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Dofollow Digest #49: AI is expanding total search volume

Dofollow Digest #49: AI is expanding total search volume

Eric Carrell
October 31, 2025

Hey, it's Eric 👋

Google's Q3 earnings call revealed something important about how AI features are affecting search traffic.

For it, it was the complete opposite of what I’ve been predicting (but I also think it's good news).

AI Mode and AI Overviews are expanding total search usage rather than simply redistributing existing queries. For SaaS companies, this changes how you should think about SEO strategy going into 2026.

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🔍 DEEP DIVE: AI Is Expanding Total Search Volume

Google's Q3 earnings data shows that AI features are expanding total search volume.

CEO Sundar Pichai reported that overall queries and commercial queries both grew year over year. More importantly, the growth rate accelerated in Q3 compared to Q2. This happened while Google rolled out AI Mode globally and expanded AI Overviews.

The numbers back this up. AI Mode queries doubled during the quarter, reaching 75 million daily active users. Pichai specifically noted that AI Mode is driving "incremental total query growth for Search" and that AI Overviews' impact on query growth was "even stronger" in Q3 than earlier in the year.

For context: these AI features aren't just maintaining existing search volume while redirecting it. They're bringing new searches into the system.

What This Means for SaaS Companies

The shift happening in search isn't replacement, it's expansion. People are conducting more searches because AI features make it easier to get answers. Some of those searches stay within AI interfaces, but many still lead to traditional results and website clicks.

Pichai emphasized that Google's AI experiences "highlight the web" and send "billions of clicks to sites every day." While Google didn't share specific data on outbound click rates from AI features, the revenue numbers suggest commercial intent remains strong. "Search & other" revenue reached $56.6 billion, up from $49.4 billion a year earlier.

The practical implication: SaaS companies need to think about search visibility across multiple surfaces, not just traditional blue links. Your content needs to work in AI Overviews, appear in AI Mode results, and still rank in standard search results.

The Gap in the Data

What Google didn't share matters as much as what they did. The earnings call included no data on click-through rates from AI features to websites, no new reporting tools for tracking AI-driven traffic, and no breakdown of how traffic distributes across different search surfaces.

This means SaaS marketing teams will need to rely on their own analytics to understand how AI features affect their traffic. The measurement infrastructure is lagging behind the product rollout.

The Path Forward

Google plans to release Gemini 3 later this year, which would strengthen the AI foundation for these search features. They also raised their 2025 capital expenditure guidance to $91-93 billion to meet AI demand. Both signals point to continued investment in AI-powered search surfaces.

For SaaS companies, this suggests two strategic priorities:

First, optimize content for both traditional rankings and AI visibility. That means clear, structured information that AI systems can parse and present accurately. Technical fundamentals matter more, not less.

Second, build authority through high-quality backlinks. As AI features distribute traffic across more surfaces, domain authority becomes increasingly important for maintaining visibility. Companies with strong link profiles will likely see better representation in AI-powered results.

Success requires an omni-channel approach. You need visibility everywhere users might discover you.

🔗 LINK ROUNDUP

Til next time,

Eric