Google's AI Box, Siri & Spark, Gemini Trust, Zero Traffic

Google Launches AI Powered Search Box

AI Mode now has more than 1 billion users, according to Liz Reid today at Google I/O. Many SEOs had been predicting that AI Mode would become the new SERP. Google isn't doing that but it is much more deeply integrating AI into search with a new "intelligent search box," tightening the AIO and AI Mode connection and introducing new "search agents." The new search box, which Reid described as the biggest upgrade in 25 years, is supposed to go live today. It's not operative for me yet. One gets the sense that it will lead people more often into AI Mode. The new search box also offers AI powered search suggestions. Google described it as a "seamless experience," likely intended to overcome some of the fragmentation that Google introduced with all its disparate AI experiences. Reid also discussed search agents, starting with "information agents." These are the AI equivalent of Google Alerts, with more capabilities (e.g., apartment hunting, financial research). Eventually, more types of agents will be deployed. Google mentions local here: "We’re also expanding agentic booking capabilities in Search to a wide range of new tasks, including local experiences and services ." Google will find pricing and availability information (including calling the business) and then book or offer booking options. These agentic capabilities go live this summer for paid Gemini users. Many or all of these tools will also be available through a new Gemini agentic assistant called Spark.

Source: Google I/O

Our take

• It's not yet clear how much this will change the search experience or user behavior. It's safe to say it will, however.
• Until we can see these tools in action it's premature to prognosticate. Still, this appears to be a significant shift in search.
• To the extent Google drives more users into AI Mode, however, it's risking ad clicks at the moment.

Siri Search & Gemini Spark

OpenAI is reportedly getting ready to sue Apple over its disappointing ChatGPT partnership. At the same time Apple is (finally) preparing to unveil an AI-upgraded Siri at its coming developer conference in June. There will apparently be a new stand-alone Siri app, which will emphasize privacy, but perform like ChatGPT or Claude and be built on Gemini. A more functional and broadly useful Siri could peel away search volumes from Google if it works. We'll have to see. But today at I/O, Google announced yet another AI brand, as mentioned, in the form of Gemini Spark. Spark is agentic assistant built on Gemini 3.5. Spark lives within Gemini – there's no Spark app – and will carry out actions and tasks on behalf of users, right now mostly around schedule and information management. To get the full value of Spark you'll need to share all your data and Google apps (Google docs, calendar, etc.) It appears users can also create their own "skills" and that Spark will work with third party tools, presumably through MCP/ connectors. However, Spark will only be available to those paying for Gemini Ultra. Normally $200 per month, Google has introduced a new $100 monthly plan. Spark appears useful, but primarily to those willing to opt in and share all their personal data with Gemini. Spark will also work on Gemini for macOS and the iPhone. Google demonstrated a number of consumer-facing agentic tools, in Search, Gemini and Shopping. They probably all share the same infrastructure and are just different ways in. But there's a lot of brand clutter going on.

Google's New Personal Agentic Assistant Source: Google I/O

Our take

• No doubt many of these "agentic" features will be useful. It's hard to know how user friendly they are or how widely embraced they'll be.
• A decade ago I would've been celebrating all these tools and capabilities and writing some fawning article about them.
• Now they feel manipulative. It's hard not to see all this as just another Google data grab and way to keep users from going anywhere else.

Gemini Only AI to Gain Trust YoY

AI is facing a trust crisis, although that hasn't stopped usage. Unlike people in other countries, Americans strongly distrust AI. More than 60% of survey respondents say they have little or no trust in AI. The main concerns are misinformation, job displacement, data security and privacy questions, as well as overall negative societal impacts. A new AI Trust Report from Morning Consult captures all of those issues in some detail. But the most interesting finding for our purposes is the growth of trust in Gemini vs. most other AI brands. According to the survey, seven of ten leading AI companies lost trust over the past 12 months. The biggest losers were xAI, Perplexity and Meta. However, OpenAI was in there as well. The three companies to gain consumer trust were Anthropic (+1.4) and Apple Intelligence (+1.2), while Gemini gained a whopping 6 points. Similarweb has been tracking Gemini's market share gains, which are partly about quality improvements but much more about Google's massive distribution and ability to drive usage through its various channels: search, Chrome, Android, Workspace. In May Similarweb reported that ChatGPT had declined to 53.7% traffic share, while Gemini had grown to 26.7%. Significantly Claude is now number three with 8%. (There are other data somewhat less upbeat for Gemini.) Another important story, documented by Morning Consult, is that people are not simply choosing one AI tool over another; they're making choices about when to use each. Gemini is seen mostly as an extension of search and used primarily for "utility tasks," whereas ChatGPT and Claude are being used for a broader range of things. There's also a very large overlap between ChatGPT and Gemini usage.

AI Platform Trust Source: Morning Consult

Our take:

• The key implication from these trust survey findings is that they may predict future behavior, which means further Gemini gains.
• Copilot is one of the more trusted AI brands, but that's not turning into usage. Microsoft's "halo" isn't helping. However Google's is for Gemini.
• OpenAI is in trouble. The hits their brand has taken since last year, together with this trust information, suggest further slowing.

Plan for 'Google Zero'

There's no way an objective observer could have come away from today's Google I/O keynote without a strong sense that Google is using all its technology, tools and tricks to increase user lock-in. The changes in Search and the SERP either announced or hinted at and the various agentic tools and features seem calculated to keep users on Google properties and to further reinforce Google dependence. In particular, Google's Robby Stein spoke about "generative UIs" in Search. These are dynamic and unique SERPs designed to answer specific questions or to provide graphical mini-apps that respond to a unique user need. As such they're extremely personalized. They may appear exclusively in AI Mode, but that's not clear because they didn't show actual live screens, just mockups. More generally these dynamic SERPs and other changes may further marginalize organic links. Therefore all marketers should plan and act as if they had to market without Google going forward. That's not to say you don't do SEO or advertise in appropriate contexts; it means you can't rely on Google. You have to work toward driving brand queries. The Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch recently stated in an interview that they're actively planning for a future where search traffic is zero. For them subscriptions have become a primary alternative strategy. Google Zero is what most publishers will experience in a future where all third party content is merely an input or data for the company's AI systems and answers.

Dynamic UIs in Search Source: Google I/O

Our take:

• Google has argued that declining publisher traffic is really just low value clicks.
• It's difficult to see how all these new Google-centric AI experiences pass muster under the DMA's anti-self-prefercing rules.
• Marketers must still play the Google game, but should diversify and build brands (long-term proposition). That will help in both search and AI.

Recent Podcasts & Analysis

• Near Memo ep. 256 - Death of Keywords: Google’s Personal Intelligence is Defining the Future of Local Search – Part 2 (Garrett Sussman)
• Near Memo ep. 255 - How Google’s Personal Intelligence Is Quietly Revolutionizing Everyone’s Search Results – Part 1 (Garrett Sussman)
• **5-Star Fraud: The FTC Targets Law Firms & Property Managers for Review Abuse **by Mike Blumenthal

LOCAL SEARCH & SEO

• Google releases GBP optimization guide for restaurants.
• Checklist for troubleshooting Google review disappearances.
• Why listing 24/7 business hours is a suspension risk.
• Beware the vindictive "update for customers " slam.
• Yelp showing up frequently in Google AIOs, AI Mode, AI Packs.
• Google testing an offer callouts in business profiles.
• How to add text to GBP photos to improve AI understanding.

GENERAL SEARCH & SEO

• ChatGPT has a "hidden cached index" of webpages.
• Risky strategies for SEO and AI search visibility.
• YouTube may be a quick way into AI Overviews.
• Study: custom design and images boosted SEO visibility.
• Google now offers AI assistant/LLM tracking in GA.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• OpenAI finance tool wants access to your bank accounts.
• Google: AI search optimization is still SEO, critics disagree.
• Ahrefs study on no schema AI impact and criticism.
• Google extends spam policies to AIOs and AI Mode.

SOCIAL, ADS & COMMERCE

• Meta : search and social don't compete, but social's better.
• Reddit less valuable for targeting than for brand insights.
• OpenAI turning product feeds into ads on ChatGPT.
• LinkedIn: no more AI slop; also: use our AI writing tools.

LAW, POLICY & PRIVACY

• US sues home services fraudster; scammed $79M with fake GBPs.
• Musk loses court battle against nemesis Altman and OpenAI.
• CA sues Meta over scam ads under false advertising law.