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Google Tests AI Mode: Impact on Organic Traffic and Search

What is AI Mode and How Does It Work?

Google has launched testing of AI Mode in Google Labs, expanding the capabilities of AI Overviews (formerly SGE). The new mode utilizes advanced artificial intelligence and multimodal capabilities, allowing it to respond to more complex queries. AI Mode analyzes information in real time using the Knowledge Graph, search data, and other sources.

Key Features of AI Mode:

  • Expanded answers with detailed explanations of queries.
  • Connection to up-to-date data and various sources.
  • Ability to ask additional clarifying questions.

How AI Mode Affects Organic Traffic

While AI Mode is still in testing, its features are already influencing organic search results:

  • Emergence of blue links. Unlike AI Overviews, AI Mode includes prominent hyperlinks to information sources, which can increase website traffic.
  • Focus on informational queries. AI Mode is convenient for searching guides, reviews, comparisons, and other informative queries.
  • Limited capabilities for commercial queries. AI Mode does not display product listings, and its interface is not suited for navigating commercial content.

Advantages and Disadvantages of AI Mode

Advantages:

  • Detailed and logically structured answers.
  • Ability to “dive deeper” into a topic using the “Dive Deeper in AI Mode” button.
  • Enhanced user experience for informational queries.

Disadvantages:

  • Limited visibility. AI Mode does not always appear automatically and remains an additional tab in search results.
  • Limited usefulness for commercial queries. Finding products through AI Mode is challenging.

Conclusion: A Threat or a Benefit for Organic Traffic?

At this stage, AI Mode does not pose a significant threat to organic search traffic. The main reasons:

  • AI Mode actively uses links to sources, helping attract audiences to websites.
  • It focuses on informational queries, while commercial search remains more effective in traditional search results.
  • The new mode is still in testing and may undergo changes.

Google continues to refine AI Mode, and its impact on SEO may change. However, even now, we can observe positive aspects for website owners and users looking for high-quality, structured information.