What do Google AI Overviews mean for how we search?

Google claims this will lead to faster information access and enhanced user experience, especially for conversational queries. However, these overviews could potentially impact content discovery as we know it today and pose further challenges to get relevant content seen. There is also the small matter of accuracy and misinformation when AI is in play.

So, what are AI Overviews and what does this mean for how we search and receive information? Also, what does it mean in regard to both SEO and PPC strategies?

What are Google AI Overviews?

Google AI Overviews are a long-teased feature (originally called ‘search generative experience’) integrated into Google's search engine. While it has been active in the USA for some time now, it is starting to appear more and more in the UK.

AI Overviews are designed to provide users with short, almost conversational summaries of information in response to search terms. The ‘overviews’ themselves are powered by AI (of course). As Google always has done, AI Overviews aim to provide the most relevant information for the search term provided. Somewhat similar to how rich snippets work today, though Overviews offer more in depth levels of interaction.

How AI Overviews work

1. Summaries: When you search for something on Google, instead of just providing a list of links to websites, Google AI Overviews will provide a summary that answers your query directly. This summary is often displayed at the top of the search results page and will allow for further questions and conversational updates to be had.
2. Contextual understanding: Google’s overviews are designed to understand the context and nuances of the search query, meaning the answers generated should be more relevant and accurate than traditional keyword-based search results.
3. Citing sources: Google AI Overviews will also provide links to the source of information, so users can explore the information provided by the original source, as users do today.
4. Continuous learning: These AI models are constantly being updated and improved based on new data, user interactions, and advancements in AI research.

What impact will this have on search, brands, and advertising?

The impact has likely already started, though maybe not to the seismic extent some might have expected. However, with more and more users now seeing AI Overviews, the changes in behaviour will become ever more apparent over the next 12 months.

According to a Google blog published earlier this year, Google ads will remain in dedicated slots, with clear labelling, though it remains to be seen if these will remain at the very top of the SERP.

As mentioned earlier, AI Overviews really come into their own with informational and conversational style queries. These allow the AI model to cut its teeth on providing in depth updates.

This could leave an opportunity for Google Ads to really focus on commercial and transactional search queries, meaning it would still be vital to have a PPC expert who is agile and proactive to adapt to the potential changes in PPC strategy.

Organically, the impact will likely be a reduction in visibility and therefore, traffic. Zero click searches have been on the rise for some time. This often occurs when a user enters a query, and an answer to that search is visible at the top of the results page, meaning the user does not need to click through to the website. Think searching for a contact number or opening hours of a shop. Google will provide this detail in the business panel, so you no longer need to visit the site itself.

Zero click searches are likely to increase further with AI overviews as more and more information is provided on the results pages.

While rich snippets are still visible on the SERPs, it remains to be seen how these work with AI Overviews moving forward. Currently both overviews and rich snippets can be seen on the same results page, however it is likely that snippets are replaced by overviews themselves.

How to optimise for AI Overviews

So, with the landscape shifting for how users both view and process information, what can you do to make sure you don’t fall foul of the new information layout?

Organic:

For the best opportunity to succeed with AI Overviews, it's crucial to create content that is specific and detailed. As always, writing comprehensive content that addresses user queries will help Google identify your content's authority and relevance.

Writing content that is focused on topics might be a better approach, as opposed to keyword focused content. This approach should help Google link your content to relevant content clusters.

With Google looking to be even more efficient in providing quick answers to more and more complex questions, aligning your content to answer these questions clearly could improve the opportunity of your website being featured in the overview.

Paid search ads:

For the time being, Google will continue to display search and shopping ads, certainly when there is a clear transactional intent. So, while there are still many strategies to be implemented, such as Pmax campaigns, broad match bidding and ensuring ad copy is as relevant as possible, it could be an opportunity to really focus on those transactional keywords, while organic aims to answer the more informational queries.

Take aways:

Just like the teething problems with Google Analytics 4, it appears that, Bard… sorry, search generative experience…sorry, AI Overviews is here to stay! And just like GA4, we all better get used to it.

AI Overviews are clearly positioned to become a central pillar in Google’s search experience, offering users quick, accurate answers. This isn’t the end of SEO or PPC, but an opportunity to adapt and learn how to make the most of the new generation of search results.