One of the biggest shakeups we’ve seen in the world of search to date is when Google first launched its Search Generative Experience (SGE) in 2023, which was later rebranded to AI Overviews. Since then, Google has continually rolled out more AI features to users and advertisers across the board. For example, Google recently changed its Google Ads Terms of Service to cover how advertisers’ inputs are used to improve campaign performance through automation and AI. Google will use automation and AI to create, target, format, and select ads. However, this is tricky because the updated Terms of Service also state that advertisers remain responsible for approving these AI-driven campaigns and the resulting assets.
For users, Google’s AI responses can make life easier. Comparing different running shoes for a specific terrain or researching affordable hotels has never been easier with AI summarisation. In fact, Google’s AI Mode recently surpassed one billion monthly active users. However, there’s another trend unfolding at the same time. Users are increasingly choosing AI-free search tools for more important topics, and some are even switching entirely to different search engines like DuckDuckGo, which offers a No AI Search feature. We’re helping many of our clients navigate the AI search and GEO landscape, and this consumer pushback is important to understand the future of search.
Google’s Latest AI Features and the Story They Tell
Before we unpack why people are hesitant to trust AI and are opting for AI-free platforms, let’s discuss some of the latest features Google is rolling out for AI Search.
Changes to the Search Box
An update worth noting is Google’s biggest overhaul of the search box in 25 years. It’s designed to make searches easier for users by providing more room to enter longer, more descriptive queries. It also uses AI to anticipate intent, and it makes suggestions more prominently than autocomplete ever has. Users can now search using text queries, images, files, videos, or even Chrome tabs. And, once an answer is generated, users can ask follow-up questions and begin a conversation with AI Mode. Google knows that the way people search is changing, and it’s responding with features like these.
Search Agents are Live
Search Agents are also a new feature that we believe is another step by Google towards a more proactive search experience. These AI-powered agents monitor the web on a user’s behalf and surface relevant information. They can be given a specific task or set of requirements and will continuously monitor sources such as websites, news publications, blogs, social platforms, and Google’s real-time data. When something relevant appears, the agent provides a summarised update and can help users take the next step. For our clients, this means competing to be visible within the sources AI systems monitor and reference over time for ongoing information retrieval, competitor monitoring and being compatible with future agent capabilities like orders or bookings.
Personal Intelligence in AI Mode
Finally, Google is expanding Personal Intelligence in AI Mode to 200 countries and in 98 languages, with no subscription requirements. Users can securely connect apps like Google Photos and Gmail, with Google Calendar capabilities coming soon. This feature is designed to ensure that AI Mode understands a user’s personal context when generating answers, another step toward providing people with more personalised search experiences through AI. Think back to when Google Search utilised data from Google+, but powered with more sources and AI.
What does all of this mean? In our opinion, Google is steadily transforming search into a personalised experience that anticipates needs and maintains context. The focus is on helping users make decisions faster. This is evidence that visibility is becoming more about being a trusted, authoritative source that AI systems choose to reference. While SEO fundamentals will always be important, we also need to consider how our clients can establish credibility and topical ownership across the web to achieve visibility in an AI-driven search environment.
Unpacking the AI-Free Dilemma
Earlier this month, DuckDuckGo announced on LinkedIn that visits to its No AI Search have tripled since Google’s latest AI Search features launched. This is a clear indication that users are actively seeking out alternatives to AI-driven experiences. While Google is making every effort to embed AI into its products, it may also be deterring people from using its platform. There are a couple of reasons why we believe this is happening:
- People don’t always want an AI-generated answer – There are many situations where users want to review sources and compare viewpoints themselves. For Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) topics involving finances, health, legal matters, or major purchasing decisions, some users simply trust the original content more than an AI summary.
- Trust is a challenge – Users are becoming more aware that AI-generated answers can contain outdated or incorrect information. So, when accuracy matters, users are verifying information through traditional search results.
- Search is becoming personalised – Features such as Personal Intelligence are designed to create more relevant responses. But users are cautious about how much personal information is used to generate answers and recommendations.
- Some users simply prefer a traditional search experience – Search habits have been built over decades. Many users still prefer to compare websites and decide which source they trust most.
The Opportunity This Creates for Brands
Some users are embracing AI-generated answers, while others are looking for more traditional search experiences. Even considering DuckDuckGo as a platform, these aren’t older users “stuck in their ways” – this illustrates consumer pushback that’s worth monitoring. And DuckDuckGo won’t be the only place these users are turning to.
For brands, this means visibility can’t only depend on a single channel or optimisation tactic. Businesses need to have a presence that works across traditional search results and AI-powered experiences, as users move between them depending on the task at hand.
This presents an opportunity for brands to invest in building authority and clear expertise. Whether a user clicks through from a traditional search result or reads an AI Overview citation, the same underlying signals count. Credibility, relevance and trust. The brands that perform best now will be the ones building a strong digital presence that surfaces wherever and however people choose to search.
The Final Word
The conversation around AI search is often framed as an either-or debate. What we’re seeing in reality is more nuanced. AI-powered experiences are growing rapidly, but so is the demand for greater control and original sources. For businesses, the takeaway isn’t to abandon traditional SEO in favour of AI optimisation or ignore the growing influence of AI search. You need to build visibility in both environments.
If you want to ensure your visibility keeps up with where search is heading, we’d love to have a conversation. Feel free to connect with us.