Google says AI isn’t killing Search – it’s changing the way people use it and making them search more often. AI overviews help filter out low-value clicks while driving more searches, Google Search VP Liz Reid said in a new Bloomberg podcast interview.
On the killer click of AI. Reid said AI tends to cut out “bounce” clicks — when users click on a page, grab a quick fact, and then leave.
- “Obviously people sometimes want to spend a few seconds, and sometimes they’ll spend an hour listening to things. So one of the things we’re seeing with the AI Overviews exchange is, you’re getting a lot of this announcement about what’s your goal?”
- “If you were to just go to a web page, see a fact, and quickly click back, you’d spend about half a second on the page.” Well, you see those things change.
- “But if all you’re going to do is read an article for five minutes, you’re still interested in reading that article for five minutes, right?
- “[AI Overviews] it might help you point to the right page so we see a few clicks where a user can go and then come back quickly because they were unhappy.”
People want AI and the web. Reid said AI won’t replace websites — it works alongside them.
- “I think there’s this kind of myth that people are looking for AI or the web… I actually think what we’re seeing is people are looking for AI on the web together.”
People use AI for quick answers, but they still turn to the web for deeper information:
- “Sometimes people want quick answers… and sometimes they want deeper.”
That includes people’s ideas and opinions:
- “People care to hear people’s opinions … their different takes.”
AI helps users get started, he said:
- “There’s an opportunity… to help you get started and make it easier for you to dig.”
An overview of AI depends on the question. The AI overview is not visible in all searches. Google decides based on what helps the user. If AI doesn’t help, Google sticks with standard results.
- “The key premise of this is that we shouldn’t give you AI for the sake of giving AI, right? The point is when we think it adds value to the population.
- “So we have a variety of signals that try and help us understand, when is it adding value or not? And we’re getting smarter over time as people … we’re changing the way they ask questions. [and] as models become smarter. We don’t want to put an AI Overview if we think it won’t be high quality. So now that the models are more powerful, we can close a lot of cases, and continue to improve focusing on what is the best answer to give the user the question they asked.”
To change the behavior of a query. People are searching in new ways. The questions are long and natural, Reid said.
- “We’ve seen, with AI Overviews, questions that are reasonably long. We’re seeing a lot of natural language questions.”
Users also move from keywords.
- “I think one of the interesting things about the evolution of AI is that people stop talking about keywords so much, and start expressing what they want. Then it’s a lot easier for us to give feedback.”
Instead of simplifying questions, users now describe their full problem.
- “They tell you the real problem, don’t they?
- “Actually, if you go back [Google] The purpose, was to ‘organize the world’s knowledge and make it universally accessible and usable’ as that useful part. That’s right. It’s not just that it’s organized. Is it useful for you?
- “And I think one of the most exciting things about AI, the revolution that’s going on now is that it can make information more useful to people. …
Ads are evolving. Google says it can still make money from Search – even AI answers:
- “Search only shows ads for… less than a quarter of queries.”
Many AI overview questions have not been monetized:
- “There are a lot of questions … that you don’t make money on because a lot of them don’t require trading.”
But if people want to buy something, clicks still matter:
- “The answer is not buying shoes, you actually have to buy shoes, right? So you still have to go and get a salesperson for that.”
Reid also suggested that AI could improve ads by asking more detailed questions:
- “When people start expressing their needs… you can really create better ads.”
And as the search expands, so do the possibilities:
- “There’s an increase in questions… some of those questions are sales.”
What Google sees. One key signal for Google is whether people return to Search over and over again.
- “Does it cause people to come to search more often?”
Reid said that’s a high bar:
- “All you have to do is decide you’re going to bother opening your phone.”
It’s not just about doing more searches – it’s about coming back more often:
- “Don’t just use search often, but come often.”
AI mode vs. Search vs. Gemini. Google doesn’t put everything in one place. Different tools have different needs, and users move between them.
- “There are a lot of people who use it in cooperation with each other.”
Search and AI Mode are often used for information.
- “If it’s a question of knowledge… the chances of them using search or AI Mode will be high.”
Gemini is mainly used for writing and creative activities.
- “If it’s a question of composition … those kind of questions are going to be about Gemini.”
AI mode is used to handle complex questions.
- “AI mode tends to be … very long questions, conversational questions.”
“AI slop” is not new – standardization is the solution. Low-quality content isn’t new – AI has just done more, says Reid:
- “Before the AI backlash, there was slop. There was man-made slop. Now there’s AI-generated slop. There’s always been web slop.”
Reid said it doesn’t matter how much human/AI there is. The most important thing is that Google can display good web content while keeping the spam rate down and down to “very low.”
- “It’s not a problem you’re solving because other people are generating spam, right? There’s a lot of financial incentives that go with it. But … people trust Google to show good information. And it’s something we’re going to continue to put a lot of effort into.”
An interview. Google’s Liz Reid on Who Will Own Search in an AI World | Odd Lots
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