Google has expanded access to its AI Mode search beyond Google One AI Premium subscribers in the U.S.

The lack of links to businesses will become a challenge for all when asking for detailed information.

The feature provided links to general information, but not when it came to specific details in my searches. 

Will those links become sponsored and how will Google add ads in the results? It wasn't until I asked for images that AI Mode provided additional links.

Advertisers, publishers and others that depend on web traffic are about to learn how to attract web visitors another way.

Supporting publishers and retailers have always been Google’s focus. Missing links will tank web traffic. I get the sense Google executives know this, and that the company is leading advertising into a seismic shift.

“Giving traffic to publisher sites is kind of a necessary evil," a former Google executive told Bloomberg. "The main thing they’re trying to do is get people to consume Google services. So there’s a natural tendency to want to have people stay on Google pages, but it does diminish the sort of deal between the publishers and Google itself.” 

Elizabeth Reid, vice president of search, told Bloomberg that the company cares deeply about publishers and that AI Overviews is a jumping-off point for users to conduct further research on the open web. Where on the list of "jumping off point" does that put AI Mode?

Previously on the waitlist, I now have access. The tradeoff for this tool is giving Google access to your search data. I had blocked Google from accessing my search history, I gave in and made it available to them. Some might not think it's a tradeoff. I thought long about giving Google access, but eventually did. 

"We're going to be adding new features and capabilities soon, like more visual responses, richer formatting and new ways to get helpful web content," Robby Stein, vice president of product at Google, wrote in a post on X.

I appreciated the ability to get AI responses for multi-layered questions, along with information you might not get in traditional search. There is also an option to keep exploring through follow-ups and helpful web links.

When searching, you will see an “AI Mode” filter alongside All, Shopping, Images, Videos. It enables you to switch to the new experience on an existing Search results page. 

I typed in "what do I need to build a four-season greenhouse capable of withstanding temperatures 20 degrees Fahrenheit below zero." Google's AI Mode came back with a list of design requirements, framing and glazing materials, foundation and flooring, insulation, heating, ventilation and air circulation, temperature monitoring and that I should consider solar. 

It did not tell me about the pollination of the plants and that I needed two windows that let bees enter the greenhouse and pollinate the plants. 

Then I asked AI Mode to give me directions on the steps to build the greenhouse. Since I turned on data services, Google told me approximately the location I wanted to build the greenhouse within 15 miles of my actual location. The answer detailed things like the preparation of the foundation. 

Then I asked where I could locally purchase the material. Most companies in this small Wyoming town are not listed on the internet, so I received back a limited list of stores that carried the material. 

I got a little more adventurous and asked AI Mode to provide me with a list of one-color maxi dresses I could purchase in a Southern California store at a cost of $500 or more.

AI Mode provided a long list of stores and dresses with the prices, but not all provided links or contact information to the stores like phone numbers, which became a bit worrisome. 

Not providing links to the stores that appeared under the content based on the search will reduce web traffic considerably. A panel on the right side of results sometimes included a link or phone number, but not for all listing.

Where is the click to a buy-and-ship option in the AI Mode search results? Google did not say this is a feature that is expected. I'm just asking.