Google AI Overviews (formerly known as Search Generative Experience or SGE) are fundamentally transforming how users interact with search results. AI-generated summaries now appear above traditional organic results for approximately 30% of queries, providing direct answers without requiring users to click through to any website.
What does this mean for your business? Fewer clicks, less organic traffic, and an urgent need to adapt your SEO strategy. In this article, we explain exactly what is happening, which query types are affected, and most importantly, what you can do to stay visible and relevant in this new search reality.
What are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are answers automatically generated by Google using artificial intelligence, displayed in a dedicated block at the top of the search results page (SERP). Unlike traditional featured snippets that extract a single fragment from one source, AI Overviews synthesize information from multiple websites and present it in a conversational format.
In practice, users receive a comprehensive summary right on the search page — with links to the sources used, but in a format that significantly reduces the need to click through. The AI Overview block typically occupies the equivalent space of 3-5 traditional organic results, pushing classic results much further down the page.
Google initially launched AI Overviews in the US in May 2024 and has gradually expanded them to over 100 countries. The feature is also active in Europe, albeit with some limitations related to AI Act regulations. Whether you operate locally or internationally, AI Overviews are already affecting your search visibility.
Impact on organic traffic
Studies from 2025 show that AI Overviews reduce click-through rates (CTR) by 20-40% for informational queries. However, the impact is not uniform — it depends heavily on the query type. Transactional and local queries are far less affected, while “what is...” and “how to...” queries take the biggest hit.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the impact by query type:
| Query Type | AI Overview Frequency | CTR Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Informational ("what is...") | Very high (60%+) | -30% to -40% |
| Commercial ("best X for...") | High (40%+) | -15% to -25% |
| Transactional ("buy X") | Low (10%) | -5% to -10% |
| Local ("X near me") | Medium (25%) | -10% to -15% |
| Navigational ("brand name") | Very low (5%) | Minimal |
The takeaway is clear: if your SEO strategy relies heavily on generic informational content, you are the most exposed. But if you focus on transactional, local, or branded queries, the impact is significantly smaller.
Winners and losers
AI Overviews do not hit everyone equally. There are clear winners and predictable losers in this new SEO reality.
Winners
- ✓High-authority sites with strong E-E-A-T signals
- ✓Niche experts with original content and unique data
- ✓Strong brands with frequent branded searches
- ✓Sites with interactive content (tools, calculators)
- ✓Local businesses with optimized Google Business profiles
Losers
- ✗Sites with thin, superficial content
- ✗Information aggregators with no added value
- ✗Generic "top 10" articles without proprietary data
- ✗Sites that depend 100% on informational traffic
- ✗AI-generated content with no real expertise behind it
The pattern is clear: Google favors sources in AI Overviews that demonstrate genuine expertise, first-hand experience, and domain authority. If you have original content backed by proprietary data, you are in a much stronger position than competitors recycling information already available online.
6 strategies to adapt to AI Overviews
AI Overviews are not a disaster — they are a shift that favors smart players. Here is what you can do right now:
1. Target queries where AI Overviews DON'T appear
Focus on transactional, long-tail, and niche queries where Google still does not show AI Overviews. Queries containing "buy", "pricing", "services" and highly specific terms are far less affected. Audit your current keywords and identify which ones trigger AI Overviews and which do not.
2. Create content too complex for AI to summarize
Original research, proprietary data, detailed case studies, nuanced analysis, and expert opinions — these are the types of content that AI cannot compress into a simple summary. If your information requires context to be understood, users will click through to read the full article.
3. Build brand searches
When people search directly for your brand name, AI cannot intercept that query. Invest in brand awareness through social media, PR, podcasts, and partnerships. A strong brand generates direct traffic that no AI Overview can steal.
4. Optimize to BE the source AI cites
If you cannot avoid AI Overviews, then make sure AI cites your site as a source. Structure content clearly with headings, concrete data, statistics, and authoritative information. Sites cited in AI Overviews still receive traffic — less than before, but higher quality traffic.
5. Diversify your traffic sources
Do not depend 100% on Google. Build alternative channels: email marketing, organic social media, communities, YouTube, podcasts. Companies with diversified traffic are far more resilient to Google's algorithmic changes.
6. Focus on conversion optimization
If you receive fewer visits from Google, make sure each visit counts more. Optimize conversion rates, improve UX, create dedicated landing pages, and A/B test every important element. Fewer visits with higher conversion can generate more revenue than high traffic with poor conversion.
What NOT to do
Just as important as knowing what to do is knowing what not to do. Here are the wrong reactions we frequently see from companies panicking over AI Overviews:
- ✗Do not panic and abandon SEO. Organic search remains the largest traffic channel on the internet, even with AI Overviews. SEO is not dying — it is evolving.
- ✗Do not try to block AI crawlers (Googlebot, GPTBot). Blocking them will not protect you from AI Overviews and may actually reduce your visibility in traditional results.
- ✗Do not create thin AI-generated content to "compete" with AI. Google penalizes content with no added value, regardless of whether it was written by a human or AI. Quality beats quantity.
- ✗Do not ignore the problem hoping it will go away. AI Overviews are here to stay and will cover an increasingly larger percentage of queries. Proactive adaptation is the only viable strategy.
The companies that will thrive in the AI Overviews era are those that treat this change as an opportunity to differentiate through quality, expertise, and smart strategy — not those trying to fight the inevitable.
Adapt your SEO strategy
AI Overviews are changing the rules, but with the right strategy you can stay visible and relevant. Discover how GEO optimization helps you appear in AI-powered results.
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