Has Google's NEW AI Search Changed SEO AGAIN?

Hey Folks,

While everyone's still figuring out Google's AI Overviews, they've quietly launched something that could completely reshape how brands get discovered — and forward-thinking businesses have a limited window to capitalise on it.

Google has unveiled AI Mode, their most aggressive move yet into AI-powered search.

Here's why this matters more than you might think:

• It's Google's direct response to losing traffic to platforms like ChatGPT
• The sources it references mirror exactly what we've seen in other AI search tools

In other words, if Google is investing this heavily in AI search, it confirms what we've been saying: the way customers find and choose products is fundamentally changing.

The Critical Question Marketing Teams Are Asking

As this new search paradigm unfolds, marketing leaders everywhere need to solve the same challenge:

"How do I ensure my brand gets recommended in Google AI Mode and other AI search tools?"

After securing recommendations for multiple clients (including Zugu Case being recommended as the top iPad case by both Perplexity AND now Google's AI Mode), we've identified the exact strategies that deliver consistent results.

The Two-Pronged Approach That Works

Success in this new environment requires:

1. Excellence in Traditional SEO

Google AI Mode uses what they call "query fan-out"; breaking your original search into multiple background queries.

This means your website still needs to rank for these underlying searches. While Google AI Mode has access to Google's Knowledge Graph and Shopping Graph data, early testing shows it's primarily referencing high-ranking articles instead.

Your traditional SEO foundation remains crucial, but it's just the starting point.

2. Strategic Third-Party Placements

The most striking pattern we've observed is that Google AI Mode, like Perplexity, overwhelmingly references high-authority third-party websites when making recommendations.

When users ask about products, Google AI Mode doesn't link directly to manufacturer sites. Instead, it cites publications like ZDNet, Wired, and other trusted third-party sources.

This means your visibility strategy must expand beyond your own website to include:

? Features in high-authority industry publications

? Mentions in comprehensive list articles

? Presence in multiple types of sources (Google's AI likes to corroborate information)

This distributed approach creates consistent signals that influence AI recommendations across platforms.

This Is Not Just Another Algorithm Update

While AI Mode is currently limited to US users of Google's paid AI plan, its introduction confirms that Google sees a genuine threat from AI search tools.

They wouldn't be testing yet another AI search interface if they weren't already experiencing significant traffic loss to competitors like Perplexity; this is Google acknowledging that the future of search IS changing.

In my upcoming posts, I will break down Google AI Mode in detail, including:

? How it works compared to traditional search and other AI tools

? The types of sources it references for different query types

? Real examples from our testing, including commercial searches

? A complete strategy for optimizing your visibility in this new search paradigm.

Till then keep connecting. Keep Growing! :)