47: Google AI Overviews vs. AI Mode → What These New Search Features Mean for You

Google is evolving fast, and your content strategy needs to keep up.

In Episode 47 of Practical Rebels, Logan and Ramsey discuss the two AI-powered search features every marketer and business owner needs to understand. 

🔍 Google AI Overviews: Quick answers at the top of search results
 💬 Google AI Mode: An immersive, ChatGPT-like experience built for deeper queries

These tools are changing how people search and how your content gets discovered. 

In this episode, we cover: 
✅ What makes AI Mode different from AI Overviews
✅ How user behavior is shifting and what it means for your SEO
✅ Simple steps to start optimizing for AI Search right now

Transcript

Welcome and Live Event Announcement

Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back to Practical Rebels. I'm with my man, Logan. How you doing over there, sir, I'm doing very well.

Speaker 2 0:09

It's very hot, but we're inside in the AC and I like it.

Speaker 1 0:14

I'm not going to introduce you as a friend of the show anymore. You are the show, you're here.

Speaker 2 0:18

I'm a fixture. Yeah, you are.

Speaker 1 0:20

Foundational piece. Yes, sir, yes, sir. So before we get started on our topic today, I just want to let you know that today, I think, is the last day you can grab tickets to our live podcast tomorrow at Hatchmark Studio with Red Iron Design how to Win on Social. It's going to be at 1201 Barrancas Avenue. Doors open at 530. We'll be recording from 6 pm to 8 pm. Get your tickets on Eventbrite. Hit us up on the socials. It's in our LinkedIn bio. There's several posts about it, so you can just click that link if you're on Facebook or LinkedIn. And yeah, come join us, we'll give you some knowledge. Red Iron Design fabulous team. Lisa Long-Le Lighter excuse me, she's just amazing has a fabulous team. And then Ellie, then it'll be Veronique, and it'll be Savannah, and myself and Logan. So I said and myself and Logan. I apologize about that.

Speaker 1 1:23

But, All right, so we'll be in here giving you some knowledge on social. So don't be, don't be scared. Come see us and hang out Now with that Logan. What are we talking about today?

Speaker 2 1:38

Today we are talking about Google AI overviews and Google AI mode. What's the difference? How do I know the difference? Everything's AI these days. I don't know what the difference is. Well, we're going to answer it.

Speaker 1 1:49

All right, let's get into this bad boy. Can you explain the difference between Google AI overviews and Google AI mode?

Speaker 2 1:57

Yes. So for AI overviews, I can promise you right now that everyone listening to this has already seen it. It's the little box at the top of your search results that gives you that short little summary answer to your search query. Google rolled that out I think it was in 2024. And so far and it's been the best thing it's been a thing now for over a year.

Speaker 2 2:17

So Google AI mode is something that's a little bit newer. That launched this year, in 2025. And it's an all new like. It's a mode that you actually have to toggle into. It's an immersive, ai powered search experience that's separate from the traditional Google search. In this AI mode, it feels a lot more like chat GPT meets traditional Google search. So in AI mode, you can ask more long tailed questions with several sentences at a time and add context. You can ask it follow up questions with several sentences at a time and add context. You can ask it follow up questions the whole nine yards and it feels kind of like, as I said earlier, a lot more like an LLM or chat GPT or whatever AI you're using right now.

Speaker 1 2:57

Okay. So why is it important excuse me, can't talk today for marketers, content creators or business owners to even care about these changes?

User Behavior Changes and Marketing Impact

Speaker 2 3:08

Because, I mean, not only is this changing the way users get their information from Google, but it also signals something I think a lot deeper about user behaviors. Right? So people don't want to wait for results anymore, they don't want to click on your content, they just want the answer right away so they can move on with their day. Right? So it's a continuation of this on demand society that we're in today. Uber, doordash, amazon everything is about speed now in marketers. In my opinion, they have to adjust to that.

Speaker 1 3:41

Yeah, I know, I've kind of gotten used to it. Man, I love to get an answer immediately. I'm like man, I got to scroll now, man, I'm like, come on, and then if I do scroll, it's just like for the top three. But can you break them down one at a time? What's the main purpose of AI overviews and what does it look like in action?

Practical Content Structure for AI Readiness

Speaker 2 4:07

look like in action. Yeah, so AI overview's goal is to give the users the best answer to their question in a very easy to read box. So, since rolling it out, google reported that not only are users enjoying this style of answer more, but they're also searching a lot more and asking second, third questions after their first one. So it's all about giving users that very easy to read answer right away so they can say all right, I got my answer, I'm good to go.

Speaker 1 4:33

Okay, and what about AI mode? How is it different from the overview we've been seeing for the last year?

Speaker 2 4:39

Yeah. So AI mode is entirely different, I would say. And since users are leaning deeper into LLMs like chat, gpt, google noticed this opportunity right and people aren't asking those short, rigid keywords anymore like best hotel in Tampa you know what I mean. So instead they want to say something more. Like my family of four, we're planning a trip and we're traveling to Tampa in September. What's the best family-friendly hotel that's near parks and what are some restaurants I can check out while I'm there? This is where Google AI mode shines right. It can handle those multi-layered questions and it can give users an ultra-tailored experience based on all the contexts that they've thrown at it.

Speaker 1 5:24

Would you say AI mode? I can't say that. Ai mode, edna mode. Ai mode is Google's answer to tools like ChatGPT or Cloud. What's the user's experience like?

Speaker 2 5:38

Yeah, absolutely. I you know, and I'm not a Google spokesperson, so you can take everything I'm saying on this as opinion, but Sponsored by Google. Just joking.

Speaker 1 5:47

Exactly no, that check'm not a.

Speaker 2 5:48

Google spokesperson, so you can take everything.

Speaker 1 5:49

I'm saying as opinion Sponsored by Google, just joking. Exactly no, that check is not in the mail?

Speaker 2 5:51

No, it's not, not at all, or else we wouldn't be doing this podcast. But Google wants users on its platform, right, and with more people using these LLMs, they don't want everyone hanging out on there all day, obviously. So the interface will feel familiar to users who are used to using the models like chat GPT and it will just have that Google flair to it, with lots of links and photos included. But it's going to feel similar to chat GPT whenever you're using AI mode and whenever you're searching. It's going to have that, that same vibe to it, for sure.

Speaker 1 6:23

Okay, and for people you know creating content right now, how should they think differently about their strategy to perform on both overview and AI mode? Because that seems like a lot.

Speaker 2 6:37

Yeah, I mean honestly everything we've talked about so far. Right, you know how users are asking questions. You know context matters now more than ever, so write your content on your website with that in mind. That's what I would say. Keyword stuffing it's way played out. It doesn't work anymore. Google's onto you and people aren't searching that way. Instead, I would focus on answering real questions with a conversational tone and structure your content in a way that's super easy to read.

Speaker 1 7:08

Yeah, you talk a lot about writing in a natural conversational tone. Why is that so important?

Speaker 2 7:17

on these new search formats Because that conversational, that natural tone, that's the way people are talking to LLMs. We've spent years adjusting. Think about it. We adjust the way we speak in everyday conversation to fit traditional Google search whenever we're searching. But whenever AI came into play, we noticed that we could revert back to our more natural speech. You can type in four or five, you can type in as many sentences as you want in a conversational tone and it gives you exactly what you want, and that's why content that sounds natural is ranking better in AI models. So now, with Google AI mode and AI overviews, it's no different.

Speaker 1 7:59

And you also mentioned structure being key. Can you give me a few practical ways? Practical, practical rebels, rebels, practical ways creators can structure content to make it AI friendly.

Speaker 2 8:15

Yeah, don't write the long-winded dissertation, right? You want to break it up with bullet points? Think about adding a key takeaway section to your blog post. Use short paragraphs. Remember, as we mentioned earlier, people want speed now. They don't want to sit down and read a 30-minute article with a ton of fluff in it. Give them the best parts in a way that's easy to digest so chew it up. I mean, I didn't say that.

Speaker 2 8:43

Maybe if. If someone chews it up for you, then hopefully they'll. Uh, I don't know where I'm going with this, so I'm going to stop.

SEO's Rebirth and Content Refreshing Strategies

Speaker 1 8:49

I know, I just threw it in there I just threw me off. That's what I'm here for. No, I'll just just play it. Um, do you think traditional SEO, though Logan is dead, or just evolving?

Speaker 2 9:04

SEO, I'll say, is far from dead. In fact, I think that it's actually experiencing kind of this like rebirth and resurgence right now. It's very effective and it's very popular now, and, while I think that pay-per-click is still a big deal and paid ads and all that good stuff, I think people right now again opinion time, but I think people are experiencing severe ad fatigue right. They're sick of the pitch. They don't always want to be sold something. So this is why you see more and more people pouring resources into organic content, making content that's helpful, educational and just helps people solve their problems. I think that that is the move right now. I think the organic game is taking off in a big way and I think that you're just going to see a trend moving towards that more and more.

Speaker 1 9:55

And finally, I know you guys are saying finally, what you guys just got started. Um, someone listening today wanted to make just one change to improve their chances of showing up on an AI powered results. What would it be?

Speaker 2 10:15

I think that the easiest way and we've mentioned this in an earlier podcast, I think in our last episode is to refresh old blog content right. Don't feel like you have to go out there and come up with a ton of new ideas to make this work. Take your old ideas and reframe them for a modern audience with the latest best practices and once you've done that, start coming up with those new ideas. And then, after that, stay consistent, stay after it and you know, depending on the subject, you might be in a vertical with a lot of competition. So don't give up if you don't see the results right away. Sometimes, unfortunately I say unfortunately. It's a good thing for a lot of people, but the organics content game can be the long game. You know what I mean. Like it's not going to be always. Something happens overnight. Yes, you can write an article and get ranked overnight. That does happen, but I think it's the exception, not the rule. And, yeah, as long as you stick at it, it's definitely a strategy that we've, or a tactic that we've seen pay off time and time again, not only for ourselves but for our clients, and when you're doing it the right way, it 100% works.

Content Creation for Business Owners

Speaker 2 11:26

Don't let people tell you the SEO is dead. It's not dead. On the contrary, it's seeing a huge rush right now and I think people like most things, like we talked about on the last episode with Google and Instagram people who are staying current, people who take advantage, people who are giving it their all they're the ones who are going to see the results, they're the ones who are going to see the wins down the road, and it's yours for the taking. Really, If you're listening to this small business owner, marketing professional, it doesn't really matter. This is something that, if you want to get into it and you have a laptop and an internet connection, you can do it, and that's what I love about it is that it's accessible. You can jump in, Anyone can do it. You just got to put in the work.

Speaker 1 12:12

Yeah, and you know a lot of our clients. You know, with our social media clients, when they come on, they come to us for help and I, you know, when we're out there like shooting for like the first or second time, I'm like you have to. Yes, you own this business, but you're a content marketer first and then you run your business because doing all those kinds of things will get you those plumbing jobs or people to your coffee shop or people to your food truck. If you're not doing all those things, yeah, you'll get business, but to be ahead and get a bigger piece of the pie, you definitely want to work on your content market strategy. Social media, emails, blogs, seo AI Seems like a lot. Take a little piece of each one and just start slow.

Speaker 2 12:59

Yeah, yeah, I think that, and this is easy for me to say. I'm not a business owner, so, but I I think that if you're a business owner today, you're a content creator. In one way or another, you need to be a content creator, and if you're not, you need to find someone who is, who you trust. Whether that's an agency, I'm not self-plugging. Whether that's an employee, um, it doesn't really matter, but someone on your team. If that's you, someone else, someone, it doesn't really matter, but someone on your team. If that's you, someone else, someone you hired, um, content creation has to be part of the game, a hundred percent.

Speaker 1 13:31

And if you want to get started just on your social, remember that tomorrow we have a live podcast at our studio. Uh, 1201 Barrancas, that's called the Florida Doors open at 530. We go from 6 pm to 8 pm. There will be a panel here. Red Iron Design, hatchmark Studio. Lisa Ellie from Red Iron, veronique Ramsey, savannah and Logan from Hatchmark, so come on. There will be a Q&A section. So we're here to help and with that you can get your tickets at eventbrite. But this is the last day, I think. If not, hit us up in the socials and we'll figure out something. But with that being said, practical rebels out.