Searching via Google will never be the same again. During its annual conference, Google announced a major change: the classic list of blue links is being replaced by a smart AI chatbot that provides immediate answers to your questions. And this will not only change how you search, but also how your organization gets found.
The new feature, called AI search, allows you to ask longer, more complex questions. The chatbot then provides a comprehensive answer, compiled from multiple sources. Instead of having to open dozens of websites, you get a clear overview right away.
This is convenient for the user, but it also means that people will click through to your website less often. “Users will now tend to stay with the chatbot more and click through to the websites that the information is based on less often,” says AI expert Rémi Delanghe in a response to De Morgen.
Up until now, it has already been a challenge to get into the top results of Google. But soon, even a spot in the top ten may not be enough. The AI software will choose a few sources that are most relevant, and those will receive all the visibility.
Want to be among them? Then you need to ensure that your content is not only technically sound (think: keywords, loading speed, and structure), but also genuinely valuable in terms of content. Because only the most relevant and reliable content will still be shown. Quality over quantity.
However, this is not necessarily bad news. On the contrary: if your organization focuses on quality, this can actually be an advantage. AI chatbots reward brands that offer clear, comprehensive, and original content. Think of well-written blogs, informative videos, and answers to real questions from your target audience.
Moreover, initial figures show that those who do click through to a website via AI often have much more interest. You may reach slightly fewer people, but you will reach the right people.
You might already know AI overview: that is the feature where you get a brief summary at the top of the search results when you ask a complex question. Not for every search, but only when Google estimates that it would take you a lot of time to find the answer yourself.
According to Professor Lieven De Marez, research director of Media and Innovation at imec, this is a logical evolution. “When the internet emerged, we suddenly had access to a mass of information,” he says in De Wereld Vandaag on Radio 1. “But we still had to piece the puzzle together ourselves. That has changed in recent years: applications like ‘AI overview’ assemble the puzzle pieces for us. I call it a search engine on steroids.”
With the introduction of AI mode, Google takes another step further. This new search experience already allows users in the US to chat in a separate environment with the search engine in a natural way – as if you are talking to a smart assistant. The rest of the world will follow soon.
The transition to AI-driven search results is already underway and will accelerate quickly. Here’s what you can do now to be prepared:
Create valuable content
Don’t just write for the sake of writing. Think about what your target audience really wants to know and provide a clear answer. At Hummingbirds, we have various tools to gain insight into this search behavior.
Adapt your texts to conversational forms
AI search works with questions and natural language. So make sure your content aligns well with that. Essentially, form a conversation with question-answer.
Invest in reliability and authority
Google is increasingly paying attention to how reliable you appear. Ensure source citations, expertise, and content that is completely accurate. Also, having enough online reviews boosts your authority.
The new search experience with AI search is not the only AI innovation that Google is introducing. Other tools are also getting a significant AI boost. For example, Google Meet can now live-translate your sentences during video calls. Handy when you’re talking to someone who speaks a different language.
Gmail is getting ‘Smart Replies’: an AI assistant that writes emails in your style, based on previous messages and documents. And with the new version of the AI model Gemini, you get live help via voice or camera. For example, to get your bike running smoothly again.
Note: not everything is free. For the advanced features, Google is introducing a VIP subscription of no less than $250 per month. This follows the example of other AI players, such as OpenAI, who are also looking for ways to make their technology profitable.
Google is firmly choosing AI search. As a company or organization, you cannot ignore this. But with the right approach, this does not have to be a threat. See it as a new opportunity: to be more relevant, visible to the right people, and ready for the future. With Hummingbirds as your partner, you are already perfectly equipped to make your business optimally visible.
Here’s how Google shares the news in just one and a half minutes:
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