Google’s traditional Search Engine Results Pages are projected to cease being the default first response for most queries between 2028 and 2030, replaced by AI-driven answers, starting in the United States.
This shift signifies a fundamental change in how users interact with Google Search, with the United Kingdom and European Union expected to follow this transition a year or more later, according to industry forecasts.
The introduction of Google’s ‘Web’ filter in May 2024 is viewed as foundational infrastructure for gradually demoting Search Engine Results Pages, allowing ranked links to become one view among several options, analysts reported.
AI Overviews, Google’s generative AI answers, appeared on 43 percent of U.S. searches by May 2026, a significant increase from 15 percent just a year prior, indicating a rapid rise in the prevalence of AI answer layers.
Despite AI Mode surpassing 1 billion monthly users, it accounted for only 0.34 percent of Google searches from January to April 2026, suggesting users are experimenting with the feature but have not yet adopted it as their primary search method, according to data from Similarweb.
Google has not rushed to alter the default search experience due to the established profitability of the ranked page’s advertising inventory, while ad formats for AI Mode are still under development, industry observers noted.
Google introduced advertisements placed inside AI Mode responses at Google Marketing Live in May, indicating progress in monetizing the new search experience.
New query-time, auto-generated ad systems are also arriving, further integrating advertising into the AI-driven search environment, Google stated.
The cost associated with serving AI Mode responses is reportedly decreasing, making the transition more economically viable for the company, sources familiar with Google’s operations said.
Google’s Search Liaison Danny Sullivan previously indicated the company’s focus on evolving search.
AI Overviews and AI Mode are in the process of merging into one seamless Search experience, Google executives, including Rajan Patel, have stated, aiming for a unified user interface.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has consistently emphasized the company’s commitment to integrating AI across its product suite, including search.
The U.S. Department of Justice has previously scrutinized Google’s search dominance, a factor that could influence the pace and nature of future changes.
Pew Research Center reports have highlighted evolving user expectations for digital information, which could further drive the adoption of AI-powered search.
Source: Search Engine Journal
