And, for a while, it seemed correct. We’ve seen the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity take over the market and marketers were starting to put their eggs in the social media basket.

But, Sundar Pichai had a few things to say on Alphabet’s Q3 2025 Earnings Call today about how search actually had more queries due to AI Mode.

And if you’re in marketing, this is potentially huge news for you.

Google Says People Are Searching MORE, Not Less Here’s Why That’s Good News

What even is AI Mode?

If you can’t keep up with Google, I can’t help you. In short; AI Mode is Google’s way of providing search results plus an AI answer (similar to how AI Overviews function). In short, it allows for a more conversational search where you can ask Google something like “how to SEO my website”, and follow up with questions like:

“What about for small businesses?”

“Can you give me an example?”

And guess what…

Every follow-up question is an additional search query.

And this is the root of why search is actually up, not down.

What This Actually Means

Now, when most have heard this news, it’s likely most just put it in the “feel-good press release” pile, but there’s actually a pretty important underlying message here.

AI is driving change in how people search.

In the past, a search would be a single question; maybe you’ll search one thing, click on a result, maybe read an article and leave.

But now, people are starting to do more conversational searching; asking multiple questions, having Google answer them, and then following up.

And each question is now like a mini search query with potentially more opportunities for brands to appear.

Google benefits from this, as people now spend more time on the search engine and are more engaged.

This actually is really good news for SEO as well as, while Google is making changes, it’s a change that doesn’t seem to hurt anyone.

Everyone still has the ability to appear on the search results page, and now there is more opportunity since people are asking multiple questions.

Search queries in general are going up, not down.

Search as a Conversational Medium

Let’s just briefly talk about how we use ChatGPT.

You don’t ask one question and then leave.

You ask multiple questions; asking for advice, comparisons, examples, etc.

Well, Google now wants to be able to provide that same experience.

Someone may ask:

“best CRM for startups”

And then follow up with:

“which ones work with gmail?”
“how much does hubspot cost compared to pipedrive?”
“which is easiest for a small team?”

And while that’s still one person, that’s a lot of potential for multiple searches and multiple opportunities for your brand to show up.

What’s Going On with Search Traffic?

Now, the fact that Google is seeing increased week-over-week traffic shows two major things:

People are becoming comfortable using AI Mode.
Google is seeing more engagement.

While at first people may have used AI Mode out of curiosity, people are now using it to research topics and find answers to specific questions.

Since people are now spending more time on Google, the search engine is also benefiting from having more engaged users.

People are staying on the site longer to ask follow-up questions rather than clicking on external links and leaving.

Google is seeing both more traffic and more engagement, which is great for ads.

From an SEO standpoint, this is overall positive news for brands as while people aren’t clicking on external links as much, there’s now a massive opportunity for brands to show up in AI Mode searches by having their content, services, and brand be mentioned or cited within these searches.

Conversational SEO is Coming

There is a major implication on what this means for SEO.

Since people are asking multiple questions, there is more opportunity to answer them.

Additionally, since searches are becoming more conversational, there’s less of an emphasis on exact keyword matching than before, since you can answer questions in a more natural, conversational manner.

This doesn’t mean keywords are dead, it just means there’s less of a focus on “stuffing” articles with keywords and focusing more on building content around topics, with proper terminology and conversational phrasing.

If you’re already using proper phrasing and having well-structured content, your content should already be well-positioned to appear in conversational searches.

Every time Google’s AI reads a question, it’s searching for content that will best answer that search query.

To do that, they need to better understand the topic, the context of the question, and how topics relate to one another.

The more natural your content is, the easier it is for Google’s AI to identify what topics your content covers and how it can relate to other topics and questions.

What Should You be Doing Differently?

Let’s briefly talk about some practical implications for content creators.

When you’re writing articles or other types of content, make sure to consider how people may follow up.

Don’t just focus on answering the “main” question.

Think about how people may want to follow up and ask additional questions.

Make sure your content covers these follow-up questions, too.

Ensure sure your content connects and flows together, as if it were a conversation.

Keep your questions are clearly worded and that your topics are clearly described, particularly when it comes to mentioning people, products, or companies.

Consistently using the same terms helps Google’s AI understand what you’re talking about and better associate your topics with related subjects.

Track not only clicks but mentions.

If your brand is being mentioned or referenced in a search, it’s an opportunity to engage, even if people aren’t clicking through to your website.

Make sure to track these mentions as a metric, not just links.

Why Google is Doing This

Now, let’s talk about why Google is doing this.

Other than just wanting to make their search engine better for people, Google is likely doing this in part because they want to keep people on their site.

In turn, the more people spend time on Google, the more ads they can show people.

And while people were flocking to ChatGPT and Perplexity to use their AI chat features, Google is now doing the same to keep people on their platform.

In a weird twist of fate, the same AI that was threatening to kill Google search may actually be the lifeline that saves it.

Why SEO’s Should be Optimistic

In all honesty, we’ve seen several “SEO is dying” proclamations over the last year or so, and this may have been a panic moment for many in the industry.

But instead, it seems like we’re actually entering a new era of SEO, not a dark one.

SEO professionals just may have to update their strategies to reflect these changes.

Since people are asking more questions, and they’re asking more specific and detailed questions, there is more opportunity for brands to show up.

Everyone who wants to engage can do so, and the companies who do so the best will likely benefit massively in the long run since people now engage in a more conversational manner, just like with ChatGPT.

Search isn’t dying.

It’s just changing, evolving, and adapting.

And in many ways, people are changing along with it.

Google’s AI Mode is just another step in that evolution, and as Sundar Pichai has noted, the changes in how people search are showing that not only are there more searches, but they are more engaged than ever before.

The companies that show up, get mentioned, and are cited most in these searches are the companies that are likely to win in this new world.

Rather than just being the number one result for a particular question, there is now more opportunity for brands to show up and be found wherever people are asking questions—Google Search, AI Mode, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and elsewhere.

Google Says People Are Searching MORE, Not Less Here’s Why That’s Good News