From Links to Conversations – What the New "AI Mode" Really Means for Marketers

Veronika Höller
vor 15 Minuten
4 Min. Lesezeit

AI Mode AI Overviews?

The traditional Google Search as we knew it is over. What we are witnessing now is nothing short of the biggest paradigm shift since the search engine was launched: away from blue links, towards context-based, multimodal conversations with AI. "AI Overviews" were just the beginning. The new "AI Mode" takes it much further. For SEOs, content marketers, and paid advertising specialists, a new era has begun.

In this deep dive, you'll learn:

What exactly "AI Mode" is and how it differs from AI Overviews
Why Google is heading in this direction – and what it has to do with ChatGPT
What it means for SEO, content, and Google Ads in practice
Why social e-commerce is accelerating the shift
And how to strategically and operationally prepare for it now

From Answers to Interaction: The Three Evolutionary Stages of Google Search

Traditional Search: The user enters a query, Google returns ten blue links. The user clicks, researches, and compiles information. High effort, full user control.
AI Overviews: Google summarises key information directly on the SERP. Users often get a usable answer – without clicking. Result: a sharp decline in click-through rates for many informational keywords.
AI Mode (from 2025): Search becomes a conversation. Google offers an interactive, context-aware AI assistant that leads discussions, understands follow-up questions, and completes tasks. Instead of links, users receive decisions, suggestions, summaries, and actions. Welcome to the post-search world.

What Makes "AI Mode" Different?

Contextual dialogue model: The AI remembers what you asked earlier. You can refine, narrow down, or follow up. Search becomes an ongoing conversation with a smart assistant.
Multimodality: Text, images, and voice are seamlessly combined. You can photograph a product, ask a question, and get a tailored response.
Planning & execution: From booking trips to comparing products or generating lists – the AI Mode doesn’t just deliver information, it helps get things done.
New UI (detached from classic SERPs): Initial tests show users stay within a Gemini-like flow instead of returning to websites. This marks a dramatic shift in user guidance.

Why Is Google Doing This?

Pressure from ChatGPT and others: Millions now use LLMs like ChatGPT for search-type use cases. Google must respond to stay relevant and protect ad revenue.
Changing user expectations: In 2025, clicking through ten links is no longer the norm. People expect fast, actionable answers.
Commercial opportunities: Integrating shopping, bookings and advertising into conversations creates new formats and revenue streams.
Strategic vision: Google no longer wants to just answer questions – it wants to help complete tasks. AI Mode is the gateway to proactive AI assistance.
The push from social e-commerce: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest are reshaping buying behaviour. Increasingly, users begin product research on social platforms – and purchase there too. This trend threatens Google's role at the start of the buying journey. With AI Mode, Google is fighting to reclaim this space: via conversational product recommendations, multimodal input (e.g. product photo + voice), and AI-guided purchase advice – mimicking the functionality of social platforms. In short: social commerce is forcing Google to rethink inspiration, research, and conversion – within the AI search experience.

What Marketers Need to Know Now

1. SEO: Rethinking Visibility in the Zero-Click Era

From rankings to reference status: AI cites trusted sources. Only brands with expertise, structure, freshness, and credibility will be mentioned.
E-E-A-T as the new baseline: Without Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust, content won't be included in AI outputs.
Structure for machines: Schema markup, tables, FAQ blocks, lists – formerly "nice to have", now essential.
Long-tail and conversational paths: Short keywords matter less. Search journeys, follow-ups, and contextual depth gain importance.
Analytics gets fuzzy: If users stay in the AI flow, there’s no click to track. New KPIs are needed (e.g. "Mentioned in AI Overview").

2. Content Marketing: From Content to Context

Content must be AI-ready: No fluff, no filler. AI needs clarity, structure, and reliable facts.
Original data as the gold standard: Proprietary studies, unique insights, and market-specific analysis become critical.
Content for the funnel dialogue: From awareness to decision – what will a user ask in an AI conversation at each stage?

3. Google Ads & Shopping: A New Playing Field

Advertising in AI Mode: Ads must integrate into conversations. Expect more subtle, visual, and task-based formats.
Shopping becomes guided: Product discovery turns into AI-assisted purchase journeys. Rich, structured product data is a must.
New formats incoming: Interactive ads, recommendation modules, sponsored comparison answers. Traditional SEA falls short.
Performance Max rises: AI-driven campaign types will dominate. Without strategic control, visibility will be lost.

And Where Is It Heading Long-Term?

Personalisation first: Everyone sees a personalised Google experience – shaped by preferences, behaviour, and context. Content becomes fragmented.
AI as agent, not tool: The AI will complete tasks – from booking appointments to solving problems.
Blurring lines between search & services: Google becomes the central hub: Search, Maps, Gmail, Calendar, Docs – all fused within an AI layer.

Welcome to the Post-Search Era

AI Mode isn’t just a new feature. It breaks with past search and user behaviour. For marketers, this means:

If you’re still relying on keywords alone, you’ll be invisible.
If your brand isn’t built, it won’t be mentioned.
If your content lacks structure, it won’t be understood.

The next 12 months will determine who adapts to the AI-first search era. It will be complex – but full of opportunities. Those who think boldly, test strategically, and execute pragmatically will claim tomorrow’s top positions in digital marketing.

Let’s go.