AI isn’t just changing the way we search, it’s changing what and who gets found.
When you type something into Google, you’re not just triggering a keyword match anymore. You’re now tapping into a powerful system of machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive logic. It doesn’t just see what you type, it works out what you mean. And that changes everything for users, and for businesses trying to be found.
In this post, we’ll break down what AI does in search, how it impacts SEO, and what website owners need to know to stay relevant in 2025.
First Things First: What Is AI in Search?
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. In the world of search engines like Google, AI is what powers the brain behind the search bar. It enables Google to:
- Understand your intent
- Predict what you’re really looking for
- Serve the most relevant and helpful content, even if your search isn’t perfectly phrased
Think of it as a supercharged librarian who not only knows where every book is, but also understands what you meant to ask, not just what you typed.
How Search Worked Before AI
Let’s rewind a few years.
Back then, Google mostly relied on keyword matching. If you typed in “best running shoes”, it would hunt for pages with those exact words. Websites often ranked higher just by repeating keywords, even if the content was thin or irrelevant.
The result? Lots of filler content and not a lot of value.
How AI Changed Search (for the Better)
In 2025, search engines are a lot smarter. AI now considers the meaning behind your words.
Let’s say you search: “Best laptop for travel and video editing”
AI now evaluates:
- What “best” means for most users (e.g. performance, weight, battery life)
- What matters most when travelling (portability, durability, plug types)
- Trusted reviews, expert guides, and real-world user experiences
It doesn’t just show you pages with those exact words, it shows content that answers your question in a meaningful way.
What Tools Power AI in Google Search?
Google now uses a mix of AI models, including:
- BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers): Understands the context of words in a sentence.
- MUM (Multitask Unified Model): Evaluates images, videos, and text to give multi-modal answers.
- SGE (Search Generative Experience): Google’s latest generative AI tool that creates helpful answer summaries right in the search results.
These systems help Google:
- Understand natural language
- Handle spelling mistakes, slang, and long-tail questions
- Summarise answers at the top of the page
- Highlight trusted, expert-backed content
What AI Means for Everyday Searchers
For users, AI in search makes the experience smoother, faster, and more relevant.
- Instant Answers: You don’t have to click through 10 links as AI delivers top summaries straight from trusted sites.
- Better Matches: Even if your search is vague or oddly worded, AI decodes your intent and (generally) gets it right.
- Smart Suggestions: You’ll see related questions, deeper topic links, and better ways to phrase your query.
What This Means for Your Website
Here’s the kicker: if your content isn’t written for how people ask questions, and how AI interprets them, then you’ll miss out.
To be found in Google’s AI-powered search results, your site must:
- Provide clear, specific answers
- Be written for real humans, not search bots
- Be structured in a way that makes it easy for AI to “understand”
AI-Focused Content Needs to Be:
- Helpful: Does it solve the user’s problem?
- Well structured: With clear headings, bullets, and logical flow
- Experience based: Showcasing real-world knowledge or authority
- Up to date: AI prioritises fresh, relevant information
This isn’t just SEO. This is AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation.
SEO vs AEO: What’s the Difference?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) still matters. But in 2025, it’s evolved.
- Traditional SEO focused on keywords, backlinks, and metadata.
- Modern SEO, powered by AI, is about answering questions clearly, with content that builds trust and proves expertise.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is the next step. It’s about structuring your content to:
- Be picked up in featured snippets
- Feed into Google’s AI summaries
- Answer search queries in plain English
Can AI Get It Wrong? Sometimes, yes.
AI can misinterpret context or rank poor-quality content. That’s why Google still values signals like user engagement, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust), and site performance.
The good news? Businesses that consistently publish well-structured, genuinely helpful content will win.
Our Final Thoughts: Don’t Optimise for Robots. Optimise for Real People.
At Stellar Digital Media, we’ve been talking about this shift for a while now. The goal isn’t to chase the algorithm, it’s to stay ahead of it.
That means writing content that:
- Answers real questions
- Builds trust
- Helps people make informed decisions
If your website looks great but isn’t being found, or converting visitors into leads, the problem might be deeper than keywords. You might need a smarter strategy, built for the way search actually works in 2025.
Want to Show Up in Google’s AI Results? We can help you create content that ranks and resonates. Let’s optimise your site for what search engines (and people) actually want.