Google AI Mode – A Game Changer in the World of AI Dominance

Google recently announced the official release of Google AI Mode at Google I/O 2025 on May 20, 2025. Previously, AI mode was on experimental phase on Google Search Labs from March 2025. For many users, AI mode is now appearing by default at the top of the search results.

In the ever-evolving landscape of search, Google has always stood at the forefront of innovation. From the introduction of featured snippets to passage indexing, the goal has consistently been to make search faster, more contextual, and more helpful. But with the official release of Google AI Mode at Google I/O 2025, we’re witnessing a far more transformational shift – one that blends traditional search with generative AI, fundamentally altering how users interact with information and how brands compete for visibility.

Source: @Google on X (formerly Twitter), May 15, 2025.%5Etfw”, March 5, 2025

In this article, we will walk through on what Google AI Mode is, analyzing AI Mode experience, what it means for traditional SERP, and most importantly – how brands can leverage GrowByData to gain visibility in AI Mode.

Google AI Mode is the evolution of Google’s earlier “AI Overviews” and we can see significant upgrade from earlier “AI Overviews”. After the official announcement Google added different tab in SERPs titled “AI Mode” besides “ALL” which inhabits all the SERP features.

 

This new tab in the Google SERP introduces a toggle-enabled experience where searchers can switch between:

• A traditional Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
• A Gemini-powered AI-generated response

With AI Mode, the search page is basically the conversational response box. Rather than presenting users with a list of links, it synthesizes information from across the web into a few well-written paragraphs, often with citations, visuals, or even interactive elements. The result is displayed in a way that it has short and concise answers, with list-based information and citations of links on the right side of the display.

Now that Google AI Mode is rolling out broadly, we can begin to observe clear patterns in how the AI responds across different types of queries. The experience isn’t uniform – it adapts based on search intent, context, and available data.

The official rollout of Google AI Mode marks a profound reorganization of the existing search results page (SERP). It’s more than just a new feature; it’s a fundamental shift.

• Top Real Estate: Within AI Mode, its conversational response box takes center stage at the very top of the page.
• Instant Answers: It directly answers the user’s question, often removing the need to click on external websites.
• Replacement of Traditional SERP Features: Within this “AI Mode” tab, traditional organic links, featured snippets, “People Also Ask” (PAA), local packs, image/video carousels, and other standard SERP features are not visible. Instead, the AI provides the answer directly.
• Shift from Clicks to Citations: While the AI’s response often includes citations to its sources, the primary interaction within the AI Mode tab is with the AI’s generated content, shifting visibility from direct clicks on traditional links to potential acknowledgment via citations within the AI’s summary.

• Answers Within Google: AI Mode’s main goal is to provide complete answers right within Google’s interface.
• Less Direct Clicks: This can impact direct click-through rates to original sources, as users might get their answer without leaving the AI Mode page.

• Highly Variable: AI Mode doesn’t always show up, and its responses vary widely.
• Personalized Experience: Its behavior is influenced by:
  • Keyword Type: More common for complex information, less for simple transactions.
  • Search History: Tailored based on your past searches.
  • Device Type: Display and layout can differ between phone and desktop.
  • Geography: Content and availability might change based on your location.
• Adaptive Answers: Gemini’s advanced reasoning allows the AI to adapt its output based on subtle details in your query and real-time data, offering a highly personalized and evolving search experience.

AI Mode seamlessly integrates and synthesizes information from a wider array of sources than ever before:

• Traditional Websites: Still a foundation, especially for authoritative information.
• Community Forums: Insights from Reddit, Quora, and other discussion boards are now regularly incorporated.
• Product Pages & Marketplaces: E-commerce data feeds directly into comparisons and recommendations.
• Publisher Articles: News and in-depth analysis are summarized and cited.

Since its official release at Google I/O 2025, Google AI Mode has not only changed the structure of search results, it’s also begun to reshape how frequently it appears across industries.

Using data from GrowByData’s SERP tracking solution, we analyzed the AI Mode’s presence across key verticals between June 11 and June 23, 2025.

Here are some of the insights drawn from GrowByData:

• In Automotive, Healthcare, and Travel industries, AI Mode has around 17-18% SERP presence in Google.
• Finance and Technology followed closely, showing AI Mode in over 15% of results consistently.
• Retail and Service sectors, while lower in presence, saw a steady week-over-week climb indicating growing integration even in highly commercial spaces.
• Notably, from June 11 to June 13, all industries experienced a rapid spike in AI Mode presence, reflecting Google’s post-launch scaling efforts.

These trends are more than cosmetic. Industries with higher AI Mode visibility are likely to see a shift in click-through behavior, with AI Overviews competing directly against traditional organic results, product listings, and even ads.

For SEO and paid teams, this marks a pivotal moment: it’s not just about ranking anymore, it’s about being featured, cited, and structured for AI inclusion.

GrowByData’s LLM intelligence tool helps brands track AI Mode presence across industries, monitor citation-level visibility, and uncover what content attributes make certain pages eligible for Gemini-powered responses. As AI becomes the new front page of Google, understanding where your industry stands is critical for staying competitive.

→ Want to see how your brand ranks in Google AI Mode? Claim your visibility audit.

Google is even testing AI Mode even in the traditional SERP results as broader AI Mode rollout. We are seeing AI Mode under “Explore further in AI Mode”.

This feature surfaces beneath the initial result set and offers clickable follow-up questions that feel more aligned with “People Also Search For” rather than “People Also Ask.” But unlike those features, these suggestions don’t expand but they regenerate entirely new AI responses when clicked, acting as seamless continuations of the original search.

Here are some examples.

Each suggestion behaves like a continuation of the conversation. When clicked, it triggers a new AI-generated response within the same session—without requiring a new search. Unlike “People Also Ask,” these follow-up queries are not dropdowns but direct, tappable prompts that open up full, fresh responses in AI Mode.

We can assume that this rollout main purpose is to encourages users to keep engaging with AI mode.

This raises the question to traditional marketers.

“Google is highly trying to reduce the likelihood of returning to traditional organic SERPs”

From a brand visibility standpoint, this means:

• The journey no longer ends after the first query.
• Marketers and Brands must be prepared to appear across multiple topics and needs to start building authority (E.E.A.T)
• Follow-up queries and suggestions as these can be crucial to AI keyword research and AI SEO

GrowByData has built one of the industry’s first LLM + SERP Intelligence Systems, specifically to help brands navigate these emerging AI-powered search realities.

Here’s what sets us apart:

We monitor the appearance of AI Mode across your keyword universe, intraday, daily, or weekly. This helps you understand:

• Which queries trigger AI Mode
• Which pages are being cited or removed
• Where you’re gaining or losing visibility

GrowByData tracks when and how your brand is cited in AI responses, including:

• Placement (inline vs. expandable)
• Source domain types (e.g., retailer, publisher, forum)
• Frequency and volatility over time

We segment data by:

• Zip Code
• City
• Region
• Country

This lets clients identify location-specific AI Mode behavior which are critical for local SEO and service area businesses.

Beside Google AI Mode we also track how your brand citations and mentions in:

• OpenAI’s ChatGPT (especially ChatGPT Browse)
• Perplexity.ai
• Gemini

This gives you a multi-model view of generative brand representation.

Beyond tracking, we synthesize the data into:

• Share of Voice reports
• Brand Citation Analysis
• Keyword opportunity recommendations

Competitive benchmarking: These help clients move from reactive to strategic shaping content, SEO, and ad strategy around where Google is headed.

Brands can leverage GrowByData’s AI Mode and LLM Intelligence data in several strategic ways to gain a competitive edge in the evolving SERP landscape:

• Identify keywords triggering AI Mode and where your brand ranks
• Track your Brand’s AI Mode visibility trend to analyze and prioritize optimization.
• Analyze page types and formats of the content being cited
• Leverage local & regional AI data to change your marketing strategies.
• Identify gaps across different AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and even AI Overviews within Google SERPs.
• Benchmark your AI citation share against competitors.
• Align paid and organic strategy to where AI dominates the SERP

As generative AI redefines how users discover brands, traditional SEO alone is no longer enough. Winning in the AI Mode and other LLM platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other) means understanding where your brand is cited, how it’s surfaced, and how competitors are evolving alongside you. With GrowByData’s LLM Intelligence platform, you gain the intelligence and insights needed in this new search landscape.