During the recent conversation in the ACCESS podcast hosted by Alex Heath and Ellis Hamburger, Liz Reid, VP and Head of Search at Google explained that the future internet may not be dominated only by humans browsing websites. Instead, AI agents may perform many tasks on behalf of humans.
Her key point:
There will likely be a world where agents do a lot of interaction on the internet, not just people.
But she also clarifies something important:
She does not believe the web will become entirely agent-driven. Humans will still want to interact directly with content.
So according to Liz, the future of search is likely hybrid: humans + AI agents.
What Exactly Are AI Agents?
An AI agent is essentially software that can search the web, read multiple pages, compare information, perform tasks and return answers or actions all on behalf of you while you are busy doing other tasks that really matter.
Examples already emerging:
- ChatGPT browsing mode
- Gemini agents
- Claude + tools
- AI shopping agents
- automated research assistants
So think of this, with these agents visiting 10 websites for your users and taking action on their behalf, the question is, is your website optimized for these agents to crawl, fetch and display the content?
How Agents Could Change the Web
Today: A typical search process looks like this – a user searches Google, clicks websites that are listed, reads content and decides what action to take.
Future: In an agent-driven model it becomes – user asks an AI to search, AI agent searches the web, reads multiple sites and returns a summarized answer.
This means machines become the primary readers of content.
What This Means for SEO
This shift changes the traditional model of SEO.
Instead of optimizing only for human clicks (which Google has been backing for a long time now), websites must also optimize for AI consumption.
Key changes likely coming:
1. Content Must Be Machine-Readable
Agents will extract information directly from pages. This means structured content is going to be critical. Ensuring schema markup, clear headings, entities and factual statements.
2. Brand Mentions Matter More
AI systems often cite trusted brands and entities. So brand authority and mentions across the web may become even more important than traditional backlinks.
This is already happening. Check out all the AI platforms that you can think of, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Preplexity etc. all use citations from multiple websites to generate the information.
3. Clicks May Decline
If agents summarize information, fewer users will click websites. We have been seeing this trend ever since Google introduced the featured snippets. But with AI overviews and AI Mode now becoming the integral part of Google traditional search, the drop in search CTR is going to increase.
This creates a new model:
Visibility > clicks
In a few years you would want your site to be cited, referenced and summarized in AI tools even if traffic decreases.
4. AI Will Query the Web Differently
Agents may run multiple searches simultaneously, this means the use of long tailed questions with varied intents. Additionally, it will compare the user’s request with the content provided by each source so that the one that fails to provide the answer is rejected from the citations.
AI agents will also compare the trust signals before displaying the results to the users which increases the value of getting brand mentions and community mentions in the coming days.
So ranking #1 may not always matter the same way. Being trusted by the AI system becomes the real goal.
Why Google Is Comfortable With This Shift
The host asked whether agents interacting with the web might hurt Google. Liz Reid’s answer was essentially:
If done correctly, agents using search could actually increase demand for search infrastructure.
In other words:
Agents might still rely on Google as the backend discovery engine.
So instead of:
Human → Google → Website
It may become:
Human → AI Agent → Google → Website
Google remains in the middle.
The Bigger Vision of the Future Web
According to Liz Reid, the future internet may look like:
This model involves humans primarily interacting with AI agents, which then perform extensive research and even interact with other agents across the web. Within this system, search engines are expected to act as the essential infrastructure for all data discovery and movement.
This complex interaction model between people, AI agents, and search infrastructure fundamentally changes the web’s architecture, leading to the creation of a “multi-layer internet.” This is a significant shift from the current model, formally recognizing machine-to-machine interaction as a core component of the future online experience.
The resulting multi-layer internet is defined by three distinct components. These layers are the Human layer, representing direct user interaction; the AI layer, where agents execute tasks and conduct research; and the Search infrastructure layer, which acts as the foundational engine for all data discovery.
Why This Matters Right Now for SEO
For SEO professionals and website owners, this signals a major shift.
The new question is no longer just:
“How do I rank on Google?”
It becomes:
“How do I become a trusted source for AI systems?”
That includes strong topical authority, entity recognition, brand trust, structured content, citations across the web.
The shift is already happening. Have you started optimizing your site for the multi-layer internet?
If you need expert guidance to transition your SEO strategy for the age of AI agents, connect with our team of AI SEO experts today.
Key Takeaways
Hybrid Web: The internet’s future will be a mix of human and AI agent interaction.
Shift SEO Focus: Optimize content for AI consumption, not just human clicks.
Prioritize Structure: Make content machine-readable using structured data and clear headings.
Brand Trust Matters: Brand authority and mentions become more critical than traditional backlinks.
New Goal: The key is to be a trusted source for AI systems, making visibility more important than click-through rate.
Dileep Thekkethil
AuthorDileep Thekkethil is the Director of Marketing at Stan Ventures and an SEMRush certified SEO expert. With over a decade of experience in digital marketing, Dileep has played a pivotal role in helping global brands and agencies enhance their online visibility. His work has been featured in leading industry platforms such as MarketingProfs, Search Engine Roundtable, and CMSWire, and his expert insights have been cited in Google Videos. Known for turning complex SEO strategies into actionable solutions, Dileep continues to be a trusted authority in the SEO community, sharing knowledge that drives meaningful results.