Google’s AI Search Expert: How to Get Ahead Before AI Changes Everything — Silicon Valley Girl Podcast

Robby Stein October 30, 2025 28 MIN
Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search, interviewed by Marina Mogilko on the Silicon Valley Girl Podcast

About the Guest

Robby Stein
VP of Product, Google Search

Robby Stein is the Vice President of Product for Google Search, where he oversees the evolution of one of the world's most widely used products. He has been instrumental in integrating generative AI and large language models into Google's core search experience. Stein is a recognized voice on the future of information discovery, AI-driven personalization, and the changing dynamics of online visibility.

In this episode of the Silicon Valley Girl Podcast, Marina Mogilko interviews Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search. Marina Mogilko interviews Robby Stein, VP of Product for Google Search, about how AI is fundamentally reshaping the way content and businesses get discovered online. Stein demonstrates new AI Mode features live, including Google's ability to make phone calls on a user's behalf and shop via photo recognition. He also shares actionable advice for founders, creators, and marketers on how to stay visible as AI-driven search becomes the new standard.

Key Takeaways

  • AI Mode in Google Search now factors in personalization and context when ranking results — businesses that accumulate authentic signals like reviews, press mentions, and structured data are far more likely to be recommended.
  • PR is the new SEO — earning third-party editorial coverage and credible mentions is one of the most important tactics for getting your business surfaced by AI-powered search in the AI era.
  • Google's AI agent can make real phone calls on behalf of users to book reservations or gather information, a live demo feature that signals a major shift in how consumers will interact with local businesses.
  • Google Ads are not disappearing — Stein confirmed ads will continue to exist within AI-generated responses, but their placement and format will evolve to fit the new conversational search experience.
  • The 2 principles behind every viral product are solving a genuine user pain point and being shareable by design — builders who internalize these fundamentals are best positioned to stand out in the AI era.
00:00 Teaser 1:00 How Google Search has changed 2:08 Personalization in Google search 2:47 New features in AI mode at Google 3:05 Live DEMO: testing new features 4:07 Google can book restaurants? 6:02 How Google decides which restaurants to show first 7:24 How to use Gemini to save hours at work 8:39 Will Google Ads disappear? 11:08 LIVE DEMO: Google’s agent makes a real phone call 14:07 How to get your business recommended by AI 15:00 Why PR will define visibility in the AI era 15:45 What to do if businesses buy reviews 16:20 How to grow fast with smarter search strategies 18:03 Shopping powered by AI - what’s changing 18:48 LIVE DEMO: shopping by taking a picture 20:20 Google vs ChatGPT 22:50 How to design your home with AI 24:25 TIPS to build products that stand out in the AI era 25:58 How to find ideas that actually work 27:20 The 2 principles behind every viral product

Transcript not available for this episode.