A single word from a Google employee – “soon” – interconnected speculation that AI mode could become the search engine’s standard search experience.
As reported by Search Engine Land, Google Product Lead Logan Kilpatrick replied “Soon” last Friday to a post of X asking when AI mode would be standard in search.
For some, the statement suggested that a big shift could be imminent. But two days later, Google Discovered VP Robby Stein the comment and said about X so as not to read too much in it, and that, “[W]E’RE focuses on making it easy to access AI mode for those who want it. “
And Kilpatrick followed his first tweet up with a clarification and said he did not suggest that AI mode was replacing the search:
Why it matters
Even with mixed signals, Google continues to expand access to AI mode. The feature-a separate search tab capable of multimodal input, conversation answers and “query fan-out” to generate more comprehensive Answer-Has already rolled out in 180+ countries.
If AI mode becomes standard, it can reshape how search results appear, how people interact with Google and how SEOS measures performance.
Right now, Google seems to be more focused on adoption than forcing all users into the new interface.
For SEOs, this is another reminder to customize workflows around AI-driven search experiences. Tracking remains cluttered in search console because AI mode questions have not been broken out separately – making it more difficult to understand how traffic from this feature is compared to traditional search.
What you can do
Google’s mixed signals make one thing clear: AI mode wins space, regardless of whether it becomes the search engine’s standard.
To stay ahead, treat it as a growing part of search behavior and customize your workflows now:
Monitor visibility. Check how your content appears in AI mode results. This reveals holes where competitors appear and you don’t. And helps you understand which queries most likely trigger AI mode.
Experiments with formats. Use these insights to test conversation queries, multimodal content (text and images) and content that emphasizes comparisons or analysis – areas highlighted as strengths of AI mode.
Track performance over time. Make monitoring of a running habit. Continuous tracking shows whether your optimizations work and keep you smooth if AI mode is further expanded.
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