How search intent is changing with AI Mode

The way people search on Google is changing.

For years, SEO has been built around keywords. The user typed a query. Google showed results. And the goal was to appear in the top positions.

With AI Mode, the process is different.

Queries can be longer, more specific and more conversational. What’s more, the user can pose a complex question and keep digging deeper.

Google states that searches performed in AI Mode are, on average, approximately three times longer than traditional Google queries. Searches related to planning and idea generation are also growing. If you’re starting from scratch, begin with what SEO is and why it remains the foundation of everything.

This doesn’t mean keywords have stopped mattering. It means we need to better understand the intent behind a search.

1. From keyword to search intent

Traditional SEO usually starts with a keyword. If you want to review that foundation, begin with what a keyword is and how to choose keywords with criteria.

For example:

• «running shoes»
• «best running shoes»
• «running shoes for overpronation»

Each query can represent a different need.

AI Mode allows that need to be expressed in a much more natural way. A user might write:

«I’m 45, I run three times a week and I usually get discomfort in my knee. What type of shoe should I look for and what features should I avoid?»

The query is much longer.

But it also contains much more information about the user, the context and the problem they want to solve.

For SEO, this changes an important point: it’s no longer enough to identify a keyword. You need to understand the complete problem.

2. AI Mode favours more complex questions

Google explains that AI Mode is especially useful when a search needs exploration, reasoning or more complex comparisons.

This opens the door to queries that previously might have required several different searches.

For example:

The second column contains something more than a keyword. It contains context, constraints, objectives and decision criteria. And there lies one of the keys to the change.

3. AI Mode queries are approximately three times longer

One of the most interesting data points published by Google is that the average query made in AI Mode is approximately three times the length of a traditional search. The figure comes from a Google analysis of AI Mode usage in the United States.

This doesn’t mean all searches will become enormous questions. Google still receives short queries.

The difference is that AI Mode makes it easier for the user to express a much more detailed need.

For SEO, this reinforces the importance of creating content capable of answering multiple dimensions of the same intent. You can see a more detailed analysis in why AI Mode searches are three times longer.

4. Informational intent becomes deeper

A traditional informational search can be very simple. For example:

«What is technical SEO»

But the user may want to move quickly to more specific questions:

• What elements form part of technical SEO?
• What are the most common mistakes?
• How can I detect them?
• What impact do they have?
• What should I fix first?

AI Mode is designed precisely to make this type of exploration easier. Google explains that the user can ask questions with nuances that previously might have required several searches.

That’s why a page that only answers the basic definition can fall short. A more useful page is one that also helps the user to understand, compare and take the next step. Linking to resources like HTTP 404, 301 and other web errors that block Google or robots.txt and sitemap XML correctly configured can help complete the user’s journey.

5. Search starts to look more like a conversation

Another important difference is context. In a traditional search, each query can seem independent. In a conversational experience, the user can start with a question and then add information.

For example:

• «What is international SEO?»
• «What if I have an online shop in the UK and Ireland?»
• «What happens if I use the same domain?»
• «How should I structure the pages?»

The intent evolves. First it’s informational. Then it becomes an applied query. Finally it can reach a much more action-oriented intent.

This means SEO content has to better cover the user’s complete journey.

6. Google can split a complex query into several searches

One of the most relevant technical features of AI Mode is query fan-out.

Google explains that its systems can generate several related searches across different subtopics and information sources to build an answer.

Imagine this query:

«I want to improve the SEO of a local dental clinic and increase bookings from Google. What should I work on first?»

The system may need information related to different aspects:

• Local SEO.
• Google Business Profile.
• Service content.
• Search intent.
• User experience.
• Conversions.
• Trust signals.

The original query is just one. But the answer can draw on different searches and sources.

This has an important consequence for SEO: a page can be relevant to a query even if it doesn’t literally match all the words used by the user.

7. Exact word match loses prominence

This doesn’t mean keywords cease to exist. It means Google has systems capable of better understanding the relationship between a query and the content.

In fact, Google’s official guide on generative search notes that its systems have improved their ability to understand the relevance of pages even when there is no exact match between the query and the main content of the page.

That’s why creating a page for every small variation of a keyword isn’t necessarily a good strategy. It’s more interesting to build a genuinely useful page that covers a complete search need. A good SEO content plan in 5 steps helps you decide which pages deserve to exist and which don’t.

8. Search intent can include planning and decision-making

The change doesn’t only affect informational queries. Google has also observed significant growth in searches related to planning and idea generation in AI Mode. You can see the full analysis in Google, planning and generative search.

According to Google, planning-related queries grew 80% faster than general AI Mode queries during the six months analysed. Brainstorming-related queries grew 30% faster since launch.

This is interesting for SEO because intent can shift from «I want information» to «I want to decide what to do».

That second scenario demands different content. It’s no longer enough to explain. You have to help compare options, understand advantages and limitations and move towards a decision.

9. What this means for an SEO strategy

If queries are longer and more complex, the content strategy must also evolve. Five areas are especially important.

1. Work on intent, not just the keyword

Before creating content, try to answer:

• What problem does the user want to solve?
• What information do they need?
• What doubts will they have afterwards?
• What constraints might they have?
• What decision might they make at the end?

2. Create content that covers the complete problem

A good page doesn’t have to answer every question on the internet. But it should solve well the need that motivated the visit.

This may involve adding examples, comparisons, steps, frequent mistakes, alternatives and practical recommendations. Here are some ideas on SEO and GEO content that ranks and converts.

3. Build a solid topic architecture

The main content can cover a broad intent. Then, other articles can go deeper into specific subtopics. For example:

• Main guide on local SEO.
• SEO for Google Business Profile.
• Local SEO for restaurants.
• Reviews and online reputation.
• Local landing pages.

Internal links help connect these pieces. You can see an applied example in local SEO on Google Maps and in best free directories for local SEO.

Google also recommends that content be easy to find through internal links.

4. Add your own information

When a query is complex, the user needs more than a generic definition. Your own examples, data, experiences, analysis, cases and practical explanations can add more value. This principle connects directly with the criteria of E-E-A-T: experience, authority and trust in Google.

Google’s guide on generative AI specifically highlights the importance of creating useful, unique and non-generic content.

5. Think about related questions

It’s not about creating an independent page for every question. It’s about identifying which questions are part of the same need.

Then you can decide which should appear within the main content and which deserve an independent article.

10. Should you change traditional SEO?

Google’s answer is quite clear.

You don’t need to abandon traditional SEO to appear in AI Mode. You can see the full analysis in is traditional SEO still working with artificial intelligence?.

Google indicates that fundamental SEO practices remain relevant for Search’s AI features. There are no specific additional technical requirements or special optimisation you need to apply for AI Mode.

That includes aspects such as:

• Crawling and indexing.
• Internal links.
• Page experience.
• Accessible textual content.
• Quality images and videos when relevant.
• Correctly implemented structured data (checking that schema works).
• Useful and reliable content.

So the change isn’t about replacing SEO. It’s about making SEO respond better to more complex needs.

11. What you shouldn’t do

This change also doesn’t mean we should create hundreds of pages to capture every possible combination of queries.

Google expressly warns against creating content aimed primarily at manipulating results or AI answers through query variants or related searches.

For example, it wouldn’t make sense to create:

• One page for every small variation of a question.
• Dozens of nearly identical articles.
• Content generated only to cover related terms.
• Pages with no real value for the user.

The strategy should be the opposite: less generic content and more useful content.

12. How to adapt your content to this new search intent

A simple way to work on this change is to use this structure before publishing an article.

This approach helps move from a strategy focused only on keywords to a strategy focused on search needs.

13. Measurement is also changing

The evolution of search intent also affects SEO measurement.

Google has added new performance reports in Search Console to analyse visibility within generative AI experiences, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. Since 31 August 2026, these reports have been available globally.

This allows you to start analysing a site’s presence in these new search experiences from an official Google tool.

In other words, SEO should no longer analyse only traditional positions. It’s also worth observing how content appears and performs within the new search experiences.

You can explore this topic further in my article on Search Console and visibility in generative AI.

14. AI Mode doesn’t eliminate search intent: it makes it more visible

This may be the most important idea.

AI Mode doesn’t make search intent disappear. It makes it more explicit.

The user can better explain what they need, add context, set conditions and keep asking.

That’s why SEO has an opportunity to evolve.

Instead of only asking ourselves:

«Which keyword do I want to rank for?»

we can start asking:

«What problem does my user want to solve and what information do they need to solve it?»

That shift in approach can be much more important than any new AI-related tag. If you want to dig deeper into that line, review how to optimise your website for AI (GEO).

Conclusion: SEO must better understand the user

AI Mode is driving an evolution in how people search.

Queries can be longer. Questions can be more complex. The user can compare options, plan actions and keep digging deeper into the same conversation.

Google can also split those queries into different related searches to build a more complete answer.

For SEO professionals, this reinforces an idea that was already important: ranking a keyword isn’t the end goal. The goal is to create a page that usefully answers a real need.

And the more complex that need is, the more important it becomes to offer context, depth, original information and good structure.

SEO doesn’t disappear with AI Mode. Search intent is simply gaining a new dimension.

If you want to keep digging into this change, you can also read how AI Overviews work and their impact on SEO, how multimodal search on Google works and the differences between SEO, GEO and AEO.

Written by

Alex Figueiras

Freelance SEO consultant in Valencia · WordPress + Elementor + Rank Math

I help local businesses and SMEs rank on Google with technical audits, on-page SEO and content that converts. More than 40 projects audited and cases measured in sectors such as renovations, training and ecommerce.

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