Sean Walsh
Sean is a Director at Intelligency heading up our digital marketing and client services operations. Sean has 15+ years experiencing working both in-house and agency with brands including Lloyds, Alstom, Hitachi, Lufthansa, Viaplay, DFDS Seaways and Mercedes-Benz.
Google’s new AI Mode is now live for all users in the U.S. – no special opt-in required. Originally available only through Search Labs (a kind of testing ground for experimental features), it’s now a standard part of Google Search. You’ll find it in a new AI Mode tab just under the search bar on Google.com and in the Google app.
What is AI Mode?
AI Mode is Google’s next step in enhancing how people search. Instead of giving you a list of links, it can break down your query, run multiple related searches in the background, and deliver an in-depth, fully cited response – more like a report than a typical search result. Google says these AI-powered searches are often two to five times longer than standard ones.
New features included in AI Mode
Google has added several powerful tools to AI Mode, some of which are still in beta under Search Labs:
- Deep Search: Offers long-form, research-style answers to complex queries. It automatically pulls together information from hundreds of sources and presents it with citations. Great for marketers researching trends, audiences, or new industries.
- Complex Analysis & Data Visualization: Rolling out soon, this feature uses real-time data to create dynamic charts and visual summaries—especially useful for financial or sports-related searches. You’ll need to opt into this via Search Labs.
- Agent Support (Agentic AI): Google is starting to introduce task-completing agents in AI Mode. For example, if you search for event tickets, it can compare prices and availability across multiple websites and even help pre-fill booking forms—without completing any transactions unless you choose to.
- Shopping Enhancements: AI Mode will soon help with product discovery and checkout by suggesting options based on live availability and pricing.
- Personalised Context: Later this summer, AI Mode will be able to draw from your personal Google services (like Gmail) to tailor results. If you search for “restaurants in Halifax this weekend,” for example, it could suggest places near your hotel or taxi arrival, assuming it can access your relevant bookings. You’ll be able to turn this feature on or off.
- Gemini 2.5: AI Mode is now powered by a custom version of Google’s Gemini 2.5 model, the same technology behind its AI Overviews. This upgrade improves the accuracy, speed, and depth of AI responses.
Why this matters for digital marketers
This is a major shift in how search works. While traditional organic results still matter, AI Mode adds a new layer where Google can summarise content and direct users more efficiently.
Marketers will need to consider:
- Visibility: How do your brand and content appear in AI responses?
- Click-through potential: Will users still click through to your site from these summaries?
- Conversion tracking: Google claims that users who do click through from AI Mode are more engaged and likely to convert. You’ll want to verify that with your own data.
AI Mode might also offer a better experience than the much-criticised AI Overviews, since it’s housed in a separate tab rather than embedded in traditional search results. That gives users more control and clarity.
What’s next?
With AI Mode now live across the U.S., expect more changes to follow. For marketers, it’s a good time to start testing how your content is being handled in AI Mode and see whether it drives traffic and conversions.
