Implications of an AIO and AI Mode Merger: Key Findings
Last December, Google tested a new conversational search interface that blends its existing AI Overviews (AIOs) with AI Mode.
This allowed users to move seamlessly from a summarized answer into an interactive dialogue.
Google Tests Seamless AI Overviews & AI Mode Merge on Searchhttps://t.co/ujYgqs28Uq
— Androidheadline (@Androidheadline) December 3, 2025
Previously, users had to switch between Search and AI Mode using a separate tab.
And while this was labeled as just a simple experiment, it does suggest that the boundaries between both AI features may soon disappear altogether.
Why does this matter?
When summaries and conversations live in the same interface, users can get answers, context, and clarification without ever clicking through to a website.
According to data from Ahrefs, the presence of AIOs in search results correlates with a 58% lower average clickthrough rate (CTR) for the top-ranking result on the SERP.
Although the study does indicate that this impact softens for results lower down the SERP, the reduction remains meaningful.
Brands must also consider the rapidly growing presence of AIOs in search results.
A separate 2025 study from Ahrefs found that AI Overviews appeared on 21% of all tracked keywords, with 99.9% of those triggered by informational intent queries.
That means a vast majority of search queries are immediately answered before a user even has time to click on a traditional search result.
That means a vast majority of search queries are immediately answered before a user even has time to click on a traditional search result.
This is a common scenario that experts at leading digital agencies like Baunfire help brands navigate since AI search entered the picture.
“The benefits of traditional search rankings matter less if AI features become unified and completely ingrained in user search behavior,” said Baunfire Creative Director Yagmur Ilgen.
This will force brands to rethink their SEO and GEO strategies, especially since AI Mode and AI Overviews citations rarely overlap.”
How a Unified AI Search Experience Impacts Visibility
Just as the introductions of ChatGPT and Perplexity disrupted traditional SEO, a unification of AIOs and AI Mode could rewrite the rules of AI search before it even has a chance to mature.
Such a scenario could create sweeping fundamental changes to how brands should optimize for visibility and compete for AI attention.
If Google likes the results of its test and decides to make it a permanent feature, several dynamics are sure to change:
- User decision-making will compress. Users can now move from awareness to clarification within one conversation. This both shortens funnels and puts traditional search at risk.
- Authority signals will matter more. Google’s EEAT framework will matter even more now as AI will zero in on sources that feed it information clearly and consistently.
- Click dependency weakens further. AI search isn’t shy about directly citing and linking to brands that are related to queries. Those that aren’t cited are essentially invisible, which further reduces clicks.
“All of these point to the reality that online visibility is becoming less about where your website ranks,” Ilgen explained.
“Brands are no longer competing page by page. It can be frustrating for brands that dominated traditional search metrics, but these changes also represent an opportunity for brands to compete in a whole new way.”
Redesign GEO Strategies for Conversational Search
So how can brands prepare for this potential scenario?
It will take some big tweaks to their GEO strategies.
Unlike traditional SEO, GEO focuses less on individual pages and more on how information is understood, summarized, and trusted by GenAI.
According to experts at Baunfire, brands must shift the focus of their strategies toward these priorities:
1. Optimize for conversational intent
Instead of focusing on keywords, teams will now need to understand the intent behind the search queries they optimize for.
For example, teams should determine whether users ask AI this question because they’re trying to draft a shortlist of options, or because they’re looking for a direct solution to their problem.
Map the top follow-up questions users ask after an initial query and answer them explicitly on related pages.
Content should also be structured to take on a more conversational tone to mimic how AI search results are presented.
2. Build topical depth, not isolated pages
Traditional search used to prioritize websites that published a ton of fresh one-off content, regardless of how these pieces fit in the grand scheme of things.
This isn’t the case with AI, which looks at topical depth as a trust and authority signal.
Content strategy should pivot to grouping related content into clear topic clusters with internal links that establish hierarchy and context.
Cover foundational concepts, common questions, and edge cases instead of publishing several disconnected posts.
If multiple posts are unavoidable, it’s best to find ways to interlink them to explicitly show AI how topics are related.
3. Strengthen structured data and entities
Changes to content structure mean little if the underlying technical optimization doesn’t provide AI with clear signals.
Teams should audit existing schema and fill gaps across products, services, organizations, and relationships.
Teams should also ensure names, attributes, and descriptions are consistent sitewide.
4. Rethink what success looks like
As search behavior changes, so should the way teams judge the results of their campaign strategies.
They should track where and how their brand appears inside AI-generated answers, not just where pages rank.
Likewise, it’s important to monitor referral patterns, branded query changes, and citation frequency across different AI platforms.
Reassess Your Visibility Before It’s Reassigned
The potential merging of AI Mode and AI Overviews is indicative of where search as a whole is heading.
Visibility is being redistributed upstream, inside AI-generated responses that resolve intent before traffic ever moves.
This is why brands that adapt GEO strategies around conversational relevance, entity clarity, and citation readiness stand a better chance of staying present in the answers users now trust most.
