This week, Google revealed a major update to Search: a new section for AI officially titled “AI Mode.” At Rhoads Creative, we live by “tomorrow is too late”, so we’ve been utilizing and testing AI Mode since 2023. Now that it’s available publicly, we want to share some insights with you.

With AI Mode, rather than showing the standard page with 10 links, users will get a ChatGPT-like experience with immediate, AI-generated responses and the option to ask follow-up questions, obtain personalized recommendations, and more. This could (with emphasis on could, as elaborated below) result in a total search transformation. AI Mode is already live for many users and aims for widespread availability by the end of the year.

Typically, when Google introduces a new feature like this, the housing sector observes the changes months or years later—or possibly not at all—but this might not be the situation this time. In their demonstration, Google even provided a housing example involving a user looking for the ideal neighborhood to reside in.

Over the past 18 months of testing Google’s AI search (formerly known as the Search Generative Experience (SGE)), our findings indicate that strategies for effective SEO in traditional search remain crucial in AI Mode.

• Content that is organized, informative, and well-optimized continues to perform well in AI results.
• Factors such as authority, clarity, and brand presence are becoming increasingly significant.
• Generic content is often ignored
• Google Business Profiles hold greater significance

Whats Next

We anticipate that adoption will occur very slowly or not at all. Many users will stick to classic Google, and substantial improvements are needed in user behavior and the quality of results from AI Mode (which our tests show to be of average quality at best). We will continue to monitor this, and in about 30 days, we’ll hold a live webinar and strategy Q&A to address what has changed and how to approach it.

We’re keeping the group small to ensure we can dive deep and answer everyone’s questions. Register now to secure your spot.

https://rdgcreative.hubspotpagebuilder.com/aimode 

And if you’re looking for a team that thrives on every major update, beta tests before launch, and builds strategies around where search is going, not just where it’s been, contact Rhoads Creative and let’s talk about what’s next.