The Impact of AI Overviews on SEO: How Smart Brands Turn a Threat into Competitive Opportunity

Over the last year, the introduction of AI Overviews in Google’s search engine results page (SERP for short) has launched the SEO industry into a new era. B2B brands are seeing drops of up to 30% in their click-through rates as users are now more likely to get the information they need directly from the SERP instead of navigating to the top sites to get answers.

With such a substantial impact on important SEO metrics, AI Overviews have led SEOs in many industries to begin updating their usual strategies to flourish in this new era. If brands don’t adapt their strategies quickly, they will see continued declines in performance.

To begin re-strategizing and regaining valuable traffic and conversions, brands need to understand what AI Overviews are, how they work, how to measure success on SERPs with AI Overviews, and how to plan content that helps the brand thrive in the age of AI.

What are AI Overviews? Understanding the new face of search

Over the last few decades, search engines have evolved from simple link directories into sophisticated answer engines powered by AI. Google’s AI Overview is an example of the latest evolution, where the search engine doesn’t just find information, but also synthesizes multiple sources and presents the answers directly in search results.

(Source: Google)

How AI Overviews work and where they appear

The AI Overviews feature uses generative AI to create its search summaries. Generative AI is able to learn patterns and understand the data that it’s trained on. It relies on sophisticated algorithms that interpret both content and context from multiple sources. In this case, the data comes from content on websites as well as elements of the code on the site such as structured data. 

So as Google generates an AI Overview, it compiles and synthesizes information from several sources, then concisely summarizes it in the clearly-labeled AI Overview panel with sources cited on the right. The format of answers can vary especially between industries and query types, but it is often a mix of short paragraphs, bulleted lists, and relevant graphics.

According to a study by Advanced Web Ranking, AI Overviews appear for about 12% of queries and are most commonly displayed for queries with informational intent, like keywords starting with “how to” or “what is,” for example. 

(Source: Advanced Web Ranking)

The most common industries that AI Overviews appear for, according to the study, are health and safety, technology, and finance. Branded queries, ecommerce, entertainment, and real estate industries show the least frequently, though this may change as Google continues to work AI into its functionality.

The difference between traditional featured snippets and AI Overviews

The longstanding featured snippet SERP feature still appears in about 18% of searches. This feature has a similar goal to the AI Overview — to answer the user’s query directly in the search results — but instead of summarizing several sources, it pulls an excerpt from a single source. Typically, Google will only show an AI Overview or a featured snippet, not both.

With featured snippets, source attribution is clear since there is one source per feature. For AI Overviews, citations are more subtle, often appearing as small chainlink icons after the respective sentence that refers to the source. There is also typically a list of sources on the right side of the overview, though they are not typically in any specific order or tied to particular parts of the generated answer.

Most importantly, tracking traffic from AI Overviews is much trickier than tracking traffic from featured snippets as Google is not directly sharing that data with sites via Google Search Console yet, so measuring success in this new age of search can look quite different from what sites are used to.

The real impact of AI Overviews on your search performance

If you haven’t adjusted your reporting strategy to suit the new reality of search, your metrics may appear to be suffering, especially beginning in May 2024, when AI Overviews were widely launched. 

Many sites saw a disproportionate reduction in clicks when compared to stable (or increased!) impressions, leading to suffering click-through rates. This may be because even if a site appears in AI Overviews, users are likely to receive the information they’re looking for right on the SERP (known as a zero-click search), so they’re not going to click through to publishers. This means that while a site may have received an impression from ranking in an AI Overview, it is less likely that it will result in a user landing on the site.

Measuring the traffic and visibility impact

As mentioned, brands are experiencing shifts in their search metrics since AI Overviews rolled out. Sites are seeing CTR reductions for affected queries, creating a disconnect between impressions — which often remain stable or even increase — and actual click-through behavior.

Because informational queries are most likely to generate an AI Overview, this phenomenon is especially prevalent for those keywords. Users receive their answers directly on the SERP and are less likely to click through to sources. And when users are no longer clicking to the site, lower-funnel metrics like conversions and revenue are going to suffer as well. As these features expand, the gap between visibility, traffic, and revenue will likely widen further.

Industries and content types most affected

Not all industries are feeling the impact equally. Industries with highly informational content like healthcare, safety, and financial services are seeing traffic drop dramatically as their content gets distilled into AI summaries.

Content formats that focus on high-level definitions, step-by-step instructions, and straightforward factual information are particularly vulnerable to being summarized. This type of content was once reliable to build authority and generate traffic. While it’s still important to cover the basics to ensure Google sees your site as trustworthy, it’s no longer worth making it the core of a strategy as it’s not the type of content that’s going to draw clicks and convert users.

(Source: Bain & Company)

Key metrics signaling that your site has an AI Overview problem

Some indicators that your site is being negatively impacted by AI Overviews are:

• Declining CTR despite stable or improving rankings
• Reduced time on site and increased bounce rates
• Shifts in traffic patterns for informational queries
• Growing disparity between impressions and clicks

If your metrics match these patterns, it’s time to dive deeper to understand exactly how AI Overviews are impacting your site and what you can do to adapt. Special attention should be paid to changes in engagement metrics like time on site and conversion rates, as these downstream effects often signal the true business impact of AI Overviews.

The AIO Impact Audit: Your path to search visibility in an AI-first world

At TopRank Marketing, we’ve developed an AI Overview Impact designed specifically to address challenges posed by AI Overviews. Our audit combines audit, strategy, and implementation phases that help brands thrive instead of just surviving in this new search environment. This comprehensive approach ensures that your content not only appears in AI Overviews when appropriate but also maintains its ability to attract valuable direct traffic when deeper engagement is needed.

AI + search audit components

With the audit, you’ll get:

• Get seen in AI-generated answers—so you don’t disappear from search
• Understand where opportunities exist to drive clicks and attract relevant visitors to your site from organic search
• Adjust your strategy for the future—so you stay ahead of search changes

This detailed audit creates a clear picture of your current position in the AI-enhanced search landscape, identifying both immediate vulnerabilities and potential opportunities. By understanding exactly how your content is being used and presented, we can develop targeted strategies that address specific weaknesses in your current approach.

Strategic implementation for long-term search success

After the audit portion is complete, we’ll create a custom, data-driven plan complete with:

• Custom visibility enhancement strategies for your specific content
• Frameworks to ensure accuracy of brand information in results
• Personalized recommendations to update content planning and execution for the AI Overview era
• Future-proofing your search strategy beyond current AI capabilities

Our implementation approach focuses on both short-term tactical adjustments and longer-term strategic shifts in your content strategy. By developing content that is both digestible to AI systems and helpful to human visitors, we help ensure that your brand remains visible regardless of how search presentation continues to evolve.

Don’t let AI decide your search future — take control today

As AI Overviews continue to reshape the search landscape, brands that fail to adapt risk losing significant visibility and traffic. The impact on your brand’s bottom line is real and growing, but with the right strategy, this challenge can become an opportunity to differentiate your brand from competitors who are stuck in outdated SEO practices. 

Our AIO Impact Audit provides comprehensive direction to navigate shifts in search behavior caused by AI Overviews. By understanding if, where, and how your content appears in AI Overviews, developing strategies to enhance your visibility, and ensuring accurate brand representation, you can turn this potential threat into a competitive advantage.

The future of search is here. Will your brand be visible in it? Work with us to assess AI Overview’s specific impact on your brand and discover how our audit can help secure your digital visibility in the ever-changing search landscape.