Google is constantly evolving its search algorithms and features, and its latest addition, AI Overviews, has the potential to significantly impact the digital advertising landscape. But what exactly are Google AI Overviews, how do they work, and most importantly, how they might affect ad publishers and their revenue?
Currently available in the US and UK, AI Overviews present a concise summary of information relevant to a user's search query at the top of the search results page. Recent research shows AI Overviews are being offered for 17% of queries in these markets. This prime positioning will likely draw user attention away from traditional organic search results, posing a new challenge for publishers.
What is Google AI Overview?
Google AI Overview is a relatively new feature that generates a summary of key information related to a user's search, often referred to as a concise text summary. The idea is that it provides quick answers and insights without the need for a user to click through to multiple websites. It's essentially a distilled outline of what Google's AI deems to be the most relevant and helpful information for the given query. You could think of it as a supercharged featured snippet, sometimes including images, bullet points, and even direct quotes from different sources. This is great for the user of course– their query has been answered with the minimum amount of effort. But for publishers, this brings up new challenges, which we'll talk about.
How Does AI Overview Work?
AI Overview uses Google's generative AI to gather information from multiple web pages and sources. It then processes this information to find the most important points and presents them in a bite-sized and user-friendly format. The AI takes into account the user's query, the context of the search, and all the information available to generate the overview. This means it's not just pulling information from a single website; it blends data from multiple sources to provide a well-rounded and more informed summary, further enhancing the learning experience for users. Google always aims to credit the original sources within the AI Overview, providing links back to the websites from where the information was found, aligning with the principles of responsible AI. This means if information from your site is used to generate the response, you could gain clicks to your site this way.
How Does Google AI Overview Affect SEO?
The introduction of AI Overviews could potentially impact your SEO and visibility in a few ways:
-
Reduced Click-Through Rates (CTRs): If users find the information they need in the AI Overview, they might be less likely to click on organic search results, leading to lower CTRs for your site. This could have a big impact on ad revenue for anyone relying heavily on clicks brought in by organic search. Find out more about improving your ad revenue in our blog “11 Tips on How to Increase Ad Revenue by 57%+”
-
Shift in Search Intent: AI Overviews tend to cater more towards informational queries, which could reduce the visibility of transactional or commercial keywords. This could make it more challenging for websites offering transactional services to get their offerings in front of potential customers.
-
Increased Competition: As publishers you will need to adapt your content strategies to ensure your website is considered a source for AI Overviews. As everyone will be refocusing their strategies, this will potentially lead to increased competition for top rankings. As a result, you’ll need to produce even higher quality, more comprehensive content than ever before!
How Can You Improve Visibility in the Face of AI Overviews?
While AI Overviews present a challenge, there are some strategies you can adopt to try to maintain visibility and engagement:
-
Focus on High-Quality Content: Creating comprehensive, well-structured, and informative content that addresses user needs and search intent is essential. Google's AI is more likely to consider authoritative and helpful content for its overviews. Ensure your content is accurate, up-to-date, and provides unique insights.
-
Optimize for Featured Snippets: Featured snippets often appear alongside AI Overviews. By optimizing your content to be featured snippet-worthy you can increase visibility and drive traffic. Use clear headings, bullet points, and tables to structure your content in a way that's easy for Google to understand and extract information from.
-
Target Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords (usually 3 to 5-word phrases) usually represent a more specific search intent, potentially reducing the impact of AI Overviews. Focusing on these keywords can help you attract a more targeted audience. Think about the questions your audience might be asking and create content that directly answers those questions.
-
Diversify Traffic Sources: Relying solely on organic search traffic can be risky. Explore other channels like social media, email marketing, and paid advertising to drive more traffic and engagement. Building a strong presence across multiple platforms can help you reach a wider audience and reduce your dependence on Google search.
-
Monitor and Adapt: Keep a close eye on how AI Overviews are impacting your traffic and CTRs. Regularly analyze your data and adjust your strategies accordingly to stay ahead of the curve. Google Search Console, GA4 and other analytics tools can provide valuable insights into how your content is performing.
AI Overviews are still in their early stages and considered experimental, so their full impact on SEO and publishers remains to be seen. However, by understanding how they work and adapting your strategies proactively, you can ensure your content continues to reach and engage your target audience. Remember, the key is to focus on providing value to your users and creating content that stands out in the ever-evolving world of search.
Elysée is Snigel's Marketing Executive. She keeps our team up-to-date by researching and writing about the latest AdTech trends and creates our publisher newsletter. With a background in academia, Ely is passionate about making complex industry topics clear and engaging for readers.
