Whether you like it or not, it looks like AI is here to stay. Google has rolled out AI Overviews in most markets, and, being largely automated, it has unsurprisingly had major adoption.
At the same time, many other players are getting into the search game in one way or another. For example, OpenAI and Anthropic already have functional research functions, and tools like Notion have their own implementation for doing research on the web. All these systems tap into the search market, which means fewer Google searches for the users.
What is an AI Overview?
AI Overview is a similar concept to Google’s zero-click searches, but the difference is that all these other services provide similar results, without ads. What they will take into account, however, are very similar factors to those already considered by Google’s organic search.
What is the role of AI Overviews on Google?
So what is the role of AI Overviews, then? I hear you ask.
Well, most people still do their research on Google. For many, it is quite preferable to decide what information is relevant manually, and I think they’re right. At least partly. Sometimes it’s just too easy to ask AI to answer questions rather than try to search for answers. But most times, it’s just so much simpler to do a quick search and see some results and get more ideas out of them.
But for these situations, AI Overviews seem to be a really good fit, even from a user perspective. At least for now, it’s not too distracting, and it’s easy just to glance over. However, it sometimes provides the exact information instantly. And I think that’s the killer feature of AI Overviews.
This leads us to consider zero-click searches and how this type of traffic has already made traditional SEO reporting methods difficult. Top organic results have seen even a 7% drop, although the effect is not limited to only the top results. Most marketers will likely feel the impact of this change; it’s just a matter of time.
With AI Overviews already appearing on about 30-50% of all search queries, Google is already testing how it can take this further. In the U.S., they have released their AI Mode, which provides a more conversational experience for users. We will see where that goes eventually.
How to leverage AI Overviews in your SEO strategy?
With AI Overviews now a prominent feature on Google SERPs, the next question is: how can I leverage it? How to optimize for AI Overviews?
This is where it gets complicated. It’s quite interesting that most tactics to improve SEO performance on AI Overviews are very similar to what has been touted for quite some time already. There are a few main things to remember when optimizing for any content, including AI.
- Use a clear structure, formatting, and language
- Use concise opening paragraphs, bullet or numbered lists, clear headings (H2/H3), and tables. Both AI bots and users like these traits.
- Use concise opening paragraphs, bullet or numbered lists, clear headings (H2/H3), and tables. Both AI bots and users like these traits.
- Target informational queries, like how-to and similar long-tail search terms
- Problem-solving and how-to queries trigger up to 88% of AI Overviews.
- Problem-solving and how-to queries trigger up to 88% of AI Overviews.
- Use proper structured data, author bios, and similar things to demonstrate E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
- It’s more important than ever to establish trust and authority for both company and personal brands. You may already notice how difficult it is to navigate in the AI space and find information you can trust. Credible citations, detailed author bios and structured data will help with this.
- It’s more important than ever to establish trust and authority for both company and personal brands. You may already notice how difficult it is to navigate in the AI space and find information you can trust. Credible citations, detailed author bios and structured data will help with this.
- Add engaging elements, like videos and screenshots, that are also helpful for the reader in general
- AI systems may pull videos or pictures directly into their responses, so it’s a good idea to start giving them a bit more thought.
- AI systems may pull videos or pictures directly into their responses, so it’s a good idea to start giving them a bit more thought.
- Diversify traffic to get backlinks from authoritative sources, like Reddit, Quora, and other social platforms
- Having exposure on multiple platforms is never a bad thing, but with AI, it will become even more important. AI, like users, prefer naturally written content. Also, getting backlinks is usually the single most important factor in SEO competition, so it’s not a bad idea to take them into consideration.
What’s the takeaway?
The SEO landscape is currently undergoing significant changes. There’s a lot of uncertainty and excitement in the air because AI Overviews and other similar systems represent a significant shift from how we’re accustomed to doing things.
On one hand, SEO recommendations have not really changed. You should still always create helpful and useful content, that’s still true. Structure the content as clearly as possible; that remains true. Make the experience better for your visitors. Invest in establishing an authoritative position, and strive to acquire more backlinks from reputable sources. All of this has been recommended for years, so the advice is the same as before.
On the other hand, there’s still so much we just don’t know about these AI systems. The advice is mostly the same, probably because we don’t know any better. Or, who knows, it just may be that trying to contribute to society is beneficial in general.
I guess we just have to ride the wave and see where it takes us.
Learn more about AI in marketing:
How to Use AI in Marketing and Sales? Download Our Latest Guide!
Generative AI in Digital Marketing: 3 Examples