Is AI changing SEO? 10 official data points from Google
AI Overviews has passed 2.5 billion users, AI Mode has passed 1 billion, queries are 3 times longer and Search Console now measures visibility in generative AI. I’ve compiled 10 data points published by Google and what they mean for your SEO strategy.
Published on · Updated on · 11 min read
Artificial intelligence is changing the way people use Google. Searches are increasingly conversational, complex and multimodal.
But what’s really changing in the search engine? And, above all, what does it mean for SEO?
To answer these questions, I’ve compiled 10 data points published by Google and Alphabet that help understand where search is evolving and what it can mean for positioning strategies.
1. AI Overviews has already passed 2.5 billion monthly users
One of the most relevant data points is the growth of AI Overviews, the answers generated through artificial intelligence that appear inside Google Search.
According to data published by Google in 2026, AI Overviews has already passed 2.5 billion monthly active users. Google also points out that AI features are making people use the search engine more.
For SEO, this means that a page’s visibility no longer depends solely on appearing among traditional results. Content can also be part of an AI-generated answer. If you want to dive deeper, check out my analysis on AI Overviews and their impact on SEO.
2. AI Mode has already passed 1 billion monthly users
Google is also promoting AI Mode, a more conversational search experience oriented toward complex questions.
In 2026, Google announced that AI Mode had passed 1 billion monthly users.
This is important because AI Mode doesn’t work only as a traditional list of links. The experience is designed to hold conversations, interpret complex questions and help the user explore different aspects of a topic. In my article on Google AI Mode and its impact on SEO I explain what this new experience is and what changes it can introduce in the way ranking is worked on.
3. AI Mode queries are three times longer
One of the most interesting data points for any SEO professional is related to query length.
Google indicates that searches made in AI Mode have, on average, a length three times longer than traditional Google Search queries.
This points to an important change in how people search. Users can better explain their problem, add context and pose several conditions within a single query. That’s why working with a single specific keyword can be insufficient. In the article AI Mode searches are 3 times longer I analyze what this change means for SEO.
4. More than one in six AI Mode searches uses voice or images
Search is also ceasing to be exclusively textual.
According to Google, more than one in six searches made in AI Mode uses voice or images. Also, image searches are growing rapidly.
For SEO, this broadens the concept of optimized content. It’s no longer enough to think solely about texts and keywords. Images, videos, structured data and other formats can gain more importance. I develop this change in more detail in my analysis on multimodal search: voice, images and SEO.
5. Planning-related searches grow 80% faster
Google is also observing changes in the type of problems users pose to AI Mode.
According to data published by Google, queries related to planning have grown 80% faster than AI Mode queries in general during the period analyzed.
This shows that users don’t just use AI to find a quick answer. They can also use it to organize information, compare possibilities and develop more complex processes. You can expand this context in Google, planning and generative search.
For an SEO strategy, it can be interesting to create content that responds to complete problems and not only isolated questions.
6. Brainstorming searches grow 30% faster
Another interesting data point appears in queries related to brainstorming or idea generation.
Google points out that this type of query in AI Mode has grown 30% faster than queries in general since the launch of this experience.
This reinforces an important idea: search is moving from being exclusively a mechanism to find pages to also becoming a tool to explore possibilities.
From an SEO standpoint, it can be interesting to create content that helps compare, decide, plan and solve problems. A good SEO content plan in 5 steps helps design this type of structure.
7. Google still sends billions of clicks to websites every week
The arrival of AI has also generated an important question among SEO professionals: is Google stopping sending traffic to web pages?
The data published by Google indicates that AI features in Search are still sending billions of clicks to websites every week.
This doesn’t mean every website is receiving more traffic. The behavior can vary depending on the industry, the type of query, the search intent and the content quality. You can expand this question in my article on organic traffic and Google in the AI era.
8. Search Console adds specific data on generative AI
Perhaps one of the most important changes for SEO professionals isn’t in the search engine, but in the measurement tools.
Google has added to Search Console new performance reports for generative AI features. These reports let you analyze the visibility of pages in experiences like AI Overviews and AI Mode.
This is a significant change because it lets you start measuring part of the visibility that was previously much harder to analyze. In my article on Search Console and generative AI visibility I explain what information we can get and how it can be used in an SEO strategy.
9. Google maintains SEO best practices as the foundation
The appearance of new AI experiences doesn’t mean the foundations of SEO have disappeared.
In its documentation on generative AI features, Google recommends continuing to apply fundamental SEO best practices and creating useful, unique, reliable and people-oriented content.
Therefore, traditional SEO doesn’t disappear. What’s changing is the context in which that SEO has to work. You can dive deeper into the complete On-Page SEO guide and the article does traditional SEO still work with artificial intelligence?
10. Search is moving toward more complex queries
All this data points in the same direction: Google is evolving from an experience based mainly on short queries toward a search capable of interpreting more complex and contextual questions.
Users can ask questions, add information and continue diving deeper into a topic.
For SEO, this makes it especially important to understand search intent with AI Mode and the relationship between different user needs.
The 10 data points from Google on AI and SEO, summarized
| Data point | What it means for SEO |
|---|---|
| AI Overviews has passed 2.5 billion monthly users | AI is already part of a massive scale within Google Search. |
| AI Mode has passed 1 billion monthly users | A new conversational search experience is growing. |
| AI Mode queries are 3 times longer | Intent and context gain greater importance. |
| More than 1 in 6 searches uses voice or images | SEO must consider formats beyond text. |
| Planning queries grow 80% faster | The importance of content oriented to processes and decisions grows. |
| Brainstorming searches grow 30% faster | Users also use Search to explore ideas. |
| Google still sends billions of clicks to websites | The web is still part of the Search ecosystem. |
| Search Console adds generative AI reports | Visibility in AI features is becoming more measurable. |
| Google maintains SEO best practices as the foundation | Technical optimization and useful content remain essential. |
| Searches are increasingly complex and conversational | The strategy must focus more on needs and intent. |
What does this data mean for an SEO strategy?
1. Work on search intent
Longer queries usually include more context. That’s why an SEO strategy shouldn’t be limited to identifying a keyword and repeating it within a page.
It’s more important to understand what problem the user is trying to solve, what information they need and what questions might come next. You can review the basics in what a keyword is and how to choose keywords wisely.
2. Create content that solves complete problems
Google’s data on planning and brainstorming shows that users also use search to make decisions and develop ideas.
This can favor content that explains processes, compares alternatives, provides examples and helps the user move toward a decision. This approach connects with SEO and GEO content that ranks and converts.
3. Build a topical architecture
When searches are more complex, the relationship between content also gains importance.
A topic cluster strategy can help build an architecture where a main page covers the general topic and other pages develop specific aspects.
On my blog you can find more content related to ranking, Google and artificial intelligence. You can also see how to optimize your website for AI (GEO).
4. Provide original information
AI can generate large amounts of content. This makes publishing generic information less and less differentiating.
For an SEO project, it can be especially interesting to provide your own experiences, analyses, data, examples, real cases or information that isn’t easily interchangeable. This principle connects with the criteria of E-E-A-T: experience, authority and trust on Google.
5. Measure more than just positions
Traditional ranking is still important, but the evolution of Search makes it necessary to observe more indicators.
Search Console lets you analyze visibility in certain generative experiences. It’s also worth observing organic traffic, queries, landing pages and conversions. If you want to reinforce the performance side, review the Core Web Vitals: what they are and how to improve them.
What this data does not mean
This data doesn’t mean traditional SEO has stopped working. Nor does it mean all searches will become answers generated by AI.
What it shows is that Google is adding new ways to search and consume information. SEO has to adapt to that context without abandoning its foundations.
Also, many of the data points published by Google correspond to certain markets, periods or products. That’s why it’s important not to automatically extrapolate them to all industries or countries.
Conclusion: SEO doesn’t disappear, the environment it competes in changes
Google’s official data shows that artificial intelligence is already changing search on a large scale.
AI Overviews has passed 2.5 billion monthly users. AI Mode has passed 1 billion. Queries are longer, new forms of search through voice and images are appearing and the use of Search for planning and exploring ideas is increasing.
At the same time, Google continues to send traffic to the web and maintains SEO best practices as the foundation for appearing both in Search and in its new generative experiences.
That’s why the question isn’t just whether AI will change SEO. The question is how to adapt SEO to a search where the user can ask more, provide more context and expect increasingly complete answers.
If you want to keep going deeper, review the differences between SEO, GEO and AEO or start with a complete SEO audit in 7 steps.
Do you want to apply all of this to your project? I work with businesses all over Spain adapting their SEO to the AI search context: content, topical architecture, structured data and measurement. Tell me about your case and I’ll reply in less than 48 hours.
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