Answers / How AI Search Works

What Is Google AI Mode, and How Is It Different From AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are the AI summary that sometimes appears at the top of a normal Google search. AI Mode is a separate, conversational search for longer questions and follow-ups. Both show links, and both can mention local businesses.

AI Overviews

Google describes AI Overviews as a way to get the gist of a complicated question quickly, with links to explore. They only appear when Google's systems decide they add something beyond regular results, so many searches don't trigger one.

AI Mode

Google says AI Mode is for questions that need more exploration, reasoning or comparison, the kind that used to take several searches. You can ask follow-up questions. Google says AI Mode runs on its Gemini models.

How both decide what to show

Google says both may use "query fan-out": running several related searches across subtopics and data sources, then pulling supporting pages into the answer. They can use different models and techniques, so they won't always show the same businesses or links.

What it means for a local business

• Your Business Profile matters. Google's guidance on AI features tells site owners to keep Business Profile information up to date.
• Your website has to be crawlable and have its important content in text.
• Structured data has to match what's on the page.
• A follow-up question is a new search. In AI Mode, each follow-up counts as a new query, so you can appear in one answer and not the next.

Can I see if I show up?

Partly. Search Console counts AI Overview and AI Mode appearances within your normal Web search data, and Google now offers a generative AI performance report showing impressions from these features.

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