AI in SEO isn’t some futuristic idea. It’s been quietly shaping our strategies behind the scenes for years.
But Google I/O 2025 changed everything.
What we saw wasn’t just a handful of updates, it was a fundamental reimagining of search. The traditional mechanics of keywords, rank tracking, and click-throughs are giving way to AI-powered search experiences that are more personalized, visual, and action-driven than ever.
As a marketing and sales consulting firm, Arant Ventures is paying close attention, and helping our clients stay ahead.
The Search Game Has Changed
At the center of it all is AI Mode, a new way Google delivers search results. It mirrors tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, blending natural language understanding with real-time web data and personalized context.
Here’s what that means for your business:
✅ Multi-threaded queries: When someone types a search, AI Mode runs several queries at once and compiles a curated, summarized response.
✅ Follow-up awareness: The AI remembers context, meaning users can “chat” their way through search.
✅ Personalized search: Users can opt-in to have Google pull from their personal data (emails, docs, calendar) to generate custom results.
Your SEO strategy must evolve, or you risk being invisible.
The Rise of AI-Powered Shopping & Local Search
Google is layering AI into every step of the buyer journey:
🛍️ AI Shopping Experiences: Gemini now powers virtual try-ons, smarter product discovery, and even agent-based purchasing that buys products automatically when prices drop.
📍 Local SEO Gets Smarter: Local search in AI Mode is summarized from sources like Yelp and Google Business Profiles. Feeds and directories suddenly matter more than ever.
As search becomes more agentic and proactive, your brand needs to be in the right data feeds with creative assets that capture attention at every step.
The Big Measurement Shift
The way we measure performance is shifting, fast.
Tools like Search Console may no longer reflect visibility in AI Mode. Personalization means no two users see the same thing. And traditional ranking metrics? They’re already less relevant.
You’ll need:
🔍 New KPIs: Focus on brand lift, user engagement, and qualitative insights.
🧪 Testing culture: Embrace randomized testing and outcome-based frameworks.
📈 Creative attribution models: Understand the full funnel impact of content, even if clicks disappear.
We help brands rebuild their measurement systems for the new search era, using data that aligns to performance, not just rankings.
Content Still Matters…But It Must Work Harder
Google’s AI pulls from your content to summarize it…which means helpful, specific, creative content is now your SEO moat.
Content that wins in this new world will:
- Anticipate follow-up questions
- Be deeply aligned with user intent
- Establish emotional resonance with your brand
It’s no longer about writing for a search engine. It’s about building content that teaches, inspires, or solves, and gets remembered.
Your Brand Is the Strategy
AI-curated search gives preference to brands users already know and trust. The best SEO strategy now? Be a brand that people ask for by name.
That means:
- PR and thought leadership drive branded searches
- Social and email drive return visits
- SEO reinforces, not replaces, your customer journey
At Arant Ventures, we bring marketing and sales under one roof, so your entire strategy is aligned around growth.
The Bottom Line
Search is becoming AI-first, personalized, and predictive. Winning in this new world isn’t about playing defense.
It’s about showing up boldly, feeding Google the right data, producing memorable content, and building a brand that stands out in any algorithm.
We’re already helping our clients future-proof their SEO and marketing systems. If you’re still trying to rank by yesterday’s rules, we should talk.
Let’s build your AI-era SEO strategy today. Contact Us Today