How to Get a Handle on AI Overviews Usage and Boost Your Visibility  

It’s time to get a handle on AI overviews usage. AI overviews have changed the way we consume search results. There is no doubt that AI overviews are taking clicks away from organic search listings. As a result, traffic is down for many websites. But a recent study by Search Engine Journal, “Trust Still Lives in Blue Links,” sheds some light on the impact AI overviews have based on new search intentions. If you’re concerned about how this may impact your business, please continue reading. In the article, you’ll learn that for SEO and organic listings, all is not lost. Additionally, you’ll gain strategies to enhance your visibility and strengthen your brand’s authority. 

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

The Impact of AI Overviews Depends on the Search Intent

Search intentions, as used here, differ from Google Search Intentions. To learn about Google Search Intentions, please read our article “How Search Intent Helps Pick the Right Website Keywords.” These new ones center around the consequences of the results. They include both low- and high-consequence searches, as well as comparisons.

Low Consequences Searches

Searches with low consequence results are generally fast fact lookups. For example, when a celebrity was born, the population of Florida, or who the Governor of Texas is. The answer is important, but it’s a hard fact, so a quick answer is all that’s needed. Someone looking for information with a low-consequences answer will find it in the AI Overview, do a quick skim, and move on. Most likely, there will be no additional clicks on organic search results. 

High Consequences Searches

Searches with high consequence results are more complicated and need clarification and context. For example, you may want to know if buying foreign currency now is a smart investment. You may want to know if vitamin deficiencies can cause high blood pressure. Answers to these questions can have a big impact on your life. Someone looking for information with a high-consequence answer will likely skim the AI Overview but click on an organic search listing from a trusted source. 

Transcripts from the SEJ study make it explicit: Users trusted official sites, government domains, and familiar authority brands, as one participant’s quote demonstrates:

“Mayo Clinic at the top of results, that’s where I’d go. I trust Mayo Clinic more than an AI summary.”

Comparisons Searches

Searchers for comparison answers actively lean into the AIO for classic comparative results. They also compare informational resources to get clarity on the “best” of something, like, “What is the best Adirondack chair?” But they don’t stop there. They often click on organic results to explore answers across multiple sources, jumping between YouTube reviews, Reddit threads, and vendor sites before making a decision.

SEO Strategy Implications

These days, it’s essential to decide which kinds of results you want to be visible for. Is your website content suited to low-consequence answers, or is your content complex and high-consequence? The answer will determine the website content structure needed for AI overviews citations, and to rank in organic search results.

For AI overview citations, structure your content with quick-to-read summaries, FAQs, checklists, simple tables, and the right schema markup. For organic listings that resonate with those seeking trust validation, include citations, reviews, authoritative guidance, and strong EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust) signals. To learn more about EEAT, please read our blog post, “If You’re Hungry for Higher Google Rankings, It’s Time to EEAT!“

For High-Consequence Searches, it all Comes Back to Trust

Based on the SEJ study, it appears that the death of organic search is a way off, at least for now. People looking for answers to high-consequence questions will skim AI overviews, but scroll down to look for information from trusted sources. If your business offers products or services with high consequences, then creating and protecting your brand is more important than ever. That’s because brand trust is the glue between AIO exposure and user action.

Your content strategy should include customer testimonials prominently featured on your webpages. Don’t just have a page dedicated to reviews. Instead, post a review on each page, and try to align the product or service to the review you feature.

How-to videos are a great way to establish your authority and are the most popular form of content. Make the videos short and focused on a single topic. Post them on your website pages and on your YouTube channel. Multi-platform visibility will extend your reach and content accessibility.

Off-site, be sure to participate in Reddit forums and discussions. Your participation will further strengthen your authority in your field. Google posts Reddit content because its recent Helpful Content Update prioritizes authentic, community-driven content and user-generated information. Plus, Google has a partnership with Reddit, so I’m pretty sure that has something to do with it, too. Therefore, if you want to establish your authority in a Google-SERP-friendly environment, participating on Reddit is important.

Conclusion to Get a Handle on AI Overviews Usage

The internet is always evolving, and to get a handle on AI overviews, I’ve leaned heavily on this SEJ research for this blog. Nevertheless, I’ve only scratched the surface of their insights. However, my key takeaways were this:

1. Don’t worry about low-consequence searches. They are taking clicks from organic search listings, but if you have a small or mid-sized business, you probably weren’t ranking for the search anyway. You should keep creating content for these types of search intentions, but know that the content is strictly for your website visitors. It will add to your authority and help convince prospects to consider your company’s products and services. But it will not have any real SEO value.
2. For high-consequence searches, organic search results are still the backbone of learning and consideration. Trust is always the link between you and your prospects. Therefore, you should feature as many trust signals as possible on your webpages.
3. For comparison searches, take a multi-platform approach focused on website content, YouTube, and Reddit Forums.

AI Overviews have taken clicks away from organic search, but for high-consequence searches that delivery high-quality clicks, organic listings and brand building are more important than ever.

SK Website Works is a website company that focuses on user experience. We build new websites and provide SEO services to keep websites running clean and search engines happy. Plus, we create content that showcases our clients’ experience and expertise. It’s how we establish their authority. That builds trust between our clients and their prospects. And customers only buy from brands they trust. Call us to discuss what SK Website Works can do for you.