• Google’s AI Mode is a reality, but there are still questions about usability and adoption.
• Get ready for “AI SEO” with three key recommendations provided directly from Google.
• A new Performance Max report pulls together data that used to be challenging to find.
• 2025’s big social media trends are coming into view, and here’s how to leverage them.

Google AI Mode Might Finally Transform SEO, But Fails To “Kill” It

Marketers know that keeping users within the Google ecosystem is one of the Big G’s top priorities. It’s been central to the company’s strategy since the 2006 YouTube acquisition, a move that presaged today’s interlocking video and text content. With the new “AI Mode,” it aims to keep eyes on Google content for longer than ever.

AI Mode is now available to adult Gmail users in the United States, and it undercuts organic search like never before. Using the Gemini model, Google AI mode synthesizes information from multiple websites (often, but not always, those near the top of organic results) to provide answers without having to access any website.

Like AI Overviews, AI Mode takes over the real estate at the very top of the page and provides three links on the right-hand side as citations, with others visible after clicking “Show all.” An “Ask anything” bar at the bottom of the AI Mode response allows users to type in a follow-up question to further refine the response.

Luckily, standard search results are still accessible if Gemini goes off the rails (and it does), though they require an extra click to get to. Early returns are mixed: while AI Mode excels at product research, it falls flat when you need accurate, factual information. How search users will respond remains to be seen.

What does it mean? A deep dive into recent Google patents suggests that AI Mode represents an all-new way for Google to construct search query responses—one that no longer guarantees the service will even access all of your content. If AI Mode becomes the default, SEO will transform at every level … but it won’t die, which leads us to our next story.

New Report Provides Three Key Recommendations for “AI SEO”

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Google is already issuing guidance for the next SEO era, “AI SEO.” Three key recommendations have come to the fore, but none of them are new: in fact, they’ve been a part of digital marketing best practices for years already. Here’s what’s most important:

• Answer user questions: Question-based formatting makes content more likely to get “noticed” by AI.
• Publish video content: Video provides multiple benefits for both usability and cross-platform visibility.
• Make use of schemas: This structured data is how Google’s LLM processes and interprets your content.

What does it mean? Current analyses suggest that Google AI doesn’t process every word of online content, but only elements the model is designed to recognize as most likely to be relevant to user queries. During this time of change, these three markers are showing up as the start of a whole new way of doing digital marketing.

Google’s New Performance Max Report Finally Clarifies Results By Marketing Channel

For years, determining which Google channels are producing the expected ROI has been a challenge. The new Performance Max report may finally make it easier to dive down to a granular level, with insights on your top search terms, impact by channel, and asset-level results all in one place.

What does it mean? If you’re working with a digital marketing agency, this report is a great way to pull together many of the key data points you need to track during your campaigns. Still, don’t settle for raw reports: ensure you’ve got clear communication from an experienced team that can put it all into the context of your goals.

Research Unveils Key Social Media Marketing Trends Going Into 2025’s Second Half

A report by Giraffe Social Media on Social Media Today provides a new look at the emerging digital marketing trends in the second half of 2025, especially on social media. Among the highlights are short-form video – an astonishing 90% of marketers surveyed reported positive ROI from video under two minutes long.

What does it mean? The Giraffe Social report provides a number of surprising insights, but not all of them will be a good fit for every enterprise. It’s essential to take a close look at each option and verify that they combine into an effective strategy for you. A marketing agency can help you maximize the impact of your decisions.

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