Google is quietly trialling a version of its homepage that puts artificial intelligence tools ahead of plain old search. Search Engine Watch spotted it first: instead of the familiar Search button under the search box, some people are seeing three AI buttons instead – “Create images”, “Ask about files” and “Brainstorm”. Amusingly, “I’m Feeling Lucky” has survived the cull.
Before anyone panics, some perspective. This is a limited test, not a rollout. It has only been seen by people who are signed out of a Google account; if you are logged in, you still get the normal Search button. The search box itself has not gone anywhere, and typing a query and pressing Enter works exactly as it always has. Google has not said whether it plans to take this any further.
Why a small business should still care
The test is a small thing on its own, but it points in a clear direction. Google keeps moving AI answers to the front of the page, and every step in that direction means one more customer who gets an answer without ever clicking through to a business website. That is the part worth planning for, whether or not this particular button experiment ever ships.
None of this calls for a panicked website rebuild. A few sensible habits cover it:
- Keep your Google Business Profile accurate. Hours, phone number, address and services. AI summaries lean on this data, and a wrong phone number costs you the job.
- Write pages that answer real customer questions in plain language, rather than pages stuffed with keywords. That is what gets quoted back to people.
- Do not let Google be your only front door. Email lists, repeat customers and referrals do not change when a search page changes.
- Track where your enquiries actually come from. If search traffic starts sliding, you want to notice in weeks, not a year later.
The businesses that get hurt by shifts like this are usually the ones that never checked which channel was bringing the work in. That is a half-hour job, and it is worth doing before anything changes.
Worried this affects your business? Get a free 15-minute IT check – call Trends IT on 0485 011 911 or visit /contact/.