AI Overview vs SEO: What Marketers Must Know Now!

Google’s search engine has been undergoing a massive transformation lately. If you’re in SEO or digital marketing, you must have seen the “Google AI Overview” snippet that has been increasingly popping up lately. This feature is actually reshaping how users find information online, providing direct, precise answers to queries. However, this has a negative impact on business owners, ultimately affecting websites’ visibility across the web.

In fact, recently conducted research found that clicks have in fact reduced since Google’s AI Overview was introduced. But is this the end of SEO as we know it? In this blog, we’ll break down exactly what Google AI Overviews are, how they work, the AI Overview SEO impact, and most importantly, how marketers can adapt to stay visible in this evolving era of search.

AI Overview’s impact on Position #1 CTR, illustrating its effect on SEO efforts.

What Is an AI Overview?

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that show right at the top of Google’s search results. The main problem with AI Overviews is that they often answer queries in full without users needing to click through to any website. This shift is causing massive changes in traffic patterns, click-through rates, and content strategies.

These AI Overviews by Google have shed light on a part that many consider to be the next generation of search results. Many suggest that search will no longer just be a list of links, but AI-synthesized summaries. Powered by advanced language models like Gemini 2.5, Google AI Overviews aim to provide concise, multi-source answers that save users time by delivering the information they want instantly, presented right at the top of the search engine results page (SERP).

An AI Overview of our agency, Digital Orks.

At the core of these overviews is a technique called “query fan-out.” Instead of treating your search query as a single request, Google breaks it down into multiple sub-questions and gathers pieces of relevant information from across the web. This info is then stitched together into a natural, easy-to-read summary enriched with links and data.

While Google AI Overviews enhance user convenience and speed, they also mark a fundamental shift in how content is presented. No longer is the goal just to rank high and attract clicks; now it’s starting to shift into being recognized as the authoritative answer by AI itself.

The introduction of AI Overviews has triggered a significant change in the digital marketing scene. AI Overview SEO impact is considered massive, and website traffic dynamics are reshaping in ways we’ve never seen before.

Declining Click-Through Rates and the Rise of Zero-Click Searches

Google claims that AI Overviews increase clicks and lead to “higher-quality” traffic, suggesting users who do click are more engaged and ready to convert. However, research paints an entirely different picture.

To gain a better understanding of the matter, Ahrefs analyzed 300,000 keywords between March 2024 and 2025. What they have found was stunning. The presence of an AI Overview resulted in a 34.5% drop in average click-through rates (CTR) for top-ranking pages.

AI Overview effect on SEO, showing a notable decrease in CTR from March 2024 to March 2025.

How Google’s AI Chooses Content Differently

Traditional SEO goals, like ranking within the top 5 results on Google, no longer guarantee visibility. With AI Overview occupying a considerable portion of the user’s view of the SERP, clicks on links below the overview are not assured. Searchers are most likely to find whatever they’re looking for right in front of their eyes.

Additionally, less than half the sources Google’s AI cites in overviews come from the top 10 ranked sites; many come from pages outside the top 50. Instead, Google’s AI prioritizes content based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), semantic relevance, and structured data quality.

An AI Overview featuring a mention of one of our clients as a source for information about heavy machinery.

Brand Visibility vs Traffic Volume

Ahrefs also notes that branded content is more likely to be featured in AI Overviews. Brands with a strong web presence see up to 10 times more AI mentions, boosting visibility even as direct clicks decline.

In short, while Google promotes the idea that AI Overviews drive better click quality, the reality is quite the opposite. Many websites experienced a significant decline in organic traffic, which led marketers to reconsider success metrics beyond clicks alone.

In response to these changes, developing an effective SEO strategy for AI search is crucial to maintain high online visibility and authority.

Five Tips to Fine-Tune Your SEO Content for AI Overviews

1- Create Comprehensive, Authoritative Content

Don’t just publish content online. Your content needs to be in-depth and cover topics thoroughly, anticipating not just the main question but related sub-queries. This is precisely what Google’s “query fan-out” AI technique expects, and what you should focus on to have the best chance of getting your content featured.

2- Boost E-E-A-T Signals

Highlight real-world experience, expert opinions, and trustworthy citations. This builds the authority Google’s AI looks for when choosing what to include in AI Overviews.

3- Use Structured Data and Schema Markup

Structured data helps Google understand your content contextually, increasing your chances of AI Overview inclusion. Therefore, ensure that you always set up your schema markup correctly.

4- Diversify Your Traffic Sources

Don’t rely solely on Google organic traffic. Invest in social media, email marketing, paid ads, and other channels to balance your traffic sources.

5- Specialize in Niche or Transactional Content

General informational content can easily lose direct traffic. Instead, aim for highly specialized, transactional, or unique content. This makes it harder for AI to synthesize fully, making it a strong candidate for driving quality clicks.

Do You Know These SEO Strategies Are Backed by Google’s Own AI?

Gemini’s Recommended Best Practices to get featured in AI Overviews.

These best practices that you’ve just read aren’t just webmaster advice; they’re reinforced by Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 2.5, which powers AI Overviews. Gemini prioritizes clear structure, expertise, comprehensiveness, and structured data. Optimizing for Gemini means you’re optimizing for the AI deciding what content surfaces, making this approach not just smart but essential.

Finally, we’d like to reiterate that SEO isn’t dying; it’s just transforming from one form into another. The traditional SEO playbook is evolving from chasing rankings and clicks to becoming an authoritative source for AI-powered summaries. Only those who adapt early on will lead the way in the future of search.