At Google I/O on May 19, 2026, Google introduced a new search box that suggests ways to phrase questions and also accepts images, files and videos. It also added a direct path from a follow-up question in an AI Overview to a conversation in Google's AI Mode. According to Google, the search box is rolling out in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available, including Israel and Hebrew. For brands, this is another step in the shift from keyword search to search conducted as a conversation.
In brief
- מה הוכרז. A smart search box, a direct path from AI Overview to a conversation in AI Mode, and a new default model in AI Mode.
- היקף השימוש. According to Google, AI Mode has more than a billion monthly users, a year after launch.
- בישראל. AI Mode has been available in Hebrew since October 2025, and the new updates reach all the languages in which it operates.
- המשמעות למותגים. Longer and more complex questions, answers that summarize several sources, and a need to check how the brand is presented in such content.
What is Google AI Mode?
Google AI Mode is a search experience in which the user asks a question in free language and gets a summarized answer, with links to sources and the option to ask follow-up questions. It runs on Gemini models. According to Google, when the system isn't confident enough in the answer, it shows regular search results.
An AI Overview is a short summary that appears at the top of the regular results page. The practical difference is that in AI Mode the whole experience is built as a conversation, while in an AI Overview the summary is part of a familiar results page. The May update connects the two: a follow-up question on a summary opens a conversation.
What did Google announce at I/O 2026?
The main announcements concern the entry point to search and what happens after it. The table brings together what Google published on its official blog, with availability as described at the time of writing.
| Announcement | What it does | Availability according to Google |
|---|---|---|
| Smart search box | Expands as you type, suggests phrasings and accepts text, images, files and videos | Rolling out in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available |
| From AI Overview to a conversation | A follow-up question on a summary opens a conversation in AI Mode | Live on desktop and mobile worldwide |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | The new default model in AI Mode | For all users worldwide |
| Agent-assisted bookings | Showing prices and availability for local services and a referral to complete the booking | In the US, during the summer |
How does this change search in Hebrew?
The main change is in how people phrase what they are looking for. When the search box suggests phrasings and encourages follow-up questions, searches tend to become longer and more detailed. Instead of two or three words, the user describes a situation, compares options or asks for a recommendation.
For such an answer, Google gathers information from several sources and summarizes it. The user may get part of the answer without visiting a site, and continue asking within the conversation. Google notes that the answers include prominent links to websites. However, the impact on traffic to each brand's site depends on the field, the type of questions and the content the brand offers, so it's worth checking it in the brand's own data.
Another change is that search no longer has to start with text. The new search box also accepts images, files and videos, so a user can photograph a product and ask about it, or upload a document and ask for a comparison. For brands with a broad catalog, this reinforces the importance of clear product images and consistent information across all channels.
What should brands check now?
The goal is to understand how the brand appears in conversations about its field, and what can be improved in the content and on the site. A possible checklist:
- Gather the complex questions customers ask about the field, from sources such as customer service, sales and on-site searches.
- Check manually, in Hebrew, how AI Mode answers these questions: which sources are shown, and how the brand and competitors are described.
- Make sure the site has clear, up-to-date answers to these questions, written so they stand on their own even when a passage is quoted.
- Check the technical foundations: indexing, speed, structured data and consistent information about products and services.
- Track organic traffic over time by page type and question type, and distinguish between changes related to search and seasonality or marketing activity.
GEO/AEO is the field that deals with a brand's visibility in the answers of AI engines, and it complements classic SEO. The principles are similar: useful, credible and well-structured content. What changes is the need to examine the answer itself as well, alongside the position on the results page.
How we approach this at CONNECT
At CONNECT, part of the Bruckner Yaar Levi advertising group, we build for each brand a set of questions that represent the way its customers search, in Hebrew and English. We check how the brand is presented in the answers, compare over time, and translate the findings into work on the content, the site and the technical foundations.
We centralize tracking of visibility in AI engines' answers in GEO Radar, a tool we developed for monitoring this. It provides a picture of the trend, and alongside it we continue to measure traffic and business results with the existing tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google AI Mode available in Hebrew?
Yes. Google launched AI Mode in Hebrew and in Israel in October 2025, as part of an expansion to dozens of languages and countries. According to Google's help page, Hebrew and Israel are included in the list of supported languages and countries. The updates announced at I/O 2026 reach, according to Google, all the languages and countries where AI Mode is available.
Will AI Mode replace regular search results?
At this stage it runs alongside the regular results page. The user chooses whether to enter AI Mode, and a follow-up question on an AI Overview can lead to it. Google notes that when the system isn't confident in the answer, it shows regular results. So classic SEO remains relevant, alongside checking visibility in the answers.
How do you know whether the brand appears in the answers?
The basic method is a systematic check of a fixed set of questions, with the same phrasing and over time. Answers vary between users and between days, so a single check isn't enough. It's worth documenting which sources are shown, how the brand is described, and what changes after work on the content.
What is the difference between SEO and GEO/AEO?
SEO deals with the site's visibility in search results, and GEO/AEO deals with the brand's visibility in the answers AI engines generate. There is a large overlap between them, because AI engines rely, among other things, on content from websites. The main difference is in how they are measured: in GEO/AEO you examine the content of the answer and the sources shown in it.
ראו גם: GEO/AEO, נראות מותגים במנועי AI, קידום אתרים, מה זה GEO/AEO? המדריך לקידום אתרים במנועי AI, קידום אתרים גדולים: הטעויות הטכניות שעולות בתנועה, GEO Radar.
Sources: Google: Search's I/O 2026 updates (19 במאי 2026), Google: AI Mode expands to more languages and locations (7 באוקטובר 2025), Google Search Help Center: AI Mode.
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