard about AI MODE<\/strong> on LinkedIn \u2014 a new Google search experience already active in the United States and several other countries around the world, expected to arrive in Europe and Italy by the end of the year.
\nFor those who wish to try it in advance, it\u2019s fully accessible through a VPN connection.
\nLet\u2019s take a closer look at what it is and how it will change the way we search for information on Google.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Google AI MODE, officially announced for release in 2025 as an evolution of the previous system known as
\n“AI Overviews”, no longer provides just an automatic introduction to search results, but a truly conversational
\nand multi-layered experience. It deeply integrates generative models (such as Gemini) with the traditional
\ncore of the search engine.<\/p>\n

Imagine typing a complex query into Google, for example:<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m on vacation in New York. Suggest a glamorous and romantic restaurant to take my girlfriend to \u2014
\nperfect for a couple who also wants to dance and have fun after dinner.”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Instead of returning a list of ten links to explore \u2014 in addition to the initial sponsored ones \u2014 Google now provides a concise, reasoned, and structured response, enriched with additional links, images, and references, while inviting you to continue with follow-up questions.
\nThis is the essence of what Google calls AI Mode<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Google defines AI Mode as its \u201cmost powerful search experience\u201d<\/strong>, capable of reasoning, supporting multimodal input (text, voice, images), handling complex questions, and enabling deeper \u201cexplorations\u201d \u2014 following a dialogic logic rather than returning a static result.<\/p>\n

But beyond the official promises, what changes for those working in digital, content, marketing, and SEO optimization?
\nAnd what are the risks, the unknowns, and the emerging strategies?<\/p>\n

The query fan-out mechanism<\/h2>\n

One of the most central and least intuitive aspects of AI Mode is what Google calls query fan-out<\/strong>.
\nInstead of interpreting the user\u2019s question as a single set of keywords and returning one response or list of documents, the algorithm breaks it down into multiple related micro-queries, which it explores simultaneously.<\/p>\n

If you ask \u201cfamily vacation in France\u201d, the algorithm might generate sub-queries such as \u201cfamily tours in France\u201d, \u201ccheap flights for families to France\u201d, \u201ckid-friendly attractions in French cities\u201d, \u201cfamily hotels\u201d, and so on.
\nEach micro-search draws from different sources and returns fragments of knowledge that are then composed into an organic response.<\/p>\n

This approach has significant implications for content creators.
\nPreviously, the goal was to rank for a keyword X. With fan-out, content risks being \u201cquoted\u201d in results without ever being clicked, because the final answer \u2014 part conversation, part synthesis \u2014 can be self-contained.
\nIn other words, a website can contribute to the AI\u2019s answer without being the destination the user visits.
\nEven with AI Overviews, many sites already reported major drops in click-through rate (CTR). Several sources cite decreases in visibility of 20\u201340% compared to traditional search, and anyone managing a site can look at their own analytics to see the impact.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Google doesn\u2019t reveal exactly which subqueries are generated: we don\u2019t know which branches of the fan-out lead to visibility or how much weight each has.
\nThis makes traditional keyword-based SEO strategies nearly impossible. It\u2019s as if the algorithm operates in a \u201cblack box\u201d, where the semantic constructs that a copywriter considers central are dispersed into countless internal branches, invisible from the outside.<\/p>\n

For marketers, this means that thematic relevance and depth \u2014 not just keyword density \u2014 become essential.
\nIt\u2019s necessary to create content rich in conceptual relationships, with internal coherence, strong internal linking, and a horizontal approach to topics rather than a strictly vertical or niche-focused one.<\/p>\n

The risk of dependency on the search engine<\/h2>\n

When Google AI Mode begins answering user queries directly on the page \u2014 with detailed, conversational, and visual responses \u2014 there\u2019s a risk that users will have no reason to leave Google.
\nIf the answer is perceived as complete, clicks to external sites become secondary.
\nThis tension already emerged with AI Overviews, where the classic \u201cten blue links\u201d were progressively pushed below the generative summary.
\nNow, with AI Mode, Google seems ready to push this even further.<\/p>\n

As a response to the rise of tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and others, Google keeps users within its ecosystem \u2014 preventing them from leaving for competing AI interfaces.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Google becomes both a neutral search engine and a content creator, since the generative response is a proprietary output of its algorithms.<\/p>\n

The associations representing major publishers have reacted strongly:
\naccording to them, AI Mode deprives publishers of traffic and revenue, and represents an arbitrary use of third-party content.
\nIn other words, as Google moves toward a model where it \u201canswers for everyone,\u201d publishers lose one of the main levers of their economic ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Toward agentic search<\/h2>\n

Google isn\u2019t stopping at summarized answers: its stated goal is for AI to act on behalf of the user<\/strong>, executing concrete tasks such as bookings, comparisons, and multi-step actions.
\nThis \u201cagentic\u201d dimension is already being tested and, in some cases, partially available in experimental mode.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

If the system can handle complex tasks \u2014 for instance, booking a restaurant, suggesting an itinerary, and adjusting results based on constraints \u2014 it becomes an assistant that goes far beyond search.
\nGoogle refers to these as agentic capabilities<\/em> integrated within AI Mode, currently limited to premium users (in the United States) and available experimentally through Search Labs.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Behind the curtain of these features lies an internal project that partly supports them, known as Project Mariner<\/strong>: a prototype of a web agent that, given a specific goal (e.g., find flights to Tokyo, book hotels, rent a car), can browse the web on behalf of the user, interact with websites, fill out forms, and transform an abstract intent into a concrete action.<\/p>\n

Mariner is currently available only to a limited group of users, but its integration with Gemini and AI Mode suggests that Google is testing a transition toward a browser + embedded agent model<\/strong> \u2014 a sort of answer to ChatGPT\u2019s Instant Checkout, one might say.<\/p>\n

If this transition materializes, digital marketers will no longer compete solely for visibility or traffic, but for the ability to be selected by the agent \u2014 to become part of the AI\u2019s internal decision-making engine. Becoming \u201coptional\u201d in the agent\u2019s flow, with services, APIs, partnerships, and programmatic interfaces, may soon become more important than traditional textual optimization itself.<\/p>\n

SEO in the AI Mode Era: new metrics, new criteria<\/h2>\n

With AI Mode, the traditional SEO paradigm (keywords, links, titles, meta descriptions) is no longer sufficient. Google\u2019s guidelines state that there are no special requirements to appear in AI Mode and that the approach remains to provide useful, reliable, and well-structured content.3<\/a><\/sup>
\nHowever, what \u201cuseful\u201d means in a context where the algorithm may choose to summarize rather than redirect is very different from before.<\/p>\n

First, the concept of E-E-A-T<\/strong> (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) takes on a defensive value: the algorithm needs sources it considers reliable, authoritative, and credible to draw paraphrases and fragments from.
\nCompanies with weak, generic, or undifferentiated content risk being ignored altogether.
\nCompetition now revolves around substantive quality \u2014 in-depth articles, logical structure, multimedia support, citations of authoritative sources, case studies, and original data.<\/p>\n

Next, due to the fan-out mechanism, it\u2019s vital for content to cover the full range of topics surrounding its main theme.
\nA modular structure \u2014 with sections that can serve as standalone answers (independent knowledge blocks) \u2014 allows the algorithm to extract relevant portions even when users don\u2019t search for the exact main title.
\nFor example, an article about \u201cgarden care\u201d shouldn\u2019t only discuss planting but also include sections on watering, fertilizing, weather protection, tools, and seasonal management.
\nIf the AI fan-out generates a query like \u201chow to water daily\u201d<\/em>, that specific paragraph can be selected independently for the answer.
\nIn this article, I\u2019m doing exactly that \u2014 not just discussing AI Mode, but also what follows from it. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Equally important is the concept of internal coherence: cross-references, internal links, and the semantic logic that connects related concepts.
\nIf AI Mode can jump between related topics (thanks to fan-out), the text must function as a coherent system, not a collection of disconnected parts.
\nKeywords and semantic variations should be distributed thoughtfully \u2014 not overused \u2014 since the AI can recognize and link them even when they aren\u2019t explicitly repeated.<\/p>\n

Finally, visibility metrics within AI Mode must be considered.
\nGoogle has already introduced dedicated filters in Search Console to view impressions and clicks generated by AI answers.
\nThis may become a crucial indicator: no longer just how many visits a site generates, but how often it is cited or how many impressions AI-generated answers containing its content produce.
\nEven if clicks decrease, being present within a generated answer can deliver reputational, branding, and awareness benefits.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Impacts on Marketing (Content, Paid, Social)<\/h2>\n

The revolution brought by AI Mode doesn\u2019t only affect SEO \u2014 it transforms the entire digital marketing ecosystem.<\/strong>
\nContent now becomes primarily a vehicle for knowledge rather than just traffic. Editorial strategies must focus on creating modular assets that can be decomposed and recomposed by AI.
\nSocial campaigns will need to leverage not only click attraction but also visibility within AI-driven dialogues \u2014 convincing the algorithm of their relevance.<\/p>\n

Regarding advertising,<\/strong> early signals suggest that Google plans to monetize AI Mode: AI-generated response spaces will allow contextual ad placements, with less competition for impressions but higher quality for the remaining clicks.<\/p>\n

The effect may be that traditional PPC campaigns lose traction (less visible space, lower diversification), while new forms of advertising embedded in generative responses emerge \u2014 linked to specific contexts and micro-intents.<\/p>\n

Another frontier is e-commerce:<\/strong> AI Mode is becoming increasingly visual, integrated with the Google Shopping Graph (over 50 billion products), and capable of delivering visual responses and product mosaics.<\/p>\n

If a user searches for \u201clight summer dress for women,\u201d the AI may present images, prices, comparisons, and even suggest direct purchase options without visiting the website.
\nIn this scenario, catalog optimization, image quality, accurate product feeds, and rich metadata become essential for visibility within the AI system.<\/p>\n

A potential risk arises if Google becomes a true walled garden in search: if users never leave Google, websites lose their central role, and owned channels such as newsletters, sign-ups, and brand experiences gain renewed importance.
\nBrands that build proprietary assets (communities, apps, exclusive content) will depend less on the algorithm and will be able to engage their audience even outside Google.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, the rise of agentic AI may turn Google into a full intermediary: users will make a request to the AI, which will decide which sources to activate, which tasks to perform, and which sites to contact.
\nMarketers will need to think about how to become part of that internal decision process \u2014 through APIs, integrations, and programmable signals, rather than content alone.<\/p>\n

Emerging Scenarios<\/h2>\n

While Google presents AI Mode as a service to help users, it\u2019s impossible to ignore that this model fundamentally changes the content ecosystem.
\nA key question arises: how free does the web remain when AI decides what to show, cite, or hide?
\nTransparency regarding selection criteria, response priorities, and manipulation of content fragments is still limited \u2014 and publishers are demanding that Google make these mechanisms public.<\/p>\n

The risk of concentration increases: those who already enjoy authority and visibility may be favored as sources cited in AI answers, amplifying their competitive advantage.
\nSmaller publishers risk being excluded from the synthesis chain, losing visibility even when producing valuable content.<\/p>\n

Finally, the pace of change is a challenge in itself: strategies that work today may be obsolete tomorrow.
\nAdopting an evolutionary mindset \u2014 continuous experimentation, adaptation, monitoring, and iteration \u2014 becomes essential.<\/p>\n

Strategic Actions for Clients and Brands<\/h2>\n

Faced with this new landscape, what can a digital agency do for its clients, or a brand seeking strong positioning?
\nThere\u2019s no magic formula \u2014 just consistent work and a few evolutionary guidelines:<\/p>\n