🧠 Google Expands Gemini and AI Mode Features

On July 8, Google unveiled five new Gemini-powered features for Android devices, including foldable phones and smartwatches. These include:

• Circle to Search in games — use the gesture to ask about on-screen game elements
• Gemini Live — real-time visual input from Pixel Watch and Galaxy Z Flip 7 cameras
• Proactive assistance — Gemini learns from surroundings (via smartwatch/camera) to suggest actions

Google continues integrating Gemini AI into hardware — showing that AI isn’t just a SERP feature, but part of the full search experience.

🌍 AI Mode Launches Fully in India

As of 8 July, Google’s AI Mode is now fully live in India. It features:

• Conversational, multi-step queries
• Visual follow-ups using your device camera
• Voice-first search as the default experience

AI Mode is no longer experimental — it’s going global. This represents the next phase of search behaviour change for billions of users.

📲 Instagram & Facebook Posts Now Indexed

Google has begun indexing public Instagram and Facebook posts from professional accounts. This rollout began on July 10 and affects:

• Posts by business profiles (default setting: public)
• Content eligible for traditional SERPs — not just Discover

This means brands and creators must now treat Instagram like an SEO asset — optimising alt text, captions, and hashtags for discoverability.

📈 Google Search Console Adds AI Mode Data

Confirmed in the July Webmaster Report, Search Console now includes data from AI Mode in its performance metrics. This includes:

• Impressions from AI-generated answers
• Clicks from cited links in AI Overviews and AI Mode

This makes GSC a more complete reflection of your visibility — not just traditional CTR. As zero-click AI results grow, tracking impressions becomes critical.

📚 New E-E-A-T Guide Launched for AI Search

London-based agency DigitalBiz released a guide covering E-E-A-T and authority signals for AI-first search environments. Key points include:

• Aligning content with entity knowledge graphs
• Reinforcing trust signals across author, site, and sources
• How AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) ties into AI Overviews

As authority increasingly dictates which sites are cited by LLMs, E-E-A-T is no longer optional — it’s foundational.

📊 AI Traffic Converts 23× Higher Than Traditional Search

According to internal benchmarks from Ahrefs and DigitalBiz, AI search currently accounts for just 0.25% of total site traffic — but converts at 23 times higher than average organic clicks.

Implication: While AI visibility may seem small in raw numbers, its conversion potential is disproportionately high. This gives SEOs a new KPI — “trust-triggered conversion.”

🔗 July Algorithm Update: Horizon Signals

July’s ranking volatility hints at a quiet but meaningful update targeting:

• Spammy AI-generated content (particularly ecommerce)
• Reinforcement of link trust signals (contextual anchor text)
• Improved authority classification for niche content creators

Google is refining how it balances helpfulness with originality — in line with the HCU (Helpful Content Update) trend of recent months.

📍 Local SEO Impacts from AI Search

AI Overviews and AI Mode are now surfacing local businesses, maps, and reviews in zero-click results — affecting how local packs are triggered. Early findings show:

• GBP descriptions with FAQs and services get cited more often
• Schema markup on service pages boosts AI awareness
• Consistent NAP+E data across web influences AI answers

This is the next evolution of local SEO — optimising for answer engines, not just map packs.

💬 What the Experts Are Saying

“Search is no longer about clicks — it’s about citations and mentions in AI-generated responses.”
— Barry Adams, Technical SEO Consultant

“Instagram becoming indexable is the biggest brand visibility shift since Google Discover.”
— Claire Carlile, Local SEO Expert

“When GSC reports AI Mode data, it’s time to stop treating AI Overviews as an experiment — they’re now a permanent fixture.”
— Glenn Gabe, SEO Analyst

“You can’t game AI search. You can only teach it to trust you — and that starts with clarity, structure, and semantic depth.”
— David Roche, The SEO Guide Book

❓ FAQs

Is AI Mode now live outside the U.S.?

Yes — as of July 8, AI Mode has launched across India with full functionality, including voice-first and visual queries.

Can Instagram posts really rank in Google Search?

Yes. Google is now indexing public Instagram posts from professional accounts, meaning SEO optimisation for posts now matters.

How do I see AI Mode traffic in Google Search Console?

Google has integrated AI Mode impressions and clicks into GSC reports as of July 2025. Look for increases in impressions without CTR.

Is AI traffic worth chasing if it’s low volume?

Yes. Studies show that AI-generated search traffic converts far better than traditional search — it’s low volume but high quality.