Google: AI Search Users Shift From Keywords to Longer Queries

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

U.S. Google users engaging with its AI Mode search are increasingly moving away from traditional keyword-based queries, adopting longer, conversational, and multimodal interactions, according to new data released by the company Tuesday.

This significant shift in user behavior is creating a content gap for existing search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, which largely remain focused on keyword relevance.

AI Mode queries are now three times the length of conventional search queries, rendering many traditional SEO approaches less effective, Google reported.

Follow-up queries within AI Mode have also seen substantial growth, increasing more than 40 percent monthly, indicating that users are engaging in deeper, more iterative conversations with the AI.

Multimodal interactions, which include voice, image, and video inputs, now account for more than one in six AI Mode searches, Google said. Image-input searches alone have climbed more than 40 percent month-over-month.

Google categorizes AI Mode user behavior into five distinct types: Explore, Decide, Learn, Create, and Do. The company noted that brainstorming and planning queries are growing significantly faster than other categories.

Shivani Mohan, a Google spokesperson, stated that the data confirms a profound evolution in how users seek information, moving beyond simple keywords to more complex, intent-driven interactions.

Google’s AI Mode has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users globally since its launch in May 2025. The company also reported that its query volume has doubled every quarter since its inception.

The company said in a statement that the observed changes necessitate a reevaluation of content creation and SEO strategies to align with these advanced user behaviors.

SEO professionals face the challenge of adapting their content to cater to these longer, more conversational, and multimodal queries, rather than optimizing solely for short-tail keywords.

Source: Search Engine Journal