Search is changing — fast.
At Google I/O 2025, the full rollout of Google's AI Mode in the US marked the most significant transformation in search since the introduction of featured snippets. By integrating generative AI responses directly into Google search results, users now get instant answers instead of clicking on websites.
That might sound like bad news for traditional SEO. And in some ways, it is.
Early data shows that AI Overviews reduce click-through rates by up to 34.5% when present. That's a third of your hard-earned traffic, before AI Mode is even fully deployed worldwide.
But there's another side to this story.
AI tools and chat-driven search platforms — from Google AI to ChatGPT — are driving new, growing streams of referral traffic. They're shaping visibility in ways we're only beginning to measure. Even now, AI is generating more referral traffic than Reddit.
So no, we're not panicking.We're preparing.
In this article, we'll pull back the curtain on how we're adapting our strategy at Tea Powered Projects — and how AI SEO tools, smarter link building, and resilient content are helping us thrive in the age of artificial intelligence.
What Is Google's Search AI Mode and Why Does It Matter
The AI Takeover of the SERP
In 2025, Google AI Mode marks a fundamental shift in how users interact with search engines. Instead of ten blue links, many search queries now return AI Overviews — machine-generated answers powered by Google's Gemini models — sitting prominently above organic results.
It's not just a cosmetic change. It's a new search experience.
Where users once clicked through to multiple sources to find answers, they now get a neatly summarised answer, often without leaving the page. For businesses that rely on search engine optimisation (SEO) to drive traffic, that's a significant disruption.
And it's only just begun.
From Clicks to Conversations: How Search Is Changing
AI-powered search isn't limited to Google. From ChatGPT and Perplexity to voice assistants and social platforms integrating ai seo tools, we're entering a conversational, AI-first discovery world.
This means two big things:
Clicks are decreasing, especially on informational search results.
Visibility is fragmenting across AI chatbots, "best of" lists, featured results, and new Google search interfaces.
In short, the rules of SEO are changing. Traditional search engine rankings matter less if your site never surfaces in AI responses.
But there are new ways to win — and that's where AI SEO begins to shine.
The Impact of AI on Traditional SEO
AI Overviews Are Shrinking CTR
Let's get straight to it: AI Overviews are cannibalising clicks.
When Google inserts a generative AI response at the top of the page, click-through rates (CTR) drop by up to 34.5% on those search results. This trend has already been observed in US markets, and with Google's AI Mode expanding, it's expected to become the global norm.
For businesses that rely on organic search engine results, this is a significant concern. Even high-ranking pages are being pushed down—and in some cases, completely overlooked.
It's a wake-up call for anyone who thinks their SEO strategy can stay the same in 2025.
But AI Tools Are Creating New Visibility Channels
Here's the good news: as visibility shrinks in some places, it's expanding in others.
AI platforms—including Google AI, ChatGPT, and third-party chat-based search tools—are now referring users directly to trusted content. While this traffic still represents a small percentage (just 0.12% of total referrals as of early 2025), it's growing fast.
To capture this new kind of visibility, businesses need to optimise not just for search engines but also for AI discovery engines.
That means shifting some of your seo efforts toward:
Structured content is designed to answer questions directly
Brand authority signals that influence LLM outputs
Presence in trusted sources, including roundups and curated lists
AI is still powered by content — it's just choosing what to show based on different rules. And those rules are increasingly based on brand trust, semantic signals, and how well your content helps AI answer a question.
How We're Preparing for the AI SEO Shift
Why You Need AI Visibility Tools (Not Just Rank Trackers)
Traditional rank tracking is no longer enough.
As search engines evolve, standard SERP monitoring is blind to how and where you appear in AI-driven results. That's why we've added AI SEO tools to our internal toolkit.
We now track AI visibility — not just rankings — across tools like:
GPTrends
AIRank
Waikay
Google Search Console
Combined with AIO keyword tracking via Ahrefs
These help us understand where our content appears in AI Overviews, chatbot citations, and ChatGPT prompts. It's not about chasing rank — it's about measuring influence in places where users are getting their answers outside the web and search engines.
And yes — it's already revealed some blind spots we've started to fix.
Building Strong Signals Through Targeted Link Building (including internal links)
We've always believed in link building as a vital aspect of search engine marketing, but AI search has raised the stakes.
Language models like Gemini and GPT don't just look at keywords, meta tags or search intent — they favour trusted brands. To build that trust, we're focusing on two high-impact strategies:
1. Digital PR:
High-authority press coverage improves SEO performance and boosts brand visibility in the sources AI tools are trained on.
2. "Best of" List Inclusions:
Ask ChatGPT who the "best SEO agency" is—it will cite curated lists. We're proactively securing placements in relevant "best of" articles to increase our presence across generative platforms. This also applies to e-commerce SEO.
This kind of surgical link building is already paying off.
"Keep Calm And Carry On" Content Still Wins
Are we slowing down on content? Not a chance.
Yes, AI Overviews reduce clicks — but great content still fuels them.
Every AI response is built on data. That data is scraped, summarised, and contextualised — and your content can be the source.
We're continuing to publish blogs, guides, and landing pages with a focus on:
Helping search engines understand our relevance
Answering specific search queries with clarity
Becoming a consistent brand mention in AI tools
In other words: if you want to be quoted, cited, or featured by AI…You need to be creating content worth quoting.
What This Means for SEO Going Forward
AI SEO Tools to Watch - The new keyword research
The rise of AI in search engines doesn't mean SEO is dead — it means it's evolving.Savvy marketers are shifting from traditional rank tracking to AI-focused seo tools that monitor:
Visibility in AI-generated answers
Mentions in chatbot responses
Brand presence in AI-curated sources
Tools like AIRank, Surfer AI, and GPTZero Visibility Reports are leading the charge. They don't just tell you where you rank — they tell you how visible your website's content is in a world driven by AI tools.
Tracking where and when your brand is mentioned in AI models is vital to any ai seo strategy.
Why Content Quality and Brand Authority Will Matter More
Search engine optimisation in 2025 is no longer just about metadata and keywords.
Instead, AI-driven platforms prioritise:
Credible, well-cited content
Brand recognition across domains
Trust signals that help the algorithm select your site over others
Your content optimisation efforts must go deeper. You must not just optimise for Google's index but also write in ways that influence AI model responses.
If your business isn't recognised as a credible source, you won't just lose rankings — you'll disappear from AI discovery altogether.
How Google AI Mode Is Reshaping Local SEO
Google's AI Mode transforms local search by integrating AI-generated summaries into search results. These AI Overviews provide users with concise information about local businesses, often reducing the need to click through to individual websites.
Reduced Visibility for Traditional Listings
AI Overviews appear above traditional organic results, pushing down local listings and potentially decreasing visibility for businesses that rely on standard SEO practices. This shift means that even well-optimised local listings may receive less attention from internet users if not featured in AI-generated summaries.
Importance of Comprehensive Local Profiles
To adapt, businesses should ensure their local profiles are comprehensive and up-to-date. This includes:
Claiming and optimising Google Business Profiles with accurate information.
Encouraging and responding to customer reviews to build trust and authority.
Providing detailed descriptions of services and products helps AI understand the business offerings.
Ensure your technical SEO efforts are current and that web crawlers can do their job efficiently.
By enhancing these aspects, businesses increase their chances of being included in AI Overviews and maintain visibility in local searches.
Embracing AI-Driven Search Strategies
As AI continues influencing search behaviours, local businesses must embrace strategies that align with AI-driven search. This includes creating content that addresses common customer questions and concerns, using structured data to help AI interpret website information, and staying informed about changes in search algorithms.
By understanding and adapting to these changes, local businesses can maintain and even enhance their online presence in the evolving landscape of AI-driven search.
Measuring Visibility in a Post-Click World
Clicks aren't the only KPI anymore.
As AI tools continue to surface answers without driving traffic, SEO must adapt to measure visibility and brand influence beyond sessions and CTR.
We're now asking:
Are we being cited by AI platforms?
Are our pages included in zero-click responses?
Is our content being used to train and inform search engines?
These questions will define the next generation of SEO — and they're already shaping how we measure success.
Is Your SEO Strategy Ready for Google's AI Mode?
You don't need to throw out your entire seo strategy.But you do need to adapt — fast.
At Tea Powered Projects, we're helping businesses rethink their visibility across search engines, AI tools, and new digital platforms shaped by generative content. Our approach blends technical expertise, link building, and long-term content creation — all underpinned by data. Ensuring our client websites have a strong, reliable website targeting relevant keywords is now the start.
Because this shift isn't temporary. It's the next era of search engine optimisation.
Whether you're a WordPress site owner, marketing manager, digital director, or a founder trying to stay ahead, now's the time to build a more innovative, resilient SEO plan to boost your search rankings.
Book Your Free AI SEO Audit
Want to know where you stand in the world of AI SEO?One of our SEO experts will run a free audit to highlight:
Your current visibility in Google AI Mode
Missed opportunities in search results and AI Overviews
Priority fixes to future-proof your site's seo performance
Let's help your content get seen, not just indexed.
