How AI Overviews Impact SEO (And What Businesses Should Do About It)
TL;DR – Key Takeaways
- Google’s AI Overviews answer search queries, cutting CTR by up to 30% (Ahrefs, 2024).
- Risks: lower traffic, less control, possible brand misrepresentation.
- Opportunities: boost authority and visibility, especially for long-tail queries.
- Win by: clear content, schema markup, natural questions, authority signals, and diversifying with Google Ads + AI SEO.
Why AI Overviews Matter Right Now
AI Overviews are Google’s new AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results. They give users instant answers without needing to click through, changing how people interact with search.
This shift sparks big questions for businesses: Will SEO still drive leads? How do I protect my brand? At Click Click Media, we’ve been tracking this closely. Here’s what AI Overviews really mean for your SEO and how to adapt in 2025.
What Exactly Are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are summaries generated by Google’s Gemini AI model. They are designed to answer user queries directly in search results. They combine Google’s Knowledge Graph, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and web content.
These responses often include “link cards” pointing to external sources. They usually appear for informational queries such as “how solar panels work,” but they can also surface for commercial searches.
Many business owners ask, “Can my site appear in AI Overviews?” Yes. If your content is structured clearly, authoritatively, and relevant, Google may cite it.
How AI Overviews Affect SEO Performance
AI Overviews don’t directly change rankings but can lower click-through rates (CTR) for websites positioned below them.
- A 2024 Ahrefs study found that when AI Overviews appeared in search results, the click-through rate for the top organic result dropped by 18–30%, with informational queries being hit the hardest.
- Zero-click searches are increasing as users find what they need without visiting websites.
- Query types matter: informational searches are most affected, while transactional queries (like “buy running shoes Brisbane”) still drive traffic.
- Industry impact varies: publishers and blogs are hit hardest, while service-based businesses see less disruption.
Do AI Overviews hurt SEO? Not directly. Rankings remain, but fewer people may click if the AI summary answers their query.
The Risks for Businesses
The principal risks of AI Overviews for businesses are lost traffic, brand misrepresentation, and reduced control.
- Traffic loss: With answers on-page, fewer users visit websites.
- Brand misrepresentation: AI-generated summaries may oversimplify or misquote.
- Control issue: Google decides if, when, and how your content appears.
The most at-risk industries include education, media, health, and other information-heavy sectors.
Where AI Overviews Create Opportunities
AI Overviews can create visibility and authority opportunities despite the risks if you approach them strategically.
- Authority boost: Being cited positions your brand as credible.
- Visibility without #1 rank: You can still appear in summaries even if you’re not first in organic results.
- Long-tail potential: Natural, question-based queries are more likely to trigger AI Overviews.
Can small businesses benefit from AI Overviews? Yes. By targeting niche, question-driven searches, even smaller brands can gain exposure.
How to Optimise for AI Overviews
You can’t guarantee inclusion in AI Overviews, but you can improve your chances by aligning your SEO strategy with how Google generates summaries.
Start by structuring your content so that answers come first. Provide short, clear responses in each section before expanding with detail. This makes it easy for people and AI systems to understand your key points.
Next, implement structured data. FAQ and How-To schema help Google identify your content as suitable for direct answers, while product schema can make your eCommerce listings more likely to surface.
Focus on long-tail, question-style queries. Optimising for natural language searches like “how do AI Overviews impact SEO” or “can I optimise for AI Overviews” makes your content more relevant to conversational queries.
Don’t overlook authority signals. Cite reputable sources, use expert bylines, and refresh content regularly. These signals reinforce your credibility, which AI systems value when selecting sources.
Finally, diversify your traffic. Balance organic SEO with paid search through Google Ads campaigns, strengthen engagement through email and social channels, and build an AI SEO strategy to stay ahead.
Can schema help my site appear in AI Overviews? Yes, schema markup increases the likelihood of your site being cited.
Future-Proofing Your SEO Strategy
AI Overviews are part of search evolution — not the end of SEO. The fundamentals remain unchanged:
- Publish helpful, people-first content.
- Keep your site technically sound and fast.
- Build trust signals with reviews, expertise, and strong content.
Looking ahead, expect greater reliance on first-party data, closer tracking of user engagement, and the rising importance of AI-resistant content such as original research, case studies, and unique insights.
Pro insight: Businesses that invest in AI SEO now will be better prepared as AI continues to reshape search.
AI Overviews and SEO FAQs
Do AI Overviews replace SEO?
AI Overviews don’t replace SEO – they change how users interact with search results. While the AI summary may capture some clicks, SEO is critical for ensuring your business is visible, trusted, and considered.
Ranking content still feeds into AI Overviews, and optimised sites are more likely to be cited in those summaries. Think of SEO as the foundation that makes your brand “AI-ready.”
How do I know if AI Overviews are impacting my site?
The most straightforward way is to compare impressions and clicks in Google Search Console. AI Overviews may reduce your CTR if impressions stay steady, but clicks drop. Businesses may also notice fewer visits to top-of-funnel, informational content while transactional pages remain stable.
Tracking shifts in query types over time will help you understand whether AI summaries are diverting traffic away from your site or opening new opportunities for visibility.
Can eCommerce sites benefit from AI Overviews?
Yes, eCommerce brands can gain visibility through AI Overviews if their product data is well structured. Features like product schema, reviews, pricing, and availability can be pulled into the AI response, putting your listings directly in front of users.
This means a properly optimised product feed and Shopping Ads strategy can work hand-in-hand with AI search to capture awareness and conversions.
Are AI Overviews permanent?
Google hasn’t said AI Overviews are permanent, but given the investment in AI search, they’re likely here to stay in some form. The format may change as Google tests user behaviour and publisher feedback, but the trend toward AI-assisted search is irreversible.
Businesses that start adapting by producing structured, authoritative, people-first content will be in a stronger position as search evolves.
Turning Change Into Opportunity
AI Overviews represent both a challenge and an opportunity. With the right strategy, you can continue to build visibility, authority, and trust.
At Click Click Media, we help businesses adapt their SEO, Google Ads, and digital strategies to thrive, not just survive, as search evolves.
Ready to protect your rankings and visibility in the AI era? Talk to our SEO Agency Sydney team or explore our AI SEO service. Contact Us
