Artificial Intelligence (AI) has entered the digital landscape and is all set to reshape how businesses use search engine optimization (SEO). And when it comes to SEO, who can beat Google?
The company has introduced Google's AI overview, which provides users with concise summaries at the top above the organic search results. This step ensures that a user has a convenient search experience. But what effects will it have on the marketers and websites? Will this overview feature alter the ranking? Let's see.
What Is Google's AI Overview?
It is the AI-generated summaries of a topic that appear in the top search results of the Google search engine ranking page (SERP). It is likely to incorporate features like Gemini 2.0 to handle more complex queries.
How Does Google AI Overview Work?
It pulls out information from various sources and lets the user know the answer to their query faster without clicking on any result. It uses Google's Knowledge Graph to combine information from multiple web sources.
This gives users contextually relevant and informative answers to the search queries. It is available in over 120 countries and in 11 different languages.
Its Benefits Are:
- It provides an immediate answer to a user's query.
- It improves accuracy by understanding the context of a user query and finding relevant information faster.
- A user can understand complex topics without clicking on multiple links, saving time.
- Predictive search suggestions and voice search make the process intuitive and user-friendly.
- It is a time-efficient process.
How Do Marketers Feel About AI?
Most marketers are positive about AI in the digital landscape, but some are critical.
Most marketers use AI to create content like slides, blog posts, social media, emails, etc., optimize content for SEO and email campaigns, brainstorm content, and conduct research.
Why Digital Marketers Are Worried About Google's AI Overview?
Reason No. 1: Less Clicks To The Website
The AI overview gives users an instant answer in the search result, which reduces the chances of them clicking on a website link and opening various sites. It is like walking into a store, but instead of browsing the entire store, you get all the information you need at the front desk.
This convenience comes at a cost. Marketers rely on organic traffic to their websites, which may see a drop in click-through rates (CTR) and dwell time (the amount of time the user stays on a webpage). So, with fewer visitors, marketers can face challenges managing their sites, marketing campaigns, and organic growth.
Reason No. 2: Its Impact On Organic Search Rankings
Over the past decade, ranking higher in search results was important for visibility. But now, with an AI overview, the answer delivery is upfront, so the importance of achieving top rank might decline.
In the past, featured snippets have already raised concerns about affecting CTR for a website. With an AI overview, this is a step further, making the top spot less valuable if users don't click. So, now the question for marketers is – Is traditional SEO practice relevant in this new scenario?
Reason No. 3: Challenges To Content Visibility
Over the years, marketers have invested in in-depth and comprehensive content to increase their ranking on Google search results. But now, the AI overview is extracting key information from top-ranking websites to create a summary, making these efforts lose their value.
So, how can content strategists adapt? What kind of content will be most effective where the user gets a direct answer? Since the website has no direct engagement with users, how do we stay competitive here?
Reason No. 4: Impact On Lead Generation And Conversions
Lead generation and sales are linked to website traffic. If a user finds an AI-generated overview satisfying, the business will lose an opportunity to capture their interest and guide them toward a sale or a service.
So, if fewer users are clicking a website, it will get organic traffic, which can squeeze this lifeblood (conversion rates) even further. Now, how can you maintain engagement in a landscape where the initial query is fulfilled without visiting the website?
Reason No. 5: Loss Of Brand Authority And Less Control Over Messaging
Google's AI overviews will dilute brand recognition by offering answers without any clear attribution or visibility. This will further reduce opportunities for a business to establish itself as a trusted leader.
Since digital marketers have less control over how Google will represent their content, it could be misrepresented, or there can be an unintentional shift in tone, which can complicate branding efforts. So, is Google now in charge of your brand image?
What Can Marketers Do To Adapt To Google's AI Overview?
1. Adapt For AI Overviews
A digital marketing firm can do this by creating high-quality content that aligns with the AI summary. Further use of structured data, rich snippets, and information content will increase the chances of getting cited in an AI overview.
2. Use Other Channels
Search engines are not the only places via which you can promote your brand. Marketers can also use social media, email campaigns, and direct user engagement via WhatsApp business accounts. You can connect to the target audience via multiple touchpoints.
3. Build A Brand Trust (Beyond Clicks)
Create authentic storytelling, community engagement, and direct traffic as a reliable source to build your brand, eventually decreasing your dependency on organic search rankings.
Did you know that Apple, Starbucks, Ikea, and Patagonia are a few companies that are less reliant on aggressive SEO strategies due to their large and loyal user base?
4. Be Updated On AI Trends
It is important to keep track of Google AI development to create new and future strategies for digital marketing. You can use Google Labs to know about upcoming features that have not been rolled out yet. With new AI tools, you can get a competitive edge to deliver unique user value.
5. Focus On E-A-T (Expert, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Last but not least, be committed to high-quality and credible content that AI overviews will prefer to feature in their summary. You can include citations, lists, and authoritative elements to make your content eligible for featuring in the overview.
Why Care About Google AI Overview Even If You're Not A Marketer?
For Small Business Owners – Small businesses rely heavily on organic search visibility due to limited marketing budgets. Thus, without a strong online presence, attracting customers will become challenging.
Further, AI can favor big platforms with more authority and resources, which can make it harder for small and local businesses to compete.
For Content Creators And Publishers – Many websites are dependent on website traffic to generate money from ads or subscriptions. So, if the user gets a summary instead of clicking links, these models will become obsolete.
Moreover, an AI overview can extract content without directing sufficient traffic back to the creator, raising concerns about fair use and IP (intellectual property). For example, niche content and independent journalism, which are already under pressure, may struggle if they lose traffic and visibility.
For Users – A quick answer from an AI tool is very convenient, but users may miss out on deeper insights and the contextual details that would have come from exploring multiple sites. Not only that, AI may produce biased results since its sources are limited and flawed, and summaries may (unintentionally) mislead users.
Future-Proof Your Digital Marketing Strategy Today!
Google's AI overview is set to redefine digital marketing by changing how users interact with search results. While some marketers are worried that it might reduce their online visibility, leading to lower click-through rates (CTR) and challenges in bringing traffic to their website, it is equally important to embrace innovation and focus on high-quality & authoritative content that will help them navigate the AI overview easily.
