How Google’s AI Mode Is Changing Search for Health and Wellbeing Brands

Building a successful brand with Google’s new approach to AI search

Google search is changing again.

But this time, it’s a lot bigger than an algorithm update.

At Google I/O, the world’s largest search engine provider doubled down on AI Mode, which gives users a more conversational, personalised search experience.

When people look for support with sleep, gut health, hormone balance, fitness, nutrition, anxiety or skincare, they’re not just typing in a keyword anymore. Instead, they’re asking detailed, nuanced questions. And rather than show a list of sites, Google wants to answer questions directly, help users compare options and guide decisions in real time.

The question is: will your brand be part of that answer?

What is Google AI Mode?

AI Mode is Google’s next evolution of search.

Instead of typing “best magnesium supplement”, people might ask:

What’s the best magnesium supplement for sleep if I exercise regularly and don’t want digestive side effects?

Google’s AI then pulls information from multiple sources and provides a conversational answer with citations, suggested products, leading brands and follow-up questions.

Users can continue the conversation naturally rather than start a new search each time. But the new update goes beyond this.

Google’s AI search system will now build a personalised profile of you based on data from things like:

• Search history
• Shopping behaviours
• YouTube
• Gmail
• Maps and location history
• Calendar
• Online habits across devices
• And even your Fitbit activity

If Google knows something about you, it’ll use that to cultivate your search.

You’re vegetarian? It’ll only recommend meat-free recipes.

Got a leg injury? Here are some low-impact exercise routines.

Working night shifts? Probably best you get some vitamin D.

(And oh, look, we have an ad for that.)

Google started out as a neutral online public directory for websites. But it’s about to become your personalised digital assistant – made for you, shaped by you and deeply connected to your online experience.

What does this mean for search engine marketing?

Google launched AI Overview in May 2024.

Since then, websites that appeared as the top-ranked result – once the coveted holy grail of organic success – have seen their clickthrough rate drop 34.5% when AI Overviews are present. And 60% of searches now complete without users clicking through to a website at all.

AI Mode will push this even further.

Links aren’t disappearing. But Google is doing everything it can to give you a complete answer without needing to browse sites one-by-one. And people are more interested in acting on the information AI provides rather than manually clicking links.

For brands, this changes how discovery works.

Search is becoming less about keywords and more about context, trust and relevance.

The golden opportunity for health and wellbeing brands

When it comes to health and wellbeing, people generally don’t make decisions on impulse.

They research. Compare options. Look for reassurance. Ask questions.

AI search accelerates this behaviour by summarising recommendations, educational content and brand information before a user ever clicks a link.

This creates an obvious challenge for organic traffic. But only if your brand sucks.

That’s because brands with genuine expertise, credible education and strong authority signals stand to gain visibility in ways that thin, SEO-first content never could.

Doubling down on EEAT

Back in 2014, Google debuted EEAT as a key ranking factor in their Search Quality Guidelines.

This meant that, to rank highly, brands needed to display:

• Expertise: A clear, complete understanding of the topic

• Experience: Proof of credibility with relevant, well-researched content

• Authoritativeness: Consistent publishing with a robust backlink profile

• Trustworthiness: A website that’s secure, transparent and accurate

EEAT essentially forced brands to write for a human audience, not a search engine.

And with Google’s Medic Update in August 2018, the search engine placed a greater focus on Your Money, Your Life sites. This set a much higher standard for content that could impact people’s finances, safety, social welfare… and health and wellbeing.

Google’s AI Mode update pushes this need for strong EEAT to its absolute limits. So when it’s deciding between a dozen near-identical sources to include in its response, the tiebreaker will be this: Which site has the best EEAT?

And if it’s not you, then you simply won’t show up.

Does this mean SEO is dead?

No.

But it does mean SEO is changing.

The old playbook of high search volume + generic blog + rank #1 = traffic is already less reliable.

That’s because users are producing highly detailed long-tail queries that describe what they need in detail with pain points and caveats. So focusing on short-tail keywords like “protein powder” or “sleep tracking app” isn’t enough anymore.

But that’s not the only challenge.

AI Mode personalises responses based on user habits, interests and preferences. That means if someone has never engaged with your niche, you might not appear in results at all.

This is going to make life a lot harder for new brands and startup companies.

So, what’s the solution?

Long-story-short, you need to focus on becoming a leader in your niche.

But that doesn’t mean you need the biggest budgets or market share to succeed.

You just need to create a very specific type of demand.

The brands most likely to win

The brands that will struggle are those relying on generic, low-value content.

You know the type:

• 10 benefits of exercise
• Why hydration matter
• How to sleep better

AI can summarise that in seconds. And it’ll do it using information from the NHS or Mayo Clinic, not some two-bit lifestyle coaching service in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

But even in a competitive marketplace, your brand has a strong chance of success if you regularly produce specific, experience-led, genuinely useful content.

For example:

• Supplements: Why magnesium glycinate feel different to citrate for people with sensitive digestion

• Fitness: Simple exercise routines that help with burnout at work

• Skincare: How does barrier repair actually work for sensitive skin?

That kind of highly specific, AI-friendly SEO content is hard to replicate. And more importantly, it reflects real-world expertise – something Google continues to champion across health and wellbeing sectors.

So start by narrowing your audience, not widening it.

Consider what you do well and how you meet a need that your competitors don’t. Then, turn that into a source of authority for the real issues your customers face.

As specialists in performance marketing for health and wellbeing brands, Fueld produces original, well-researched content that fills the gaps your competitors miss.

We dig deep into what makes you special and the problems your audience faces. Then, we turn it into highly valuable problem-solving blogs and landing pages that help you surface in AI responses.

Get in touch to find out how we can grow your brand in an AI-first world.

Paid media matters more, not less

One mistake we’re already seeing brands make is treating this as “an SEO problem”.

Think like that, and get ready to fail.

Truth is, the change will also have a huge impact on your paid media strategy.

That’s because Google is also rolling out a range of Gemini-powered ad formats that you’ll soon see in AI Mode:

• Conversational Discovery ads answer specific questions directly inside generative responses. Gemini will look at the intent behind a user’s query, then create ads to match, complete with an explanation of the product or service

• Highlighted Answers show highly relevant ads within lists of recommendations. So if users search “best physiotherapist for sports injuries in Bristol”, your ads promoting your clinic could show up

• AI-powered Shopping ads help users make decisions for high-value purchases like TVs or appliances. Google will display them alongside custom explainers highlighting why your product might fit the user’s specific needs

• Business Agent for Leads introduces AI-powered chat into lead generation ads. Rather than fill out forms, users can discuss their needs with an artificial Gemini brand agent that draws information from your website

• Direct Offers, currently a pilot program that allows brands to upload promotions in Google Ads, is set to expand. In future, it could include promotion building, native checkout for Universal Commercial Protocol (UCP) merchants, travel deal integrations and AI-generated offer recommendations

Instead of relying on predetermined visuals and keyword matching alone, you’ll need to optimise your ads for these new types of interactions. If consumers are seeing summaries, comparisons and recommendations, the brands they recognise will have the advantage.

That’s why Fueld designs precisely targeted paid media campaigns that build brand trust and recognition across touchpoints.

From paid social platforms like Meta and TikTok to programmatic ads in a range of everyday digital spaces, we keep you at front-of-mind among consumers. And we advise on how best to position your products and services so your pay-per-click ads surface in highly relevant searches.

4 simple things health and wellbeing brands need to do now

1) Create genuinely useful educational content

Stop writing for keywords alone.

Start answering real questions your customers actually ask before buying.

Consider:

• What concerns do they have?
• How do we solve these problems?
• What myths confuse them?
• What stops them from buying?
• How can we convince them?

The more specific and useful your content, the more likely it is to appear in AI-led search.

2) Build authority signals

Google demands credibility and proof in health and wellbeing sectors.

That means you need:

• Expert contributors
• Clinical or practitioner input
• Real customer case studies
• Strong reviews and social proof
• Transparent sourcing and evidence

But that’s not all.

You also need to present this in a way that search engines will recognise and customers will value.

Don’t try to do it yourself. But don’t just hand it off to a marketing agency either.

Work closely with a health and wellbeing sector expert like Fueld to ensure everything you produce is accurate, beautifully written and ready for AI search.

3) Think beyond Google

Discovery no longer happens in one place.

Consumers are actively learning about new brands through:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• Reddit
• YouTube
• ChatGPT
• Connected TV
• Audio streaming
• Digital billboards
• Gym and clinic displays
• Organic content

So you need to pursue a cohesive ecosystem that meets potential customers in spaces where they invest the most time.

4) Align paid and organic

The quality of your blogs, product descriptions and landing pages will directly impact whether you and your ads show up in AI search results.

You can’t make up for bad SEO by throwing money at digital advertising. And you can’t build a powerful brand on quality content if nobody ever sees it.

The brands destined for success will use paid to build awareness while organic content supports trust and authority.

Build a high-performing AI search strategy with Fueld

There’s not much time to adapt before Google’s AI Mode becomes the standard.

The full plan will launch in the summer of 2026, completely free for all users. So you need to master your new search strategy as soon as possible.

That’s why health and wellbeing brands across the UK are turning to Fueld.

We use detailed customer insights and audience targeting data to create strategies that perfectly balance paid media with organic content.

That way, you can build that essential recognition and authority ahead of other brands and secure your future in the digital marketplace.

Contact us today to trusted, proven support that drives sustainable growth.