Google AI Mode Has Serious Website Implications
Google has introduced a new experiment called AI Mode, which is currently available to Google One AI Premium subscribers and those who have opted into AI Labs. This mode expands on the capabilities of AI Overviews, offering more advanced reasoning, thinking, and multimodal capabilities.
- Impact on Websites: The introduction of AI Mode is expected to have a significant impact on websites, particularly those that have not followed structured data best practices. Websites need to demonstrate expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness (EEAT) to remain relevant.
- Schema Markup: One of the most important aspects for websites to stay relevant in the era of AI-powered search is to have good schema markup and structured data embedded in their code. This helps search engines understand and index the content more effectively.
- Recommendations: Website owners should check for schema markup, perform content audits, and begin classifying published content for better visibility.
- Conclusion: The way people search for information is evolving, and content producers need to adapt their publishing strategies to stay relevant. Implementing technical SEO best practices and focusing on original, detailed research are crucial steps.
Google is still the dominant player in information retrieval on the internet. But the term “Google it” is going to change with people asking for information on large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Deepseek, and Google’s own Gemini. Facing this pressure and seeing that its search market share has dropped below 90% for the first time since 2015 (Search Engine Land, 2025), Google has introduced a new experiment called AI Mode. This is the second experiment that Google has shown users on the Google search engine. The first was AI Overviews, where instead of the traditional search engine results page, users were shown an AI-generated summary of the results with a few links on the side. AI Mode, introduced on March 5, 2025, is rolling out to Google One AI Premium subscribers first and then for people who have opted into AI Labs. If this experiment is successful, you may see a new way to use Google search and a very drastic effect on websites that are not authoritative and trustworthy and do not show experience and expertise.
When you are off the waiting list for access to the Google AI Mode, you will be able to see a tab called “AI Mode” on the left of the navigation bar on Google.com.
According to Google, “This new search mode expands what AI Overviews can do with more advanced reasoning, thinking, and multimodal capabilities so you can get help with even your toughest questions. You can ask anything on your mind and get a helpful AI-powered response with the ability to go further with follow-up questions and helpful web links” (Google Keyword Blog, 2025).
I had the opportunity to gain early access to Google's AI Mode and conducted several searches. In this instance, I posed the question, “Who should be paying attention to softwarereviews.com?” The results can be seen in the image below:
The main results area is a summary, and the cited sources are on the right-hand side.
Next, I asked a question that in my mind is more complicated and usually a very tedious process – that of comparing several websites, clicking through a lot of links in the search results and sometimes ads, going to websites, and compiling all the information to get a reasonable answer.
My request was, “I need to find the best month to buy tickets from Washington, D.C., to Hyderabad, India, with a total travel time of less than 26 hours.”
I found the answer without needing to visit the ten listed sources. It confirmed that September is certain, with March and possibly April as well. Airline fares fluctuate a lot, so I don’t consider this an error and am satisfied with the result.
Image source: Screenshot by Shashi Bellamkonda
Recommendations
The key point to note is that the information is presented directly on the Google page, which may result in reduced traffic to your website. Links on the right side may differ from those you see in a standard Google search.
In a standard Google search, results appear as a list of links, often referred to as search engine results pages (SERPs). Each link includes a brief snippet or description of the content and may include additional elements such as ratings, images, or site links. Users typically click through these links to visit the actual web pages for more detailed information.
This indicates that the websites appearing in this search are likely employing different strategies than others and are successfully demonstrating expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness. Google has identified these principles as the criteria for rating websites higher.
I recently completed a research piece called Stay Relevant in the Era of AI-Powered Search, where I listed several key principles for maintaining your online presence within AI platforms. One of the most important things is to make sure that your website has an exceptionally good schema and structured data embedded in the website’s code. A good place to view your schema is with the Schema.org validator.
Schema catalogs your website content by defining its subject. Developed collaboratively by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex, Schema.org markup allows organizations to embed structured data into web pages, making it easy for search engines to understand and index the content correctly. Using schema markup enhances content visibility and increases the chances of the site appearing in relevant search results.
SEO experts have recommended schema markup for websites for a decade. Websites lacking detailed schema may be impacted as AI-powered search becomes more prevalent. LLMs use schema markup to better understand and present content, leading to more accurate information retrieval.
Example of a Schema for a Software App
To understand what a schema embedded in a website looks like, consider the example provided by Google Developers. A schema, or structured data, is a way of organizing and labeling the content on a web page so that search engines can better understand and index it. This example shows how schema markup is implemented within the HTML code of a web page:
Image source: Developers.google.com
Other ways to provide context
RDFa, or Resource Description Framework in Attributes, is a W3C recommendation that adds attribute-level extensions to HTML, XHTML, and XML documents. This lets webmasters embed rich metadata, making content easier for search engines and applications to process, ultimately improving the visibility and relevance of your web pages in search results. Using this RDFa tool, you can review your website’s schema in a very visual way, ensuring that the structured data is correctly implemented.
Key actions for you to take
- Check for schema markup on your website using these tools:
- Perform a content audit to determine if your content aligns with your ideal customer profile and includes original, detailed research.
- Begin classifying the content you publish for better visibility. For example, mark up content that can be a FAQ answer that appears in the Google results sections, like “People also ask…”
When doing so, content creators should do the following:
- Ensure that the structured data is correctly implemented and error-free.
- Verify that all important data fields, such as product descriptions, reviews, event dates, and more, are included.
- Confirm that the schema markup adheres to the latest standards and guidelines from Schema.org.
- Look for opportunities to add additional schema types that may enhance content visibility, such as FAQs, how-tos, and breadcrumbs.
- Regularly update the schema markup to reflect any changes or new content on the website.
Here are more examples of schema types that are commonly used for website content:
- Article: Article schema from Schema.org is used to mark up articles – such as blog posts, news stories, or other written content – on a webpage in a way that helps search engines and other systems better understand and process the information.
- LocalBusiness: Includes details for local businesses such as addresses, hours of operation, and services.
- Review: Used for customer reviews and ratings of products, services, and content.
- Product: This schema includes information about a product such as its price, availability, and reviews.
- Recipe: Suitable for food-related websites, it encompasses ingredients, detailed cooking instructions, and nutritional information.
- Event: Intended for occasions such as concerts, webinars, and local events. It includes specifics regarding the date, location, and ticket availability.
- Organization: Presents details about an organization including its name, logo, and contact information.
- Person: Showcases individual profiles including details like name, job title, and contact information.
By using these schema types, you can enhance the visibility and accessibility of your content, making it easier for search engines to understand and display your information accurately.
Take a look at this press release example, marked up using Schema.org. What sets it apart is its use of clear, precise definitions that AI can easily interpret. Key points are emphasized, and images are accompanied by descriptive details, making all critical information both accessible and straightforward to understand. The Schema.org markup code should be added to the HTML of your webpage, typically within the or section, depending on the content being structured. To simplify the process, tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or plugins such as Yoast SEO (for WordPress users) can assist in creating and implementing schema markup on your website.
Source: Image Screenshot from Grok results
Conclusion
The way people search for information about your business is evolving. OpenAI saw 400 million weekly active users in February 2025 (CNBC, 2025), and this number is likely growing across all artificial intelligence platforms.
Whether Google’s AI Mode survives past the experiment stage or takes another form, this is a wake-up call for all content producers to make changes to their publishing strategy.
We expect that the increase in AI platforms will cause a dramatic shift in the type of traffic that actually makes it to your website. Instead we expect its use will focus on the discovery and evaluation stages of visitors’ buyer journey. That’s not to say you shouldn’t focus on producing informational content, but rather construct it in a way that supports the new reality as more users adopt methods like Google AI Mode to find information.
If you have not been implementing technical SEO best practices, the best time to start was last year, and the second-best time to start is today.
If your strategy has been to churn out content that echoes what everyone else in the market is doing, it’s time to hit pause and rethink. The rise of AI-powered search is reshaping the landscape, calling for a smarter, more introspective approach. Shift your focus to what genuinely matters to your customers and prospects. By investing in original in-depth research, pairing it with technical SEO best practices, and providing structured data, you’ll create content that not only stands out but also stays ahead in this new age of information discovery.
Bibliography:
- Goodwin, Danny. “Google’s search market share drops below 90% for first time since 2015.” Search Engine Land, 13 Jan. 2025.
- “Linked Data in HTML.” RDFa. N.d.
- “Organization Structured Data.” Google Search Central. N.d.
- Stein, Robby. “Expanding AI Overviews and introducing AI Mode.” Google Blog. 5 Mar. 2025.
- Sentance, Rebecca. “The complete beginner's guide to Schema.org markup.” Search Engine Watch. 19 Jul. 2016.
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