Google AI Overviews and AI Mode: what they mean for your business
Google's results page has changed more in the last two years than in the previous twenty. AI Overviews and AI Mode now answer many questions directly. Here's what that means for your traffic, and how to make sure your business is part of the answer.
Search for almost anything on Google today and there's a good chance the first thing you see isn't a list of links. It's an AI-written summary. Ask a more complex question and Google may offer to continue the conversation in AI Mode. For businesses that rely on being found online, this is the biggest change to search in a generation.
What are Google AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are the AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of some Google results. They pull together information from several web pages to answer the question directly, with links to the sources they used. Google rolled them out widely in the US in 2024 and has since expanded them to more than 200 countries and territories.
They tend to appear for informational and "how" or "what" questions, comparisons and research-style searches, rather than simple brand or navigation searches.
What is Google AI Mode?
AI Mode is a separate, conversational search experience inside Google. Instead of a summary above the links, the whole page becomes an AI answer you can keep questioning, with links to sources along the way. It launched in the US in 2025 and expanded to around 180 countries in English, including New Zealand and the UK, and now supports voice and camera questions too.
Interest is growing fast. Searches for "google ai mode" have grown faster than almost any other search term over the past year.
AI Overviews vs AI Mode at a glance
| AI Overviews | AI Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it appears | Top of normal Google results | A separate AI search tab or experience |
| Format | A short summary with source links | A detailed, conversational answer with follow-up questions |
| Best for | Quick answers to common questions | Complex, multi-part research and comparisons |
| What it means for you | Be the clearest answer to common questions | Cover the detailed sub-questions buyers ask |
How Google chooses which sources to cite
Google hasn't published a full formula, but it has explained parts of the process, and the patterns are consistent with what works in SEO and GEO:
- Query fan-out. Google says AI Mode breaks a question into several smaller searches, runs them at the same time and combines the results. Your page can be cited for one part of a question even if it doesn't rank for the whole thing.
- Helpful, reliable content. Pages that clearly and accurately answer the question, written by people with real experience, are more likely to be used.
- Pages Google already trusts. AI features draw on Google's index, so strong SEO foundations still matter.
- Clear structure. Headings, direct answers, lists and tables make it easy to lift the right information.
What it means for your traffic and leads
When an AI answer satisfies the question, fewer people click through to websites, especially for simple informational searches. Several industry studies have reported lower click-through rates on results where an AI Overview appears. At the same time, visitors who do click from an AI answer have often already done their research, so they can be closer to making a decision.
The practical takeaway: being cited inside the answer is becoming as important as ranking below it. Brand visibility in AI answers builds familiarity even when there's no click, so it's worth tracking alongside traffic.
How to get your business cited in AI Overviews and AI Mode
- Answer real buyer questions directly. Use the question as a heading and answer it in the first sentence or two, then add detail.
- Cover the follow-up questions. Because of query fan-out, pages that cover costs, timelines, comparisons and "how to choose" questions have more chances to be cited.
- Show who's behind the content. Author names, credentials, real photos and reviews all build the trust Google looks for. See our guide to E-E-A-T.
- Add structured data. Organization, Service, FAQ, Article and Person schema help Google understand who you are and what you offer.
- Keep your Google Business Profile complete. For local searches, AI answers often draw on business profiles and reviews.
- Check your technical basics. Fast pages, mobile-friendly design, a clean sitemap in Google Search Console, and no accidental blocks on crawlers.
- Earn mentions on trusted sites. Industry publications, local media and association directories strengthen your authority.
How to track your visibility
- Search your key questions regularly in Google with AI Overviews and in AI Mode, and note whether you're cited.
- Watch Google Search Console. Impressions rising while clicks stay flat can be a sign AI answers are satisfying more searches.
- Track leads, not just traffic. Ask new enquiries how they found you, and include "Google's AI answer" or "ChatGPT" as options.
- Run an AI visibility audit to test your buyers' questions across Google's AI features, ChatGPT and Perplexity at once.
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Frequently asked questions
Do AI Overviews appear in New Zealand, the UK and Australia?
Google has expanded AI Overviews to more than 200 countries and territories, and AI Mode is available in English in around 180 countries, including New Zealand and the UK. Availability of specific features can vary by country and device, so check results from your own location.
Can I stop Google using my content in AI Overviews?
Site owners can limit how their content appears in search snippets using controls such as the nosnippet tag, but that can also reduce your visibility in normal results. For most businesses, it's better to aim to be cited than to opt out.
Do I need different SEO for AI Overviews and AI Mode?
The foundations are the same: helpful, trustworthy, well-structured content on a technically sound site. AI Mode rewards covering the detailed follow-up questions buyers ask, so depth and clear answers matter even more.
Will AI Overviews reduce my website traffic?
They can reduce clicks for simple informational searches, because the answer appears on the results page. But being cited builds brand visibility, and visitors who do click are often closer to deciding. Tracking leads and AI visibility gives a fuller picture than traffic alone.
Karl Morfett
Karl is the founder and digital director of Terra Nova Digital in Auckland. He has worked as a digital designer and strategist for over 15 years, with brands such as Nando's, Webjet and Rebel Sport and with businesses across New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the USA.
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