TLDR: Google just launched AI Mode in the UK, making it only the third country to get the feature, and without any Search Labs pre-rollout. Unlike AI Overviews, this is a more immersive, chat-like search experience that sits within Google itself. It’s fast, generative, and poised to reshape search behaviour. For SEO, the game is shifting from just ranking content to being cited by AI.
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Google’s surprise UK drop: What just happened?
AI Mode rolled out in the UK on July 28th, 2025, and Google didn’t exactly make a song and dance about it.
Unlike in the US and India, where users had to opt into Search Labs and test the beta before anything became mainstream, the UK skipped that step entirely. It was almost like someone at Google just flipped a switch. No warning, no waitlist, no experimental rollout. Suddenly, AI Mode was live, not just for beta testers, but for everyone.
That’s huge.
We’ve already seen AI Overviews, which dropped in May 2024, and layered AI-generated snippets over search results. But AI Mode takes things several steps further. It’s a whole new way to use Google, and it’s far more conversational.
What is AI Mode
Imagine ChatGPT but baked right into Google.
AI Mode sits in its own tab, just to the left of the usual “All” results you’re used to. It’s easy to miss, but once you click it, you’ll notice a shift. This isn’t your standard search results page anymore, it’s a chat interface, powered by a large language model, that lets you ask a question, get a full answer, and then follow up with whatever’s on your mind.
Need more detail? Just ask. Want to explore a different angle? Go for it. Want to clear the thread and start fresh? One click, and you’re back at square one. It’s like talking directly to Google, rather than searching on it.
Where AI Overviews are more like quick snapshots stitched into traditional results, AI Mode feels more like a full-on assistant. It’s cleaner, more fluid, and more user led. It even includes voice input and the option to upload images (though not documents… yet).
In short, it’s less “here are ten blue links” and more “here’s everything you need, already digested and ready to go.”
What’s changing in how people search?
We’re already seeing fewer clicks to websites thanks to AI Overviews. AI Mode could cut that even further. Why would someone click through to a blog post when Google’s AI is summarising it right there in their chat?
That means people are spending more time in Google’s interface, not yours. And since they can follow up with natural, conversational questions, it becomes even less likely they’ll jump to another tab.
While AI Mode is still early in the rollout, the direction of travel is clear: less browsing, more trusting. Whether or not those answers are always right (that’s another conversation), users are accepting them more and more.
Add in voice search, which AI Mode supports natively, and this starts to look less like a search engine and more like a personal assistant that just happens to live inside Google.
What does this mean for SEO?
Right now, the biggest takeaway is this: being ranked isn’t enough anymore.
If your content isn’t getting cited in AI-generated answers, it may as well not exist. We used to focus on getting into the top ten, ideally the top three. Then came featured snippets. Now? Featured snippets barely matter. It’s about being the source Google’s AI turns to when it builds its responses.
That means authority really matters, and we’re not just talking about backlinks anymore. If Google’s systems don’t trust your content or brand, it won’t surface your material in its AI summaries.
And of course, that has ripple effects. We’re likely to see even lower click-through rates, even for top-ranking pages. The AI is doing the heavy lifting by summarising, paraphrasing and condensing. So fewer users feel the need to click through at all.
If you’re tracking SEO performance the old way, those numbers could start looking different, fast.
How should we adapt our SEO strategies?
SEO has always been about adapting to change. And while this shift feels big, and it is still the core strategy still holds strong. It just needs a bit of a rethink.
First off, we’re not abandoning content quality. In fact, quality matters more than ever. But it’s not just about writing for people; now it’s also about writing for systems that might summarise your content without ever showing it directly to a user.
You’ll want to tighten up your structure, offer clear, concise answers, and highlight insights that AI models are likely to quote, original stats, definitions, expert takeaways. Think of your content as being not just informative, but summarised.
Also, it’s time to double down on brand. If people know your name and trust your expertise, they’re more likely to search for you directly, and less likely to rely on Google’s version of your content.
And yes, keep an eye on your visibility in AI answers. Tools like Ahrefs and Semrush are slowly rolling this into their reporting. It’s early days, but being cited in AI answers is becoming an important metric to monitor for SEO visibility.
Finally, AI Mode is still new, and like anything Google rolls out, it’ll evolve. We’ve already seen rumblings about ads entering the mix, who knows what next month will bring?
Final thoughts
This isn’t just an update to Google Search. It’s a rewrite of how search works and what we, as SEO specialists, marketers, and brands, need to focus on. We’re moving into an era where ranking is less relevant, and referencing is more of a priority.
But here’s the good news: traditional SEO practices still work, at least, according to Google’s own Gary Illyes:
“To get your content to appear in AI Overview, simply use normal SEO practices. You don’t need GEO, LLMO or anything else.”
So, the fundamentals aren’t dead. They’re just being interpreted differently now, through the lens of AI. Want to see how your site stacks up? Get in touch with our team today for advice on how to adapt your SEO strategy for Google’s new AI Mode.