Big SEO News: Google confirmed the "plan is AI mode" and they will "keep migrating it to the main page". SEOs, you NEED to be preparing for this:

This week in an interview with Lex Friedman, Google's CEO Sundar Pichai made statements clear indicating Google's plan to fully roll out AI mode. @rustybrick covered the story on SER:

When asked if AI Mode will replace the 10 blue links, Pichai commented that their plan is to integrate AI Mode over time. He noted that AI Mode isn't currently as the "same level" as their current search experience. However "as features work" Google will keep migrating it over to the main page. Pichai said that users can view it as a "continuum".

Friedman also asked if the plans were for AI Mode to continue to take users to the Web in which Pichai answered that it would still be a "core design principle for us". So at least good news that there don't seem to be plans to completely cut of AI Mode from the web experience.

This means that SEOs need to be preparing for AI Mode right now. If you're not already, you should be running your core queries (as prompts) through the model to understand it's sources of influence. How present is your brand and what are the sources of influence Google uses to produce results?

I know SEOs are stuck in an "in between" state right now. The current version of the search results looks completely different and their are different sets of strategies between the two instances. However, we HAVE to read the writing on the wall and start preparing our sites and our clients for these new features.

If you want to prepare, @iPullRank has already written some great articles on how AI Mode works which I'll also share in the comments.

Many sites are too focused trying to chase the PHD level of SEO best practices when, in reality, they would get the most value from just getting their basics right. Internal links is a basic:

Prepare how exactly?

For Ecomm, I don’t see how AI mode is going to work. It’s all informational type results in AI mode - even when the term i searched is a transactional query. Are they just not going to show products for people to buy?

A lot of search engines are going to exist in the future. Trusting one would be a big problem because of this AI crap.

Oof I’ve been so demotivated to blog Traffic went from ~25K to 10K/month 💩 No shade to the changes tho, that’s life! It’s forced me to learn social media more, something I’ve been wanting to do (but avoiding for years) I’ll still blog for joy…and will incorporate new core strategies..but I think content diversification with more focus on video is the move for me