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March 2025: AI Mode arrives in Search Labs alongside a core update

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers March 2025 · Published · 2 min read
Person holding a smartphone and searching
Photo: Jonas Leupe on Unsplash

Covers March 2025. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: During March 2025 Google launched AI Mode as a Search Labs experiment, giving conversational AI-written answers to more involved questions, with room for follow-ups. A broad core update rolled out in the same month. AI Mode was a clear sign that Google Search itself was heading towards something that behaves like an AI assistant.

Looking back from late 2026, March 2025 was the month Google showed its hand. Alongside its usual ranking work, it started testing a version of Search built around conversation rather than a list of links. For a local trade business, that changes how a customer might go about finding someone to fix a leaking roof or service a boiler.

What did Google launch in March 2025?

Google said AI Mode used a method it called query fan-out, firing off lots of related searches behind the scenes and combining what it found into a single answer. At first only some users in the US could try it. The March 2025 core update also began rolling out that month.

Why should UK trades and service businesses care?

It made clear that both ChatGPT and Google were shifting towards search that answers the question directly. Think of a homeowner asking about a new boiler: before they choose an engineer, they want to know about costs, sizes, brands, grants and how long fitting takes. Websites that answered those smaller questions properly became more useful to an AI building a complete reply.

What to do about it now

  • List the questions a customer works through before booking you, then answer each one plainly on your site.
  • Link your helpful guides and your service pages to each other so the connections are obvious.
  • Keep an eye on how core updates affect each type of page, such as service pages, area pages and blog posts.

Frequently asked questions

What does query fan-out mean?

It’s the approach Google uses to split one question into lots of related searches, then merge what comes back into a single AI-written answer.

When could people in the UK use AI Mode?

UK users were given access to AI Mode in July 2025.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? We help local firms get found in AI-led search through our AI search and GEO service. Get in touch.

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May 2021: Google unveils MUM and hints at the AI search to come

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers May 2021 · Published · 2 min read
Person holding a smartphone and searching
Photo: Jonas Leupe on Unsplash

Covers May 2021. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: At its Google I/O event in May 2021, Google revealed MUM, short for Multitask Unified Model. It is an AI model built to handle complicated questions by drawing on information in different languages and formats. Looking back, it was an early sign of the AI-driven search features that turned up years afterwards, AI Overviews and AI Mode among them.

It is one instalment of our search timeline, where we revisit, a month at a time, the developments in search, AI, advertising and social that matter to local firms. We wrote it in November 2026.

At the time, few heating engineers or builders would have heard of MUM. It still mattered, because it showed Google moving towards answering whole questions rather than simply matching words.

What Google revealed in May 2021

Google said MUM was much more powerful than BERT, its earlier language model. MUM could make sense of both text and images and pull in information from many languages.

Google also said it would introduce features powered by MUM into Search step by step.

Why it was a signal for local businesses

Hardly any businesses changed their approach straight away. But MUM pointed to where search was going: dealing with questions that take several steps to answer, instead of just matching keywords.

Think of a homeowner asking what to check before replacing an old boiler and how long the job takes. Firms with thorough, trustworthy content covering those questions were in the best position for the change.

How to prepare your site today

  • Answer the whole chain of questions customers ask before they book, not just one keyword such as “plumber near me”.
  • Use clear photos of your work with descriptive alt text, because search is getting better at understanding images.
  • Strengthen trust signals, including reviews, named authors with real experience and accurate business details.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google Search still use MUM?

Google has used MUM for particular features. AI Overviews and AI Mode are now powered by its newer Gemini models.

Did MUM change SEO?

Slowly, yes. It strengthened the shift from single keywords towards topics and the intent behind a search, which sits at the heart of AI search now.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? We help trades and local businesses get found in AI Overviews, AI Mode and other AI search tools. See our AI search and GEO service or Get in touch.

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June 2026: Google offers an AI Overviews opt-out after CMA pressure

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers June 2026 · Published · 2 min read
Performance graphs on a laptop screen
Photo: Luke Chesser on Unsplash

Covers June 2026. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: Google used June 2026 to announce a new Search Console setting that lets a website step out of AI Overviews and AI Mode but remain in the ordinary search results. It came in response to requirements set by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and launched in the UK first. For most businesses selling products or services, staying in is the better choice.

You are reading one chapter of our search timeline. Writing in November 2026, we revisit each month’s biggest shifts in Google, AI tools, paid advertising and social platforms.

Publishers had pushed hard for this kind of control. For a local electrician or cleaning company, though, the question is very different, because AI answers are increasingly where new customers find you.

What Google announced in June 2026

According to Google, the setting applies to AI Overviews, AI Mode and the AI features in Discover. Google said it would not treat the choice as a ranking signal.

The opt-out does not reach the Gemini app or the use of content for AI training. Those are handled by separate controls.

Why local service businesses should think twice

UK publishers gained more say over how their content is used. For most other businesses, however, AI answers have become one of the main routes customers take to find a supplier.

Picture someone asking Google which roofers cover their village. If you opt out, you are simply leaving that spot for a competitor to fill.

How to decide whether to opt out

  • Before you touch the setting, ask whether your income comes from page views or from enquiries and jobs. For trades it is almost always the latter.
  • Find out how often your business is currently mentioned in AI answers.
  • If you do trial an opt-out, monitor clicks, calls and enquiries for a minimum of two months.

Frequently asked questions

Does opting out harm my ordinary Google rankings?

Google says the setting is not used as a ranking signal. You will, however, lose any traffic that came through AI features.

Will opting out prevent my content being used to train AI?

No. AI training is managed separately through robots.txt tokens, Google-Extended being one example.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? We help trades and local businesses track and grow their visibility in AI Overviews, AI Mode and ChatGPT. See our AI search and GEO service or Get in touch.

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May 2023: Google unveils the Search Generative Experience

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers May 2023 · Published · 2 min read
ChatGPT open on a laptop screen
Photo: Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Covers May 2023. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: Google revealed the Search Generative Experience (SGE) at Google I/O in May 2023. It was an experiment that put AI-written summaries at the top of the results page, with links to the sources used. SGE paved the way for AI Overviews, which went public a year later.

This was the first real look at how AI might sit on top of the familiar list of results. For a local firm used to fighting for the top three spots, it raised a new question: not just “where do we rank?” but “are we the source the AI quotes?”

What did Google show in May 2023?

Google made SGE available to people in the US through Search Labs. Its AI snapshots summarised answers to more complicated questions and suggested follow-ups, with the source links shown alongside.

Why did it matter to UK businesses?

SEO specialists could see how AI summaries might shove the usual results further down the screen. UK businesses started thinking about how to be a cited source, rather than simply one more link on the page.

How to get ready for AI summaries now

  • Lay out your key pages so every question gets a short, clear answer close to the top.
  • Build up the expertise and trust signals that help Google pick you as a source.
  • Keep track of which searches in your area and trade bring up AI summaries.

Frequently asked questions

Are SGE and AI Overviews the same thing?

SGE was the trial version. AI Overviews went live for all US users in May 2024, reaching the UK later.

Do AI summaries mean fewer clicks?

For simple questions they often do. For bigger decisions, being one of the cited sources can still bring in valuable visits.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? We help local businesses become the source AI summaries cite through our AI search and GEO service. Get in touch.

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May 2026: Google brings Preferred Sources to AI Mode

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers May 2026 · Published · 2 min read
ChatGPT open on a laptop screen
Photo: Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Covers May 2026. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: Towards the end of May 2026 Google said it would bring Preferred Sources to AI Overviews and AI Mode. Preferred Sources is the feature that lets people pick sites they’d like to see more often. That meant loyalty to a brand could feed straight into AI search visibility, which favours businesses with a real following.

This search timeline entry, written in November 2026, looks back at May 2026. For local firms, it was a sign that being known and trusted in your area could start to count inside Google’s AI answers, not only in the map pack.

What Google announced in May

Before this, Preferred Sources already let people favour certain sites in Google’s Top Stories. Bringing it to AI features handed users more control over which sources show up in AI answers.

Why trust and loyalty became a visibility boost

For UK businesses, being a source that people actively trust turned into an advantage in search. Building recognition through helpful content, email newsletters and social media now fed into AI search as well.

A gardener who sends regular seasonal tips to past customers, or an electrician known locally for straight answers, is building exactly that kind of loyalty.

Ways to build a loyal audience

  • Publish genuinely useful content often enough that people have a reason to come back.
  • Where you can, ask loyal customers and regular readers to follow your business on Google.
  • Grow recognition of your name through email, social media and local PR as well as SEO.

Frequently asked questions

What is Preferred Sources on Google?

It’s a feature that lets people choose websites they’d like to see more often in some Google results.

Is this only for big brands?

No. A loyal local or specialist following can count just as much as being big.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? Our AI search and GEO service helps local businesses build the trust that AI search rewards. Get in touch.

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April 2022: Google multisearch combines photos and words in one search

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers April 2022 · Published · 2 min read
ChatGPT open on a laptop screen
Photo: Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Covers April 2022. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: Google launched multisearch in April 2022. It let people search in Google Lens using a photo and some text at the same time, for instance a picture of a dress with the word green added. It marked the point where search started to become multimodal, a direction that now sits behind AI Mode and visual shopping.

Picture a homeowner who snaps a leaking radiator valve and wants to know what it is called, or someone who photographs a garden wall they like and wants a similar one built. Visual search makes those journeys possible, so the images on your website start to do real work.

What changed in April 2022?

The feature first appeared as a US beta inside the Google app, aimed mainly at shopping to begin with. A later addition, a near me option, let people look for things available locally.

Why was it relevant to UK businesses?

The businesses best placed to show up in visual searches were those with clear photos, structured data and accurate Merchant Center feeds, whether they were shops or local service firms. Pictures turned into a way for customers to find you, not just something to fill the page.

What to do about it now

  • Use sharp, well-lit photos, ideally on plain backgrounds for products, and your own photos of finished jobs.
  • Give every image a descriptive file name and alt text.
  • Check that your Merchant Center feed and product markup are complete and correct.

Frequently asked questions

What is Google Lens?

It is Google’s visual search tool. Point it at something, or give it a photo, and it identifies objects, text and products.

How should I prepare images for visual search?

Use clear, original photos with descriptive alt text, make sure they load quickly and add product structured data where it applies.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? Our AI search and GEO service gets your pages and images ready for visual and AI search. Get in touch.

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September 2023: Google’s helpful content update and the arrival of Google-Extended

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers September 2023 · Published · 2 min read
Performance graphs on a laptop screen
Photo: Luke Chesser on Unsplash

Covers September 2023. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: September 2023 brought a major helpful content update from Google, which knocked many content-heavy websites, along with Google-Extended, a robots.txt token for deciding whether your pages can be used to help train Google’s AI models. Website owners suddenly had two things to weigh up: their rankings, and how AI might use their content.

This timeline entry, written in November 2026, revisits September 2023. For a trades business with a blog full of thin “tips” posts written mainly to attract clicks, it is a month worth understanding.

Two changes from Google in September 2023

The helpful content update took two weeks to roll out and came with revised guidance, including advice on hosting content from third parties. Alongside it, Google-Extended gave publishers a way to keep their pages from being used to make Bard and Vertex AI better, with no effect on how they appeared in Search.

The impact on UK websites

A number of UK sites lost a lot of traffic in the update. Google-Extended handed businesses a decision to make about AI training, although it did not give them any control over the AI features shown in Search.

What local businesses should do now

  • Look over pages written mainly to pull in traffic rather than to help your customers, such as generic DIY articles unrelated to the jobs you actually do.
  • Choose your stance on AI training crawlers and update robots.txt to match.
  • Bear in mind that Google-Extended has no effect on ordinary Google Search or on AI Overviews.

Frequently asked questions

What is Google-Extended for?

It decides whether your pages can be used for training Gemini and for some grounding. Your Search rankings are not affected by it.

Have sites recovered from the helpful content update?

Some have, by raising the quality of their content over time. Since 2024 the helpful content system has been folded into Google’s core ranking systems.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? We can review your website content and your AI crawler settings so both work for your business. See our AI search and GEO service, or Get in touch.

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February 2025: ChatGPT search becomes free to use without an account

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers February 2025 · Published · 2 min read
Performance graphs on a laptop screen
Photo: Luke Chesser on Unsplash

Covers February 2025. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: At the start of February 2025 OpenAI opened up ChatGPT search to anyone, with no need to log in. Because so many more people could now use it, visits from ChatGPT became a noticeable source of traffic for lots of UK websites, and AI visibility turned from an idea into something a business could actually measure.

For many small firms, this was the first time AI showed up in their own numbers. A roofer or a driveway company checking its analytics might have spotted a new name in the list of sites sending visitors.

What did OpenAI change in February 2025?

Search in ChatGPT had first been offered to paying subscribers, then to anyone who was logged in. In February 2025 OpenAI made it available to logged-out users as well. The answers it gave listed their sources, with links through to the websites they came from.

Why did it matter for UK local businesses?

chatgpt.com started turning up in the referral reports of UK businesses. The numbers were often small, but people arriving from an AI answer tended to know what they wanted and were ready to get in touch, ask for a quote or book.

What you can do with this today

  • Set up a GA4 channel group that collects AI sources such as gemini.google.com, chatgpt.com and perplexity.ai.
  • Compare how often AI referral visitors enquire or book against your other channels.
  • Work out which pages on your site ChatGPT quotes, and make sure they stay correct and current.

Frequently asked questions

How can I track visits from ChatGPT?

Look for chatgpt.com in your GA4 referral traffic, which is often tagged utm_source=chatgpt.com, and pull your AI sources together into a custom channel.

Are visitors from ChatGPT worth having?

Often they are. There usually aren’t many of them, but they tend to be closer to making a decision.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? We help trades and local service firms win and measure AI referrals through our AI search and GEO service. Get in touch.

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February 2024: Google renames Bard as Gemini

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers February 2024 · Published · 2 min read
ChatGPT open on a laptop screen
Photo: Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Covers February 2024. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: In February 2024 Google changed the name of its Bard chatbot to Gemini, and brought in a paid tier called Gemini Advanced along with a mobile app. With OpenAI, Microsoft and Google all pushing their assistants hard, asking an AI became an everyday way for people to research products, services and who to hire.

At the time, a rename might have looked like a simple branding exercise. With hindsight, it marked the point where AI assistants stopped being a curiosity and became one more place where a customer might ask, “who’s a good electrician near me?”

What changed in February 2024?

Google brought its AI assistant together under the single Gemini name. It launched a Gemini app on Android, added Gemini to the Google app on iPhone, and made Gemini Advanced available as part of a Google One subscription.

Why did this matter for local businesses in the UK?

Customers suddenly had a handful of AI assistants they could ask for recommendations. For a landscaper or a cleaning company, it made sense to start checking how each assistant described the business, and to include that in regular marketing checks alongside Google rankings and reviews.

Practical steps to take today

  • Put questions about your business to the leading AI assistants and note down any mistakes.
  • Tidy up any information that differs between your website, Google Business Profile and directory listings.
  • Win mentions on trusted review platforms and trade sites that AI tools tend to rely on.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to pay for Gemini?

No, a free version is available. Paid tiers give access to more capable models and extra features.

Do AI assistants pull from Google Search?

Gemini is able to use Google Search. Other assistants rely on their own indexes or on partners such as Bing.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? Want to know what AI assistants say about your business? Take a look at our AI search and GEO service. Get in touch.

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November 2022: the month ChatGPT arrived and search started to shift

Aaron, Lead Local Marketing
Covers November 2022 · Published · 2 min read
Performance graphs on a laptop screen
Photo: Luke Chesser on Unsplash

Covers November 2022. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.

Quick answer: OpenAI made ChatGPT publicly available on 30 November 2022. Within a few weeks it was among the fastest-growing consumer apps the world had seen, and it reset what people expect from search: ask a full question, get a straight answer. That kicked off the AI search era, which today covers AI Overviews and AI Mode from Google.

At the time, few plumbers or builders gave it much thought. Looking back, it was the start of a change in how customers find and choose local businesses.

What launched in November 2022

ChatGPT went live as a free research preview, so anyone could hold a conversation with a large language model. People were quickly impressed by how fast it could write, explain and summarise, and it caught the public imagination.

Why it mattered for UK local businesses

It raised two questions that are still very much alive for trades and service businesses. First, how can AI tools save time in the business, for example drafting quotes, emails or website copy? Second, when a homeowner asks an AI assistant who to call for a new boiler or a roof repair, how do you make sure your business is the one it suggests?

What to do about it now

  • Let AI tools speed up your research and first drafts, but always have someone who knows the trade check the facts.
  • Publish clear, correct information about your services, areas covered and contact details that AI tools can pick up and quote.
  • Begin checking how AI assistants describe your business and your local competitors.

Frequently asked questions

Has ChatGPT replaced Google?

No, though it has changed how plenty of people research. Google is still dominant, while AI assistants are a growing way for customers to discover businesses.

Can a local trade business show up in ChatGPT answers?

Yes. Clear website content, good reviews and being mentioned on reputable sites all raise the chances of an AI tool suggesting your business.

Sources and further reading

Want help with this? Our AI search and GEO service helps local businesses get recommended by tools like ChatGPT. Get in touch.

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