The End of Search As We Know It?

Written By Ryan Haecker

Moz recently posted a breakdown of Google's AI Mode patent, explaining the company's potential plans to shift search from a series of static conversations to a long-form discussion. The patent itself outlines a system that remembers context, personalizes answers, and generates synthetic queries behind the scenes to deliver rich responses.

While much of the analysis focused on the mechanics of the patent and its implications for SEO, what really stands out is what this shift means for the user experience and the marketers who want to meet users where they are.

With that, it triggered a few thoughts on what this transition from traditional search to AI conversation models could mean for brands and marketers.

Rethinking the User Journey

Marketers have long optimized content for specific, static queries, such as primary keywords for organic SEO or hyper-targeted intent keywords in paid search campaigns. Or they have assigned specific channels to awareness, others to consideration, and left search to drive conversions. However, as Google and others roll out conversational AI search, the user journey could become more fluid and less fragmented. Ultimately, this could mean a shift in how we approach search, with an even greater emphasis on long-tail keywords and natural language queries.

Instead of thinking about single, isolated queries ("best running shoes" → click → bounce → "running shoes reviews" → click), the AI conversation will allow users to remain in a persistent dialogue. That means fewer opportunities to intercept them mid-journey and more pressure to be present at the right moments in their awareness, consideration, and decision-making phases, all within a single, cohesive experience.

Beyond Channels: Meeting Users in Context

One fascinating possibility is that AI search could simplify the channel mix, from the user's perspective. Right now, the research phase of a purchase journey is highly fragmented:

  • A user sees an awareness ad on Instagram.

  • Then Google "Is this brand legit?"

  • Later searches "alternatives to [product]" after seeing competitors on TikTok.

  • Increasingly, they may use YouTube reviews or read Reddit threads before making a decision.

Each step occurs across different platforms, giving competitors more opportunities to steal attention.

But if users start "doing all their research" within an AI conversation by asking follow-up questions, comparing options, and validating their choices, that research loop could stay within Google's ecosystem.

For marketers, that could mean:

  • Fiercer competition for presence in AI answers.

  • Fewer touchpoints to reach the customer mid-research.

  • But also: a more straightforward, more measurable path to conversion when you win the conversation.

Why Google Wants This, and Why Marketers Should Pay Attention

Google has strong incentives to keep users in its own environment. By creating a sticky and personalized AI conversation, it reduces exposure to other platforms and maintains control over the user journey.

But beyond Google's motives, this shift actually aligns with how marketing should work: delivering value at each stage of the customer journey, not just at the final click. Marketers who embrace this will:

  • Develop content that addresses awareness, consideration, and conversion, not just last-click intent.

  • Optimize for richer, semantically relevant topics instead of rigid keywords.

  • Focus on being cited, trusted, and visible across a broader range of queries.

What to Expect Next

This shift won't happen overnight, and traditional search and social channels aren't disappearing. But marketers should prepare now by:

  • Creating holistic content strategies that address all stages of the funnel.

  • Paying attention to how their brands are presented in AI-driven summaries.

  • Anticipating increased competition in a compressed research phase.

  • Thinking beyond clicks and optimizing for trust, authority, and relevance.

The good news? Fundamental marketing theories are more critical than ever. These principles of understanding user behavior and meeting them where they are will continue to guide successful marketing strategies, even in the era of AI-driven search. So, while the landscape may be changing, your skills and knowledge remain as relevant as ever.

The challenge? Those touchpoints may now happen all in one place, in one conversation, making it even more critical to get it right.

The rise of conversational AI in search isn't just a technical shift, but a shift in user behavior. This means users will engage in more continuous and in-depth conversations with the AI, altering their decision-making journey. And that means marketers need to rethink how they present themselves to customers across channels and throughout their decision-making journey, all while competing in what could become a consolidated and increasingly competitive ecosystem.

It's time to stop focusing on keywords for SEM and SEO specialists and start thinking about conversations.

Ryan Haecker