Karine Abbou I August 03, 2025
It’s always the same story with Google: while we’re all in lounge-chair mode 🏖️ between July and August, they roll out announcements at a completely crazy pace. And this summer, given the tidal wave of innovations announced at the last Google I/O in May, it was clear we’d get almost one release per day.
I’m going to fully disconnect for 15 days in August (the first time in years I’m allowing myself to do that). But I felt a bit guilty leaving without giving you a quick update — especially with everything that has dropped lately. So I prepared a recap post for you, focused on innovations that impact marketing.
My real back-to-school newsletter about AI Search will come as usual with a big recap of Google news. But July was so dense that I had to split the summer into two parts. Otherwise it would have been unmanageable for September. So here’s this summer special edition ☀️.
🤖 AI Overviews – Expansion, Impact & Major backlash
🌍 AI Mode – Global rollout, features & interfaces
🛠️ AI-powered search interfaces & tools
🛍️ Shopping & retail innovations
✍️ Content, AI & ecosystem
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I can help you shift your content strategy to AI Search and GEO through a masterclass and a community focused on AI marketing. The next session of my GEO masterclass in english will be in May. Check it out and join me!
1️⃣ AI Overviews – Expansion, Impact & Major backlash
🟣 “Zero-click” boom since AI Overviews (Similarweb study)
According to Similarweb, searches without clicks jumped from 56% to 69% since AI Overviews were introduced. Publishers’ fears are justified: AI summaries really do divert readers away from media sites, and clicks melt away like snow in the sun.
📎 My analysis of the Similarweb research
🟣 Enriched Overviews: videos, movies, lyrics
AI Overviews now increasingly display embedded YouTube videos, including trailers and explanatory content.
Example with the query “how to fix a cracked tile.” Google even offers an audio version of the AI Overview.
Barry Schwartz notes that Google is also targeting movie-related queries, with AI summaries replacing links. Same thing for song lyrics, which are now automatically generated. This will leave many sites in that niche struggling.
📎 Google AI Overviews For Movie Queries
🟣 Pew study: clicks drop when AI Overviews are present
A Pew Research Center study shows users click far less on results when an AI Overview appears. Google is cementing its role as an answer engine rather than a search engine. When you search on Google, you increasingly get… Google’s answer, and less often publishers’ answers.
📎 My detailed analysis of the Pew research
🟣 Cloudflare asks Google for an opt-out
As mentioned earlier, Cloudflare made headlines by announcing it would block AI bots that scrape site content without compensation. Their solution: Pay-Per-Crawl.
Except… as most SEO specialists know, Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews cannot be blocked without also blocking Google search indexing entirely, which obviously nobody wants (who in 2025 wants Google not to index their site at all? 🤔)
But Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, believes Google will provide a way to block AI Overviews and Answer Boxes without blocking standard indexing. He wrote on X:
“Gemini is blocked by default. We will also get Google to provide ways to block AnswerBox and AIOverview without blocking classic search indexing.”
To be continued…
And one more note: we love this debate in our community. This fall, we’ll host a Fireside Chat with Stéphanie Cohen, Chief Strategy Officer at Cloudflare 🥳
Join my community
🟣 Google: “Classic SEO still works”
Despite generative AI, Google reminds us, through analyst Gary Illyes, that traditional SEO still helps appear in AI Overviews. This was shared during Search Live Central and widely relayed.
So for those still wondering whether SEO is alive, dead, or both: the answer is a mix of “maybe we don’t call it that anymore BUT the core ingredients are still relevant.” Original content, topical authority, optimized structure… all of that still works. It’s no longer sufficient, but it remains necessary.
📎 THE top LinkedIn post from Kenichi Suzuki summarizing everything
📎 Full article in Search Engine Journal
2️⃣ AI Mode – Global rollout, features & interfaces
🟣 AI Mode rolling out in India, UK, and Workspace
India received AI Mode without Search Labs registration. The UK too. For those who thought Google was still hesitating to deploy AI Overviews, think again. A progressive global rollout makes sense. Europe next? Meanwhile, all professional Workspace accounts now also have access. Personally, I’m a fan. I’ll do a full demo soon.
📎 Introducing AI Mode in India
📎 Google Search’s AI Mode is rolling out in the UK
📎 AI Mode in Google Workspace
🟣 New integrated features
Google added file uploads, a Canvas Planner, and a “Search while browsing” function. We’re moving from search engine to personal research co-pilot.
AI Mode is now available on desktop via a homepage button. Users can ask complex questions about images and soon import PDFs to analyze content. The system combines file information with web data to deliver detailed answers. More file types, including Google Drive content, will be supported later. Currently available in English in the US and India for users 18+.
Google launches “Canvas,” a feature helping users organize complex projects and plans. It runs in a dynamic side panel that saves progress continuously. Users can refine AI-generated plans and soon integrate their own files.
Google launches “Search Live,” allowing live video interaction through Google Lens. Users can point their phone camera and interact with AI seeing their environment in real time.
Google also integrates Lens and AI Mode deeper into Chrome. Users can select parts of a page to get AI summaries and ask follow-up questions.
📎 New ways to learn and explore with AI Mode in Search
🟣 Vertical use cases: Shopping, Lens, Circle
AI now enables guided shopping (“Help Me Shop”) and searches via Google Lens and Circle to Search.
📎 Dive deeper with AI Mode and get gaming help in Circle to Search
🟣 Paid version with Gemini 2.5 Pro & Deep Search
Google introduces a premium AI Mode with Gemini 2.5 Pro and Deep Search, accessible only via subscription. A strategic shift toward monetizing AI search.
3️⃣ AI-powered search interfaces & tools
🟣 Google Web Guide structures results
Web Guide organizes search results by topics and subtopics using Gemini.
AI replaces the “10 blue links” logic with thematic organization, helping users navigate complex searches more easily.
🟣 Google Trends API finally opens
An official Google Trends API is now available, allowing analysts and marketers to automate trend research. A real gem for content marketers seeking emerging topics.
📎 Access the alpha version of the Google Trends API
🟣 Launch of “Search Live With Video”
Google now integrates live videos into search results: sports events, news, concerts, etc. Search becomes a real-time platform.
🟣 AI summaries now deployed in Discover (US)
Google officially launched AI summaries in Google Discover on iOS and Android. Instead of headlines, users see AI-generated summaries with source logos.
Publishers’ last reliable traffic channel is once again threatened. Zero-click searches hit new highs. Result: Google strengthens control over access to information while weakening content monetization. Smile, you’re surrounded.
Google’s Discover page now summarizes news with AI
4️⃣ Shopping & Retail innovations
🟣 Virtual try-on & personalized price alerts
Google activates virtual try-on for clothing with modeling across body types. Personalized price alerts now help track product price drops. Google continues making Search a shopping destination.
📎 Try on styles with AI, jump on great prices and more
5️⃣ Content, AI & Ecosystem
🟣 Google launches vibe coding app: Opal
Opal is an experimental Google Labs tool that lets users create and share mini AI apps without coding, using natural language and visual interfaces. Currently public beta in the US only.
With Opal you can:
• Create AI workflows combining prompts, models, and tools
• Edit visually or by describing changes
• Share apps instantly via Google accounts
• Explore template galleries
🟣 Reddit posts replace forums
Google replaces “Forums & discussions” with “Posts on Reddit,” discovered by Barry Schwartz.
The web has become conversational. Google wants more human, community-based answers in an AI-saturated world. But what happens when Reddit answers are themselves AI-generated? 😬
🟣 Does ChatGPT use Google results?
Rumors grow that ChatGPT sometimes relies on Google Search results. Several SEO professionals in the US report similar findings.
📎 Confirmed: ChatGPT uses Google SERP snippets
🟣 …And Google may rank ChatGPT results
Everyone scrapes everyone’s content now. Even personal chats might end up ranking in Google. Personal branding era, taken to the extreme…
📎 LinkedIn post shared by Christèle
📎 Original announcement article
To help users keep up, Google launches Gemini Drops — a hub summarizing Gemini feature releases, tips, and community uses.
🟣 The cherry on top — closing this special edition
Google knows it’s hard to keep up with innovation speed around Gemini. Gemini Drops centralizes updates so we can stay informed.
📎 Gemini Drops launch announcement here
👋 That’s all for July. Have a great rest of summer and see you at the end of August for a BIG AI Search edition. If you’re not subscribed yet, you can do so here.
🟣 I’m Karine. I help you adapt your content strategy to AI Search and GEO through a masterclass and a community focused on AI marketing. The next session of my GEO masterclass in english will be in May. Want to join?
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