How Google’s AI Search Shift Could Change Online Visibility
Google is redesigning Search around artificial intelligence while maintaining that websites and traditional links will remain central to the product.
In a recent interview with Tech Brew, Google Vice President of Search Liz Reid said users are increasingly beginning their research with AI-generated answers before moving to articles, videos, podcasts and other original sources for more detail.
This shift is changing how people find information and how businesses, publishers and startups need to think about online visibility.
From Keywords to Detailed Questions
Traditional search typically begins with a few keywords and a page of links. Google’s newer AI tools are designed for longer questions, follow-up prompts, images and files, allowing users to complete more of the research process without leaving the search page.
Google has also introduced tools that can monitor topics and provide updates as new information becomes available. Search is gradually moving beyond locating webpages toward organizing, comparing and summarizing information for the user.
For publishers, this creates an immediate concern. When Google provides a detailed response before someone visits a website, the original source may receive fewer clicks even though its reporting or analysis helped produce the answer.
Google says it is testing article carousels, source links and website previews that encourage users to continue into original content. Whether those features will send enough traffic back to publishers remains unclear.
What Businesses Should Consider
For businesses, search visibility is no longer limited to ranking near the top of a results page.
A company may now appear within an AI-generated comparison, recommendation or summary before a customer visits its website. Search systems can describe the business, compare it with competitors and determine whether it should be included in a recommendation.
This makes clear and specific website content increasingly important. Detailed service descriptions, product information, customer examples, original research and direct answers to common questions give AI systems stronger evidence to understand and recommend a company.
The shift also reflects the work of Santa Cruz-based BrandCapsule, which helps companies track how platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude describe their brands. Businesses are beginning to measure visibility not only through search rankings, but also through the answers generated before a customer reaches their website.
Advertising Could Become More Specific
AI search may also give Google additional context for advertising.
Longer searches often include a user’s budget, location, priorities and intended use. Reid told Tech Brew that this information could allow advertisers to present more relevant offers based on the full request rather than a small group of keywords.
For advertisers, this could create more precise targeting opportunities. It may also increase scrutiny around personalization, data use and how sponsored recommendations are distinguished from other AI-generated results.
Google says links and websites are not disappearing, but their role is changing. A website is becoming both a destination for customers and a source of information that AI systems use to evaluate a company’s relevance, credibility and authority.
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