Google’s traditional search results pages could lose their position as the default starting point for most searches between 2028 and 2030, according to a forecast by search industry expert Duane Forrester.
The prediction suggests that the change could happen first in the United States, with the UK and European Union following at least a year later. Rather than disappearing completely, traditional search engine results pages (SERPs) could become a secondary option, with AI-generated answers taking priority.
This is a forecast rather than a confirmed plan from Google. The analysis draws on AI adoption trends, advertising revenue, regulatory developments and Google’s previous technology changes to estimate when this shift could happen.
Google’s Search Results Could Take a Back Seat
The growth of AI-powered search has already started changing how people find information online. Instead of browsing a list of links, users can increasingly receive direct answers generated by artificial intelligence.
Google has introduced several AI features, including AI Overviews and AI Mode, which aim to help users find information through summaries and conversational responses.
However, claims that Google has already made AI Mode its global default are misleading. Its announcements have focused on improving the technology behind AI Mode, while traditional search results remain available.
Google has also previously clarified that it does not intend to make AI Mode the default for searches conducted through Chrome’s address bar. A temporary technical change that redirected searches to AI Mode was described by a Google executive as an error.
Despite this, the growing presence of AI in search suggests that Google could eventually change which experience users see first.
The important question is no longer whether Google has the technology to make this change, but when it will have sufficient commercial and regulatory reasons to do so.
AI Search Is Becoming More Popular
Several studies indicate that AI-generated answers are appearing more frequently in Google Search.
Research by the Pew Research Center, based on browsing activity from 900 US adults in March 2025, found that 18% of Google searches included an AI summary. The study also found that users were less likely to click traditional search results when an AI summary appeared.
By May 2026, Similarweb’s research reported that AI Overviews appeared in 43% of US searches, compared with 15% a year earlier.
Although these figures come from different research methods and should not be treated as a directly comparable measurement, both point towards the increasing use of AI-generated answers.
Google has also reported that AI Mode reached one billion monthly users within its first year, with queries more than doubling each quarter. These figures demonstrate the scale of interest in the technology, although they do not necessarily mean users have abandoned traditional search.
Indeed, Similarweb’s analysis of search activity between January and April 2026 estimated that AI Mode accounted for just 0.34% of Google searches during that period.
The difference suggests that many people have tried AI-powered search without making it their main way of finding information.
For website owners, one of the biggest concerns is the potential effect on traffic. Similarweb data cited in the forecast found that AI Mode generated external website referrals on a much smaller proportion of queries than traditional search.
If AI answers become the default, businesses that depend on visitors clicking through from Google may need to rethink how they attract customers online.
Why Google Has Not Made AI Mode the Default Yet
Google already has the technology needed to give AI-generated answers a more prominent position. However, changing the default search experience could have significant financial consequences.
Traditional search results support a well-established advertising model. Businesses pay to appear prominently for relevant searches, while organic listings help websites attract visitors.
AI-powered search introduces a different advertising environment. Google has started developing advertising formats designed to appear within AI Mode, including advertisements tailored to users’ questions.
These developments could help Google create new ways to earn revenue from conversational searches. However, the advertising model is still evolving, and its long-term performance remains uncertain.
Google is also working to reduce the cost of running AI-powered services. In its second-quarter 2026 earnings remarks, chief executive Sundar Pichai said the company had reduced the cost of AI Mode responses to their lowest level since launch.
At the same time, Google has been bringing AI Overviews and AI Mode closer together to create a more connected search experience.
These developments could make AI search more commercially attractive over time.
According to Forrester’s analysis, the key turning point will come when the advertising revenue generated by AI answers becomes comparable to that earned through traditional search results.
Before that point, changing the default could put existing revenue at risk. Once AI search becomes equally or more profitable, Google may have a stronger financial incentive to prioritise it.
Regulation Could Slow the Transition
Although Google has the technical ability to change its search experience, regulatory pressure could affect how quickly it happens.
Several legal and competition-related developments in the UK, EU and US could influence the future of AI search.
The UK
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has introduced requirements concerning how publishers can control the use of their content in Google’s AI search features.
According to the forecast, the requirements issued in June 2026 give Google nine months to implement the relevant measures, placing the expected deadline around March 2027.
These rules could affect how Google displays AI-generated answers and traditional search results, particularly where publishers want to restrict the use of their content in AI features.
The outcome may influence how quickly Google can make AI answers the primary search experience in the UK.
The European Union
The European Commission opened a formal investigation in December 2025 into concerns about Google’s use of publisher content in AI Overviews and AI Mode.
The investigation includes questions about whether publishers have sufficient control over the use of their material and whether they can refuse its use without losing access to Google Search.
The outcome could affect how Google develops and introduces AI search features across the EU.
The United States
In the US, the Department of Justice and several states continued their legal challenge against Google in 2026.
Their appeal raised concerns about Google’s position in search and the payments it makes to companies that distribute its search engine. The case also considers how Google’s market position could affect competition from emerging AI services.
Chrome and Android are particularly important because they give Google direct access to users through browsers and mobile devices.
Any legal restrictions affecting how Google distributes its search products could influence the timing of a move towards AI-first search.
These regulatory developments do not necessarily prevent the transition from happening. However, they could mean that changes arrive at different times in different markets, with the US moving ahead of the UK and EU.
Google’s Previous Changes Offer a Clue
To estimate when traditional search results might lose their default position, Forrester compares the current AI transition with Google’s move towards mobile-first indexing.
Google began introducing mobile-first indexing in November 2016. In March 2020, it announced plans to move the web towards this approach, with the process eventually declared complete in October 2023.
The transition took several years, demonstrating that even major changes to Google’s search infrastructure can happen gradually.
The forecast applies a similar timeline to AI search.
AI Overviews became widely available in the US in May 2024, while AI Mode began rolling out there in May 2025. Based on the timing of Google’s previous changes, the author estimates that AI-generated answers could become the default for most US searches between 2028 and 2030.
The transition may take longer than the mobile-first indexing change because it involves more than technology. Google must also consider advertising revenue, publishers, advertisers and regulators.
Even if AI answers become the main search experience, traditional results may remain important for certain types of queries, including searches for specific websites, local businesses and products.
For this reason, the author expects the complete transition to take longer, potentially extending into the early 2030s.
What Could Change the Forecast?
The prediction is based on current trends, but several developments could bring the change forward or delay it.
The transition could happen earlier if Google makes AI Mode the default in Chrome or Android, independent research shows a substantial increase in AI Mode usage, or Google reports strong advertising revenue from its AI search features.
On the other hand, the change could take longer if AI Mode usage remains low, advertisers see limited returns from AI placements or court decisions restrict how Google promotes its AI services.
Monitoring these developments will be important for businesses that depend on organic search traffic.
However, the figures available today come from a mixture of independent studies, industry estimates and information released by Google. These sources do not always measure search activity in the same way, making it difficult to predict an exact date with certainty.
The forecast should therefore be treated as a possible timeline rather than a guaranteed outcome.
What Does This Mean for Businesses and Website Owners?
If AI-generated answers become Google’s main search experience, businesses may need to rethink how they attract visitors and build their online presence.
Traditional SEO will still matter, but securing a high position in a list of search results may no longer be enough to guarantee visibility.
Companies may need to focus more on publishing reliable information, demonstrating genuine expertise and creating content that AI systems can understand and use when responding to questions.
It will also be important to monitor referral traffic, conversions and other performance measures rather than relying entirely on keyword rankings.
Businesses should not abandon traditional SEO based on this forecast alone. Instead, they can prepare for possible changes by improving their content, strengthening their online reputation and keeping up with developments in AI-powered search.
Final Thoughts
Google’s traditional search results pages are unlikely to disappear overnight. However, the continued growth of AI-powered search could gradually change the way people discover websites and businesses.
According to Duane Forrester’s forecast, the US could see AI-generated answers become the default for most searches between 2028 and 2030, with the UK and EU potentially following later.
The timing will depend on several factors, including AI adoption, advertising revenue and regulatory decisions. While the prediction remains uncertain, businesses should pay attention to these developments and prepare for a search landscape in which traditional rankings may play a smaller role.
For website owners, the priority is to continue creating useful, accurate and trustworthy content while adapting their digital marketing strategies as search technology evolves.
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