The End of Search As We Know It?

Google's newly surfaced AI Mode patent hints at a fundamental shift in how people will engage in their search journey. Rather than a series of individual queries, Google envisions search as a dynamic, ongoing conversation: one that remembers context, generates its own follow-up questions, and guides users.

For marketers, this could upend the familiar playbook of optimizing for discrete keywords and channels. Suppose users start and finish their decision-making within a single AI-powered dialogue. In that case, brands will face fewer, but more critical, opportunities to be present and earn trust at each stage of the funnel.

This isn't just a technical change; it's a behavioral one. Search could become less fragmented, more personal, and more competitive. Brands that succeed will be those who stop thinking in terms of channels and keywords and start thinking in terms of conversations.