Google’s AI Overviews are quickly becoming the new way to search. Forget clicking into every SERP result and investigating what it has to offer – you get the answer you need from a short, concise summary that requires no manual work.
We get asked: ‘Is my business appearing in AI overviews?’, as brands understand the changing landscape of search. We’re here to guide you on how to appear, and when your business should appear in these answers.
Those businesses that have a strategy for AI Search Optimisation will find that they are better equipped to still generate high-quality leads.
What are AI Overviews?
AI overviews are the summaries that appear at the top of certain Google search results to provide users with the answer they’re looking for. It is often displayed in response to informational queries, where people are still in the research phase. Usually, these summaries cite multiple websites as sources and provide an ‘overview’ of what these references say.
They are designed to help users find answers faster than they would if they had to find the relevant answers themselves using the traditional list of organic results.
How Do AI Overviews Affect Lead Generation?
The biggest change that has come from AI overviews is that click-through rates are becoming less predictable and so there may be fewer leads generated as a result.
Even if your page ranks well in traditional organic results, there may be fewer people clicking through if an AI overview has already answered their question and satisfied their intent. This growth in gathering information without having to visit a website directly is known as ‘zero-click searches’, as people are completing their journey without the need to click to another website.
This is particularly common for informational queries, product comparisons, definitions and local research queries.
The impact of this is that businesses may see a decline in sessions, even when their organic rankings remain high.
Why Do Some Businesses Lose Traffic While Others Gain Visibility?
AI Overviews can cause some websites to lose traffic because their content is easily summarised, but their competitors are better able to demonstrate authority and provide clarity for the AI model to cite and return to the search engine.
As such, AI overviews don’t affect all websites equally, so whilst some websites lose traffic, others gain visibility.
In order to perform well in AI overviews, you need to be able to demonstrate that you’re an expert in your industry, provide clear answers to specific questions, offer unique insights and make sure your content is structured clearly with headings and relevant sections.
Google needs to find content that it can confidently reference to ensure its own credibility. If you’re providing generic content then you’re less likely to be included.
How do I appear in the AI overview?
Currently, content that most frequently appears in AI overviews is that which answers a users’ question. These are typically:
- Step-by-step guides
- Comparison articles
- Industry insights
- FAQs
- Case studies
- Original research and statistics
Google has always emphasised that their algorithms are based around users and optimising their experience. With the introduction of the AI search models, this has just been enhanced even further by rewarding those websites that are genuinely insightful rather than purely keyword-focused.
As such, if your content clearly answers a question, explains a process, or solves a problem, it has a better chance of being shown in an AI overview.
However, it’s not enough to just answer a question your potential customers are asking. You also need to demonstrate that you are an authority on the topic.
Building authority isn’t done overnight, and it takes a long-term SEO strategy to be truly effective. Little but often is the key to demonstrating you’re a reliable voice in your niche. This can be done through relevant backlinks, consistent coverage about your topic, high-quality content and strong technical SEO across your website.
Technical SEO and content marketing are increasingly becoming interconnected. By optimising for both, your business is more likely to do well in both traditional search and in AI-generated overviews.
How Can I Still Use My Website to Generate Leads?
Even with zero-click searches, it is still possible to generate leads to your business. You may even find that you have fewer visits, but the leads you do generate are better qualified with people further along in their purchasing journey than the research phase.
It’s important to utilise Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) to ensure that AI models are able to understand, trust and reference your information to display to the end user. By doing so, you’re also demonstrating to potential customers that you’re trustworthy. After all, you’re not just ranking well, AI systems have chosen to cite your website and content as a reliable source of information.
In order to effectively measure the success of your online marketing strategy, therefore, it’s important to look for further metrics than just your website traffic.
You may find a growth in brand visibility and mentions within AI-generated answers. As a result, this could lead to a growth in branded searches that turn into qualified leads such as direct enquiries, phone calls or contact form submissions.
In many cases, potential customers have already received the foundation information from an AI overview, and so are now better qualified to convert into paying customers.
What Your Business Should Do Now
If you have noticed (and worried) about a decline in your website’s organic traffic, it may be time to consider how your business can adapt to the changing landscape of AI search.
This should start with an AI search visibility audit, to discover whether you are appearing in AI overviews and generating leads this way. From there, you can identify opportunities to improve your GEO strategy to ensure you’re not falling behind your competitors.
At SQ Digital, we’ve been following Google’s updates and keeping businesses relevant online for decades. The latest rollout of AI Search results is something that we are able to harness for the benefit of our clients.
To discover how we can assist you with your online marketing, request an AI search visibility audit today.