Introduction

If your website traffic has started dropping, you're not imagining it.

Google recently released its new AI search mode, and it's reshaping how users interact with the search engine. Instead of showing a traditional list of blue links, Google now delivers AI-generated answers that appear at the very top of the results page. The impact has been massive. Click-through rates are down. Zero-click searches are rising. And businesses that rely on organic traffic are suddenly scrambling for solutions.

But here's the truth. While this update has caused panic for many, it also presents one of the best opportunities for growth in years. The rules of search have changed. If you understand them and adapt quickly, you can come out ahead, while others are still trying to figure out what happened.

In this article, we'll walk you through how Google AI search mode works, who it's helping and hurting, and most importantly, the SEO tactics that are working right now to grow traffic in this new environment.

Let's dive in.

What Is Google AI Search Mode and How It Works

Google AI search mode is not just an update. It's a shift in how users get answers online.

Instead of just displaying a list of links, Google now uses artificial intelligence to generate full answers directly in the search results. These responses often appear at the very top of the page in a block called the "AI snapshot."

Here's how it works:

  • A user types a question or search query.

  • Google's AI creates a synthesized answer from content across the web.

  • Underneath the answer, Google cites a few sources to build the response.

In most cases, users no longer need to click on a website. They get what they need instantly. This means the battle for organic traffic has moved from ranking first to getting cited in the AI's response.

Why This Matters

This shift impacts two major things:

  • Fewer clicks for everyone below the AI snapshot

  • More visibility for websites that are cited as sources

If you're not one of the sources Google pulls from, your visibility can disappear overnight. But if you are, you get placed front and center—even without being the top organic result.

The Winners and Losers of Google AI Search

After reviewing hundreds of searches conducted using the new AI format, one pattern is clear: Some sites are thriving, and others are invisible.

Who's Winning Right Now

These types of content and platforms appear most often in AI search answers:

  • High-authority websites (typically with Domain Ratings above 80)

  • YouTube videos, especially those with strong engagement

  • Reddit threads with upvotes and active discussions

  • Pages with unique, original content that AI cannot easily summarize

Who's Losing

The sites losing traffic often share these traits:

  • Low authority or no backlinks

  • Generic or thin content that AI can easily summarize

  • Pages that rely heavily on old-school SEO tactics without real substance

  • Fake EAT signals, like made-up authors, ghost locations, or AI-generated profiles

In other words, Google's AI favors real authority, content, and value.

If your content doesn't stand out or add anything unique, AI doesn't need you, nor will users.

The Most Important Ranking Factor in AI Search

Backlinks have always mattered. But now, they're critical.

After analyzing which websites are most frequently cited in AI-generated answers, one factor stood out more than anything else: backlink strength.

Google's AI seems to rely heavily on authoritative sources to construct its answers. Every top source we reviewed had a strong backlink profile from credible sites.

Examples

  • CBC (Domain Rating 90)

  • YouTube (DR 90)

  • All About Birds (DR 82)

The common denominator? Backlinks.

If you want to be cited in AI snapshots, your site must be seen as authoritative. And in 2025, that means building quality backlinks at scale.

Case Study

One of our clients, Back Muscle Solutions, saw traffic grow from 12,000 to 91,000 monthly visitors by doing just one thing: focusing on high-quality backlinks. This 658 percent increase happened during one of the biggest search shifts in a decade.

Three SEO Tactics That Work in Google AI Search Mode

You must focus on what Google's AI values to grow your traffic in this new world. Here are three strategies that are working right now.

1. Build High-Quality Backlinks

You need to earn links from trustworthy, relevant websites.

Here's how:

  • Identify the topics your competitors are getting links for

  • Create better, more useful versions of that content

  • Reach out to journalists, bloggers, and webmasters in your niche

  • Offer unique data, insights, or resources worth linking to

If you don't have time for this process, hire a trusted SEO agency to do it for you.

2. Create Video Content for YouTube

YouTube videos are showing up in AI answers more than ever.

Google owns YouTube. And its AI trusts videos with high engagement, likes, and watch time. That makes YouTube content a shortcut to visibility.

To grow traffic, publish videos about your most valuable topics. Include tutorials, product walkthroughs, expert interviews, or reviews.

For many keywords, it's now easier to rank a video than a website.

3. Diversify Your Traffic Sources

The sites that rely only on Google are the ones hurting most.

Smarter businesses are spreading their content across multiple channels:

  • Email newsletters

  • Reddit threads and comments

  • LinkedIn posts and articles

  • Facebook Groups

  • YouTube Shorts and community posts

Diversification makes you more resilient to algorithm changes and builds a long-term brand equity.

Content That Ranks in AI Results

If you want to be featured in Google AI search mode, your content has to do more than repeat what's already out there. The AI is trained to summarize common knowledge. That means if your content is generic, it won't get cited.

Your content needs to go beyond what AI can easily summarize to stand out.

How to Make Content AI-Proof

Focus on creating value that the AI cannot generate on its own. This includes:

  • Personal insights: Share lessons from your experience

  • Original data: Publish your research, polls, or analytics

  • Case studies: Show real-world examples with results

  • Contrarian takes: Offer opinions that differ from the norm and explain why

  • Interactive or visual content: Charts, infographics, and visuals that enhance comprehension

This kind of content signals to Google that your page adds new information, making it worth citing.

Optimize for Structure

Google's AI pulls content that's easy to read and quick to interpret. That means your formatting matters just as much as your content.

Use:

  • Short paragraphs and simple sentences

  • H2 and H3 headers that match natural search queries

  • Bullet points and numbered steps

  • Descriptive image alt text

  • Clear internal links to related topics

AI uses these signals to understand your content's hierarchy and clarity. The more structured and easy-to-skim your content, the better your chances of being included in the snapshot.

Real Authority vs Fake EAT Signals

Google has always emphasized EAT | expertise, authority, and trust. But now, they're cracking down harder than ever on sites that fake it.

What No Longer Works

Google quality raters are actively penalizing:

  • Fake authors or personas

  • Stock headshots passed off as real team members

  • AI-generated content with no original input

  • Fake office addresses or business locations

If your website relies on these tactics, your rankings will drop fast.

How to Build Real Authority

Here's what works:

  • Use real authors: With verified credentials, public profiles, and history in your field

  • Build a presence off-site: Active social media accounts, video appearances, and mentions in reputable sources

  • Publish case studies: Real data and proof of your results

  • Gather reviews: Verified testimonials from customers or partners

Search engines are smarter now. They're measuring not just your words, but your trust signals across the web.

How ChatGPT and Shopping AI Factor In

Google isn't the only platform shifting to AI-driven search. ChatGPT recently introduced shopping results in its AI assistant, changing how product discovery works online.

What This Means for E-commerce

When users search for products in ChatGPT, they now see AI-curated recommendations based on relevance, metadata, and backlink profiles.

If you run an e-commerce site, here's how to prepare:

  • Use detailed product metadata

  • Optimize product pages with FAQs and reviews

  • Secure backlinks from trusted blogs and product roundups

  • Publish comparison guides and shopping tutorials

  • Add schema markup for product, price, and availability

ChatGPT and Google are both looking for trust signals. If your products are backed by strong content and links, they're more likely to be recommended.

Reddit, LinkedIn, and Other AI-Friendly Channels

You've probably noticed that Reddit threads constantly appear in AI search answers. That's not a coincidence.

Google trusts Reddit because:

  • It features real human discussions

  • The content is dynamic and current

  • Upvotes provide a built-in trust signal

How to Use Reddit to Boost AI Visibility

  • Find subreddits related to your niche

  • Post valuable insights or answers to trending questions

  • Link to your blog or site only when it adds value

  • Use AI to help brainstorm or refine your posts, but always edit manually

Reddit content appears in AI snapshots because it reflects genuine engagement. And the best part? You don't need a high Domain Rating to succeed there.

LinkedIn: Your EAT Engine

Google also values authoritative voices. Posting thought leadership content on LinkedIn can build your personal and brand EAT.

Start with:

  • Weekly content updates tied to your niche

  • Sharing case studies or results-driven posts

  • Engaging with other professionals to build credibility

LinkedIn profiles are trusted sources for author verification and expertise. They support your off-site authority and increase your chances of being cited in AI results.

Tools to Optimize for Google AI Search

You'll need more than guesswork to survive and thrive in Google's AI-driven search world. The right tools can help you research, optimize, and track your content's visibility in AI search results.

AI Assistants for Research and Drafting

These tools help you generate content ideas, draft outlines, and refine your messaging:

  • Claude 3.7: Currently one of the most accurate tools for SEO-specific tasks, including prompt optimization and topic clustering

  • ChatGPT 4.5: Ideal for content summaries, FAQs, schema suggestions, and structured answers

  • Gemini 1.5 Pro: Google's own AI assistant for summarizing SERPs, testing SGE queries, and finding top-ranking content types

The key is to use these tools to assist, not automate, the core of your content. Your voice and insights are what separate you from the AI noise.

SEO and Content Tools That Support AEO

  • Surfer SEO: Optimize content based on live SERP data and keyword intent

  • Frase.io: Great for building question-based content and FAQ optimization

  • Ahrefs / SEMrush: Identify backlink gaps, top SERP winners, and AI-optimized topics

  • Screaming Frog: Analyze crawlability and structure for better indexing

  • Merkle Schema Markup Generator: Create schema for FAQs, How-To, Articles, Products, and more

These platforms allow you to measure what works and adjust faster than the competition.

Future-Proofing Your SEO Strategy

The biggest risk now isn't doing something wrong. It's doing nothing.

AI-powered search is evolving rapidly. Google's AI snapshots, ChatGPT's shopping results, and YouTube's AI-generated overviews signal what's coming.

To stay relevant, your SEO strategy needs to be adaptive.

Build a Resilient, Multi-Channel Content Strategy

Don't put all your content on one platform or rely solely on search traffic. Instead, develop:

  • A strong email list for direct audience communication

  • A consistent YouTube presence for voice-searchable video content

  • An active LinkedIn profile to support EAT signals

  • Reddit contributions to build visibility and backlinks

  • Regular blog content that's optimized for AI and structured for humans

This mix supports your search presence and creates backup traffic streams you control.

Stay Agile With Your SEO Plan

Keep testing. Keep publishing. Keep measuring.

Set quarterly reviews of:

  • Your backlink growth

  • Visibility in AI search results

  • Top-performing content types

  • Emerging tools or platforms

  • User engagement across channels

Search is no longer about who ranks #1. It's about who gets trusted, cited, and shared by humans and AI.

Conclusion

Google AI search mode has changed everything. But that doesn't mean SEO is dead. It means SEO is evolving.

Your job now is to shift from ranking pages to earning trust. That starts with high-quality backlinks, original content, real expertise, and a diverse digital presence.

Don't let this update scare you. Let it motivate you.

Because businesses that adapt early are the ones that win big.

If you want to grow in this AI-first search era, stop playing defense and start building content that earns people and machines' attention.

FAQs

How does Google AI search mode affect my rankings?
It prioritizes content that AI can summarize easily and cite as a reliable source. Structured, authoritative content with backlinks now ranks better than ever.

Can small websites compete in AI search mode?
Yes, but they need to focus on building quality backlinks, posting expert content, and using multi-channel strategies to build authority.

What are the best SEO tools for AI search optimization?
Claude 3.7, Frase, Surfer SEO, SEMrush, and structured data tools like Merkle's schema generator are leading options.

Is YouTube more important for SEO in 2025?
Absolutely. YouTube videos are frequently pulled into AI answers. It's now easier to rank a video in AI search than a blog post.

How can I track if I'm cited in Google AI answers?
Use Search Labs or test your keywords in Google Labs. Look for your domain listed under the AI snapshot sources.