Blog 3 Things You Need to Know About Google Search’s AI Overviews

3 Things You Need to Know About Google Search’s AI Overviews

AUTHOR: Madelyn Frascella

Jul 19, 2024

4 Min Read

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Picture it: you have a burning question that only the internet can answer. You make a search on Google and instead of getting 10 blue links, scrolling, clicking through sites, making several more searches, you just… get the answer to your question. Sounds like something out of Star Trek, right? Well, that’s the future Google envisions. They are actively trying to evolve from a search engine into an answer engine, and their AI Overviews are the first step in getting there.

What are AI Overviews and how do they work? Using Google’s Gemini (their Gen AI large language model technology) in combination with their existing index of the web, AI Overviews provide summarized answers to complex search queries. What this looks like is usually a few paragraphs at the top of the results page with a handful of link cards pointing to sources.

Here are 3 things you need to know about AI Overviews now:

1. AI Overviews have launched widely in the U.S.

Formerly an opt-in only experiment called the Search Generative Experience, AI Overviews are now widely available. That means any searcher could potentially get an AI Overview with their search (nope, you can’t opt-out!), but they are mostly reserved for more complex questions when Google thinks they can add value beyond standard search results. Current studies (as of July 2024) estimate they are appearing for only 7-9% of queries.

This surprisingly small percentage is likely due to the very obvious (and widely shared) errors AI Overview were making after launching widely (some real, some faked – Google is aware). Google has scaled back AI Overviews in the short term while they make improvements – like cutting back on user-generated content – but expect expansion as the technology gets better and better.

2. AI Overviews will start to include ads

Google announced at their Google Marketing Live presentation in May what marketers have been expecting since AI Overviews were introduced–they are in the process of testing ads within AI Overviews. Previously, ads have only been shown above and below Overviews.

There’s been no news since GML on how these tests have gone, or when ads will be rolled out to Overviews more widely, but as of now, ads in AI Overviews pull from existing search and shopping ads. A strong and highly relevant search marketing strategy will set you up for success once ads are fully rolled out to Overviews.

3. AI Overviews will affect organic traffic

There’s no getting around it: with more information being provided by Google and fewer links appearing above the fold, many sites are likely to see a decrease in organic traffic, but how much of a decrease is yet to be determined. However, per Google, the link cards in AI Overviews generate higher click-through rates than general search, so they could become an important source of highly qualified traffic. Lately, Google has been testing where link cards appear within the overviews, including in more visible placements.

It’s worth noting that no-click searchers are already a reality–in fact, a new study says nearly 60% of Google searches end without a click.

As with a search marketing strategy, improving SEO now will set you up for success in the long term, as you want Google to know that you have the best answer to searchers’ complex queries, which will increase your chance of appearing in an Overview as a link card–currently, nearly 85% of AI Overviews link to at least one domain that’s among the top 10 standard organic search results.

While AI Overviews may not be the predominant type of Google search result right now, they will become more and more prevalent as search evolves along with Gen AI. Prepare your SEM and SEO strategy now so you don’t get left behind!