Google brings AI mode to Germany

Google has now officially launched the AI mode of its search engine in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and over 40 other countries and 36 new languages. What was previously known as the “AI Overview” has been significantly expanded with the AI mode: instead of brief summaries, users can now engage directly with the search results.

AI mode replaces the usual search results page with a detailed response generated by AI that incorporates relevant sources. Users can directly ask follow-up questions, refine their search, or add new perspectives.

It can be activated in the Google App or via the desktop browser: In addition to the classic tabs such as “Everything,” “Images,” or “News,” a tab labeled “AI Mode” appears. Clicking on it switches to the new view. You can also select AI Mode directly on the far right when entering your search query, which takes you directly to a dialog box reminiscent of ChatGPT.

AI mode significantly changes the visibility of websites. Challenge: Users often find all the information they need in the overview, resulting in fewer clicks on external sites (“zero-click”). For publishers and companies, this can mean a decline in visitor numbers.

Solutions for SEO and content strategists:

The new AI mode clearly shows where internet search is headed: from a collection of links to an answer engine. In the future, users will click through classic results pages less and less and instead remain in direct dialogue with the AI.

In the future, Google could become less of a “signpost” to the web and more of a central answer platform itself. How the relationship between search engines, users, and publishers will develop remains to be seen.