In May, Google launched a new Generative AI feature in Search called AI Overviews.
Google’s AI Overviews is the new name of their Search Generative Experience (SGE) project that they’ve been working on, which aims to deliver quick and accurate answers to user searches using AI.
When it was rolled out, it was only available for Android users in the U.S., but now Google is slowly rolling out the feature to desktop and iOS users in the UK and other countries.
So, with an expanded rollout likely coming in the next few months, what exactly is Google’s AI Overviews, and how does it affect your SEO strategy?
Let’s break it down.
What is Google’s AI Overviews feature?
Think of Google’s AI Overviews as a more detailed version of featured snippets.
These overviews appear at the top of search results, delivering clear and accurate answers in just a few sentences or longer step-by-step guides with supporting videos.
Unlike featured snippets, AI Overviews are powered by advanced AI that digs deep into data from across the web and analyses it to create clear and accurate answers to user searches and queries.
This AI doesn’t just look for keyword matches; it understands the context of your query, making it capable of answering more complex questions with detailed reasoning and analysis. It’s also constantly learning from user queries and interactions to provide better answers.
Where do AI Overviews sit in search results?
AI Overviews sit at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs), pushing other placements like featured snippets, map packs, organic results, and, in some cases, Search ads down the page.
Like most changes to Google Search, it’s about giving users quick and authoritative answers to their questions.
However, according to a test conducted by NP Digital, AI Overviews have an average click-through rate (CTR) of just 15%, almost half the average CTR of the top organic search result, which sits at 27.4%.
This could be down to a general reluctance that most people have about trusting the accuracy of AI responses.
And that brings me to some of the viral teething issues that Google’s AI Overviews has been having.
Strange answers given by Google’s AI Overviews
Since the initial rollout, Google users have been putting AI Overviews to the test by asking some pretty strange questions and seeing what answers it gives.
Most of the time, the answers given back are accurate; however, there have been a few instances where they have given some bizarre, incorrect and even dangerous answers and suggestions.
Using glue on pizza
One of the strange answers that AI Overviews gave was to use non-toxic glue to stop pizza toppings from falling off.
For this answer, AI Overviews used a Reddit comment posted as a joke over 11 years ago as its primary source of information.
With Reddit being a forum for discussions on almost any topic and a large portion of these discussions being based on personal opinions rather than facts, many people have been criticising Google for using Reddit to train and pull data from the generative AI responses.
It seems since these issues with Reddit sources, Google is no longer using it as a primary source for AI Overviews answers.
Recommended daily intake of rocks
Another user asked, ‘How many rocks should I eat?’ AI Overviews responded with information from a widely disputed article written by a Geologist at UC Berkeley.
Although the answer ended with ‘some say that eating pebbles regularly is not a good idea’, it was still a big blunder that Google recognised and responded by saying there are areas they’re still working on.
Drinking urine to help pass kidney stones
In this answer, AI Overviews responded to a user searching for ‘how to pass kidney stones quickly’, where it gave this response:
In this case, it seems to be a mix-up where AI Overviews recommends drinking at least 2 quarts (litres) of urine every 24 hours instead of water, which would be an easy fix for Google to prevent in the future.
How AI Overviews are impacting SEO and PPC performance
Impacts on SEO
Some people have said that AI Overviews is the death of SEO and that it will have a big impact on organic search performance.
But so far, the AI Overviews rollout has not had any significant SEO impacts. In July, it was reported that there had been a slight increase in Google searches on desktop and a decrease in searches on mobile.
Whether AI Overviews impact your search visibility depends on your industry, keywords, and competition.
For instance, ecommerce brands and local services might not see much change, as AI Overviews are less common for transactional searches or for searches where people are looking for physical locations or local services like hospitals.
Google has mentioned that AI Overviews will only appear about 30% of the time, but data shows it’s actually closer to 7% of the time.
While these overviews push organic results further down the page, other elements like map packs, videos, and featured snippets have been doing this for years.
So don’t see Google’s AI Overviews as a threat to your search visibility. Getting cited in an AI Overview could actually boost your visibility, sometimes even over bigger brands.
Impacts on Paid Ads
When it comes to paid adverising, Google’s AI Overviews isn’t having any notable impacts. Google will still prioritise shopping ads and searches with clear buying intent over AI-generated answers.
However, the lines between organic and paid results may blur a bit more as Google experiments with placing sponsored ads within AI Overviews for shopping-related queries.
Some people aren’t fond of AI Overviews
In early June, just a few weeks after AI Overviews rolled out, there was a surge in searches for “disable AI overviews”, showing that some Google users aren’t thrilled with this new feature.
Some businesses feel the same way and have been preventing their content from being used by AI Overviews. If you want to do the same, it’s pretty simple; just add the ‘nosnippet’ tag to any pages you don’t want to use in Google snippets.
But be aware, marking pages with the ‘nosnippet’ tag means your content won’t appear in featured snippets, or People Also Ask sections either.
How to increase your chances of getting cited in AI Overviews
With AI Overviews taking the top spots for many keywords and questions, it’s worth aiming to get these AI citations and placements.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is a new term being coined for ways to optimise your content to better align with the structure and conciseness that AI Overviews prefer.
Here are some tips for increasing your chances of being cited by AI Overviews:
- Build Trust and Authority: Get mentioned by reputable sources in your industry through PR and backlinks.
- Follow E-E-A-T Guidelines: Ensure your content adheres to Google’s Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) guidelines.
- Cover Topics Thoroughly: Answer all related questions on your topics, even those with low search volume.
- Prioritise Human Content: Content written by humans tends to perform better over time than AI-generated content. Don’t abuse AI tools for content; keep things human.
- Be Quick to Respond: Stay on top of new trends and topics in your industry to be among the first to provide answers.
- Enhance Readability: Make your content easy to digest by using bullet points, clear headers, and a logical structure.
- Leverage Various Content Forms: To make your content stand out, include videos, infographics, quizzes, and custom imagery.
- Use Schema Markup: Ensure your content is well-structured with accurate markup data to give Google as much context as possible.
- Optimise Your Site Structure: Make sure your site has a clear hierarchy, proper header tags, and optimised URLs.
Final thoughts…
Despite its early challenges, Google’s AI Overviews will likely become a staple of the search experience, just like featured snippets did, offering users quick and accurate answers while providing new opportunities for businesses to boost their visibility.
It isn’t the end of SEO—if anything, it’s a new opportunity to increase your search visibility and stand out from competitors.
If you want to include AI Overviews in your SEO strategy and increase your search visibility, the best approach is to follow Google’s best practices, stay adaptable, and keep your content user-focused and high-quality.
