Ready, set, GEO!

Google has officially introduced AI Mode in the UK, delivering a next-generation, AI-powered search experience that allows users to explore information in a more conversational and interactive way.

Using a custom version of the latest Gemini 2.5 model, AI Mode allows users to ask nuanced questions that would have previously required multiple searches.

Originally launched in the United States in March 2025, AI Mode is a key component of Google’s global rollout of generative AI within its core search product. It marks a major shift in how users engage with search results and how hoteliers must adapt their search strategies to remain visible.

Ultimately it signals a growing need to consider GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) for your hotel, ensuring content is well-structured, authoritative and contextually rich so it can be surfaced in AI-generated summaries.

So, what is AI Mode?

Only available to over-18s in the UK (for now), AI Mode lives inside a dedicated tab within Google Search. It works on desktop and mobile, and is currently limited to English-language searches.

Users of AI Mode don’t get a standard list of links. Instead, they’re met with a summarised answer, pulled from a range of trusted sources across the web – including your own website, if your content is well structured enough to be included.

An example of an AI Mode search result, including links to external websites and sources

How AI Mode Differs from Traditional Search

AI Mode is built to handle nuance. It can interpret longer, more complex questions and suggest smart follow-ups. It’s interactive, intuitive and can also understand voice and image inputs.

Beyond this, here are some of the main ways that it differs to good ol' traditional search:

AI-Powered Responses

Gone are the days of blue link-stuffed results pages. AI Mode delivers structured, summarised responses sourced from across the web, helping users plan trips, compare hotels, or explore destinations all within one neatly packaged answer.

Follow-Up Suggestions

After the initial answer, users can choose from suggested follow-up questions, helping refine or expand the search without needing to start over, making the experience more conversational and efficient.

Multimodal Input Support

Users can search via text, voice, or images. Whether taking a photo of a travel leaflet, asking a question about a hotel out loud, or typing a query about the best travel destinations, AI Mode provides a unified, intelligent response.

Context & Transparency

Crucially, Google shows its workings. AI Mode includes links to source content so users can verify and explore further. According to Google’s latest article, if the system isn’t confident in its AI-generated answer, it defaults back to standard search results for reliability.

How can Hotel and Hospitality Brands Increase Their Visibility in AI Mode?

AI Mode represents a shift towards a more intuitive, multimodal and assistive way to find information in line with the way travellers search today.

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) helps ensure your content is surfaced and cited by AI-powered search tools like Google’s AI Mode, increasing brand visibility in generated summaries rather than just traditional search rankings.

By structuring content clearly, using schema markup, headings and FAQ formats, GEO improves the chances of your site being included in the AI-generated answers users see.

Dedicated landing pages for specific themes and FAQ pages are important to retain visibility over OTAs in AI Mode. This will help drive direct bookings.

Other key factors include strong brand citations across the web and optimising local listings, as AI Mode increasingly links to Google Business Profile listings over direct website pages.

AI Mode will often link to the hotel's GBP (Google Business Profile) rather than the official website. Local SEO is therefore a key component of Generative Engine Optimisation.

Chat-ching!

AI Mode is already getting monetised, with the US already seeing paid placements in AI Mode (appearing seamlessly within responses). In the UK, Google is now briefing advertisers that these AI-driven ads will officially roll out in Q4, and that they’ll be based on conversational context, not just keywords.

This means your property could show up mid-conversion, right in the middle of an enquiry about “family-friendly spa hotels for a Cotswolds winter getaway”. Now’s the moment to prepare campaigns that align with this new conversational format - and ensure your hotel is visible not just organically, but as a sponsored suggestion when users turn to AI Mode.