Don't wait for Google

By now, you've heard of AI Mode, a ChatGPT-style feature inside Google search.

When Google released AI Overviews, just about everyone trying to funnel traffic from search engines noticed their site visits decline. Google’s official stance is fewer but "more qualified clicks." But the AI-generated results are all too convenient. Users get what they need and skip websites entirely. With AI Mode, users will have less reason than ever to exit Google’s interface. Rand Fishkin traced this evolution from search engine to walled garden in 2019.

One option is to play along—optimize for AI answers, match what the algorithm rewards, and wait for Google's next move.

The harsh alternative I’m considering is to rethink everything—from our reliance on (Google) search to business models built for what’s coming next.

I’m down every rabbit hole as I pack my week, telling clients about diversifying their traffic sources, reading up on AIO and AI Mode, parsing the whirlwind of updates about what all this means for digital media, installing MCP servers—you get the idea.

There’s no turning back from this. It’s not just another algorithm to adapt to. So whatever you do, don’t wait for Google.