You search for something on Google and get the most important information at a glance, without even having to click on a link – that's nothing new at first. Google has always made it its mission to provide users with the best and most convenient search results. And Featured Snippets and People Also Ask have been an integral part of the search engine result page (SERP) for years.
However, what is new is that instead of directly citing websites, Generative AI compiles consolidated answers from various sources for you in AI overviews. This Google AI Overview, which has also been rolled out in Germany and the DACH region since March 2025, represents a paradigm shift in search behavior that has a noticeable impact on how companies generate visibility, clicks, and leads.
“Google will do the Googling for you”
It is important to note that neither SEO nor SEA are “done”, nor do the AI Overviews on Google “steal” all the clicks from your website. That's why in this article we want to take a realistic look at Google AI Overviews and their effects and show you which strategies really count now and make your business future-proof for AI search.
The most important things at a glance:
- Google AI Overviews are not “ranking killers” but require strategic adjustments to your SEO & SEA strategy
- For SEO & SEA, context, relevance and funnel logic are more important than as many clicks as possible at any price
- Users who continue to research despite the Google AI Overview have a higher conversion potential
Our assessment: With Google AI Overviews towards more context & relevance
Google AI Overviews provide users with direct answers to questions and restructure the classic SERP. In the short term, this can cause organic traffic losses and impair the visibility of Google Ads. In the medium term, however, AI Overviews offer new placement opportunities and contextual visibility, which result in clicks with a higher conversion potential.
In plain language, this means: Fewer clicks do not necessarily mean fewer conversions.
Thus, AI Overviews do not mark the end of SEO and SEA – quite the contrary. The sooner you adapt to AI Search compatible online marketing, the better you can strengthen and expand the visibility and relevance of your company through context-rich, well-structured and user-focused content. We have already found that companies with a strong content strategy that we support are played out more frequently.
What is specifically important for you to achieve similar results is what we will show you in this article. To delve deeper, simply contact us for a non-binding strategy consultation.
What is the Google AI Overview?
The Google AI Overview is an AI-generated summary of content from various sources that directly answers a search query. Google usually places the AI overview in position Zero, i.e., above the organic results and either before or after the first paid search results (Google Ads). The sources that Google uses are displayed on the right.
The goal: Users no longer have to click through the organic search results themselves, but immediately find and understand the information they are looking for. Perhaps you can already guess – whether this works for highly complex questions or products requiring explanation, such as in the B2B and IT sectors, is questionable.
Rollout of AI Overviews on Google in Germany, the DACH region & worldwide
The Google AI Overviews started in the USA back in 2023, then under the name SGE (Search Generative Experience). The official rollout also began in May 2024 in the USA and by the end of 2024 also in Canada, India and the UK. Since March 2025, the Google AI Search Results have also been activated in Europe.
Technical background: Google generates the Overview with Generative AI (including Gemini) via RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation). Instead of only using content from training data (as is the case with some ChatGPT models, for example), the AI combines current content from various sources and generates an answer from it. The AI uses publicly accessible websites as sources, as well as the Google Search Index and the Google Knowledge Graph. Google assesses which websites are relevant based on algorithms (including search intention and E-E-A-T criteria). Each Google AI Overview is generated dynamically and is not reproducible.
When does Google display AI Overviews?
A study by Semrush examined more than 10 million search queries between January and March 2025 and found that the number of search queries that triggered a Google AI Overview doubled from 6.49 percent in January to 13.14 percent in March. Current estimates even assume that it is now around 50 percent (June 2025).
This means that around half of the search queries are answered by Google with an AI Overview, but some are not. We assume that this proportion will continue to rise. For the moment, however, there are some decisive criteria for when an AI overview can be expected and when not:
- Keywords: Google AI Overviews are more likely to appear for information-oriented long-tail keywords with low barriers to entry – and less likely for transactional keywords with high search volume.
- Search intention: According to Semrush, information-oriented search queries trigger the most Google AI Overviews so far (March 2025) at around 88 percent; ahrefs even speaks of 99 percent. Transactional and navigation-related searches account for less than 2 percent, and commercial queries account for around 9 percent.
- Industry: Some industries seem to be more affected by Google AI Overviews than others. While scientific topics record more than 20 percent AI overviews according to Semrush, business and industry are (still) at a comparatively low 4.2 percent.
- Complexity: The more specific and complex the search query, the more likely a Google AI Overview will appear – this also corresponds to the long-tail keywords that we have already mentioned.
- Device: Google Search seems to display more AI Overviews on mobile devices than on desktop.
An outlook: Google is continuously working to improve the output of the AI Overviews, so we assume that the proportion of search queries with AI overviews will continue to rise and will expand to all industries. In the future, more transactional keywords are also likely to be affected – because "sparing" them has so far made sense for Google in order not to endanger the Google Ads business model. However, Google Ads in AI Overviews are also increasingly being tested.
What impact do AI Overviews have on SERP & traffic in the B2B sector?
In a broader context, AI Overviews are Google's answer to the paradigm shift in search behavior triggered by AI tools and SearchGPT – away from search and towards the answer. Of course, this applies not only to the B2C sector, but also to decision-makers, buyers and IT managers in the B2B sector.
B2B search queries are often complex, include long-tail keywords, are technical, require explanation and advice – so they fulfill various triggers for Google AI Overviews. So what effects can we observe so far?
Structure of the SERP
The most striking thing is the restructuring of the SERP page with the "classic" structure consisting of:
- paid search results (Google Ads)
- including organic search results
- partly interrupted by Featured Snippets and Other questions
In contrast, the Google AI Overview appears prominently above or below the paid search results – but in any case, before the organic results, which consequently lose visibility.
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Challenges
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Opportunities
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Loss of visibility, especially for organic search results, fewer clicks even with good rankings |
Great potential for pages that don't currently rank in the top 1-3, to gain visibility through source citations |
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Less focus on paid search results due to the prominent display of the AI overview |
New advertising formats are emerging, e.g. Google Ads within the overviews or possibly also Sponsored Overviews |
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Complex content is anticipated in AI Overviews and often presented in an overly generic and simplified manner. |
Expert decision-makers with high conversion potential notice this and click through to the sources. |
Interim Conclusion: The restructuring of the SERP opens up new opportunities for B2B SEO to gain more visibility with technically sound, well-structured content. SEA must keep an eye on new advertising formats in order to adapt to the changed search behavior.
Zero-Click Behavior
Zero-click searches, i.e., search queries on Google that do not lead to a click on a further page, are at least as old as Featured Snippets, which have been rolled out since 2014. On average, even before the introduction of AI Overviews, around 30 percent of searches were expected to be zero-click searches.
Nevertheless, it is obvious that Google AI Overviews reinforce this behavior – why should a user click further if the answer has already been provided? However, Semrush also confirms that the connection is by no means so trivial. Although zero-click searches are increasing on average, they are highly dependent on the actual interaction of users with the search results and the search intention.
How do you recognize zero-click searches in analysis tools? A classic phenomenon is increasing impressions and good rankings for certain URLs in the Google Search Console, but the click rates do not increase accordingly.
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Challenges
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Opportunities
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Zero-click searches for purely informative content (e.g., definitions, glossary entries), that can be adequately covered in the AI Overview. |
Well-researched, high-quality content is more likely to be cited as a source in complex searches, increasing brand awareness. |
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Purely click-based lead generation strategies no longer work with increasing zero-click searches. |
Early adaptation of the content strategy ensures long-term presence, increasing trust and reputation. |
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Zero-click searches complicate evaluation in Google Analytics and Google Search Console. |
Opportunity for new lead generation strategies that offer added value and better channel clicks (e.g., white papers, demos). |
Interim Conclusion: Although zero-click behavior through Google AI Overviews is real, it does not mean that your website is losing visibility. On the contrary, AI overviews can even increase reach and – even with fewer clicks – achieve just as many conversions through a higher willingness to buy. For both SEO and Google Ads in B2B, it will be crucial to place the next step towards conversion even more precisely.
CTR (Click-Through-Rate) & Traffic
If we look at the CTR and the traffic as a whole against the background of zero-click behavior, it is clear that both values must decrease as soon as a Google AI Overview is displayed. At the same time, caution is advised with the CTR as a metric if you evaluate it, e.g., via the Google Search Console:
The formula for the click-through rate = clicks / impressions x 100. Theoretically, this means that the CTR is the proportion of users who have seen a search result and then clicked on it. The problem is, however, that the Google Search Console also evaluates an impression if users only read the Google AI Overview, but your page appears further down on the SERP and is not actually seen, but only displayed.
As mentioned before, a decline in clicks or a lower CTR does not necessarily mean fewer conversions. The studies are still ongoing, but initial figures from ahrefs indicate that the conversion rate of AI overview traffic is significantly higher than that of "normal" SERP traffic. The logic behind this: The users have already dealt with the topic in more depth and are no longer in the top, but in the mid-funnel – and therefore have a much higher willingness to convert.
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Challenges
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Opportunities
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Decline in CTR and traffic even with good rankings, especially noticeable for purely informational searches (top-funnel). |
Top rankings are no longer the only "currency" & the conversion probability increases per AI click. |
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Purely informative content & former traffic sources like glossary articles are losing significant organic traffic. |
Great opportunity for early adopters with a well-thought-out content structure & well-founded specialist articles. |
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Increasing competition for ad clicks on relevant keywords leads to higher budget pressure. |
Combination of AI-compatible content & smart SEA and tracking strategy leads to more qualified traffic. |
Interim Conclusion: The increasing zero-click behavior due to Google AI Overviews results in a decrease in clicks and thus the CTR for organic as well as paid search results – especially for informational and top-of-funnel search queries. This makes it all the more important to interlink SEO and SEA in a meaningful way and strategically align them with the sales funnel. Then you might get less traffic, but it will be of higher quality and lead to more leads.
What do Google AI Overviews mean for your B2B SEO strategy?
If we consider the impact of Google AI Overviews on the SERP structure, click behavior, CTR, and traffic, it becomes clear that the classic SEO strategy of landing in the top positions at all costs is not sustainable on its own. Even if it will probably take a few more years for AI tools to catch up with the classic Google search (there is also an interesting study by Semrush on this), it is important for B2B companies to implement SEO AI-compatibly as quickly as possible.
Because even within the Google system, it's no longer just about rankings, but about relevance for AI. This means: It's not just important what you say, but how you say it. Your content must systematically combine search intent, structure, and expertise so that you are cited as a trustworthy source in Google AI Overviews and gain visibility through relevance. We have already been implementing many of the strategies that are important for this as SEO best practices for our clients for years. However, there are a few significant add-ons:
1. Structure content in an AI-compatible way in terms of content & technology
Of course, all content on your website should be factually correct, logically structured, and clearly structured using heading hierarchies. To be relevant for Google AI Overviews, a modular structure aka Question – Answer – Further Information is more important than ever. On the one hand, this offers added value for your users, but it also makes it easier for the AI to specifically recognize information, extract it and assign it to the context of the Google AI Overviews. This includes:
- Clearly structure sections according to search intent, depict a specific question in the heading and answer it precisely and completely.
- Structure articles using formatting, i.e. work with tables, numbered lists, bullet points, etc. to cleanly process relevant information.
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Check and optimize technical structure; or
should be created in HTML (most CMS include this as standard) - Use structured data (schema markup) for e.g. FAQ, how-tos or blog articles to make syntax analysis (parsing) easier for AI.
- Ensure machine readability, relevant content should not only be reloaded via JavaScript, for example.
2. Strengthen E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust)
AI Overviews also place an increased focus on a factor that is also nothing new for Google or SEO: E-E-A-T has been considered a "filter" for assessing the quality of content since 2022:
- E – Experience – the author has personal experience with the topic
- E – Expertise – the author is professionally qualified, an expert in the topic
- A – Authoritativeness – the brand or website should be considered an authority in the field
- T – Trustworthiness – the page should be secure in terms of content and technology
Especially in the B2B environment, where products require explanation and decision-making processes are complex with high investment volumes, these quality characteristics are essential. E-E-A-T has been the focus of SEO content production for our clients for years – but we also see time and again that companies do not implement the principle yet or not consistently enough. This includes:
- Complete author profile including bio with specific technical reference to the topic (ideally created as structured data)
- Demonstrably underpin conveyed content via benchmarks, studies, reports, or own analyses to signal competence
- Show concrete, practical solutions; incorporate case examples, case studies, or practical applications
- Build trust through references, certifications, visible company profiles (e.g. on Google or LinkedIn) and transparent contact information
3. Understand topics instead of just serving keywords
Just like SearchGPT and other AI tools, Google Search AI also analyzes content contextually rather than based on keywords. In practical terms, this means that it is becoming less important to place a high quantity of individual search terms in a text. Instead, what a text really says, how it relates to other topics, and how completely it covers a topic area counts.
This is nothing new for us either, but here too, consistent implementation is becoming increasingly important. This includes:
- Rely on long-tail keywords with specific search intent instead of generic search queries with high search volume
- Work with synonyms, use technically correct or industry-typical language and incorporate important terms
- Form topic clusters; build content around a central topic (pillar article) that creates structure and context in terms of content
- Set internal links strategically and use semantic anchor texts to create context
- Establish a precise reference to known entities (e.g. standards, persons or companies) if a solution meets ISO DIN 9001, for example
4. Optimize technical basics of the website
In order for your content to be crawled and considered by Google, the crawlers must be able to read the page – regardless of whether it is organic search results or AI Overview. Technical SEO basics are therefore still important and must additionally take the criteria of AI into account. This includes:
- Content must be generally accessible to crawlers (including AI bots) and should not be hidden or blocked in JavaScript
- Individually weigh up which content should only be available behind login areas, paywalls or after registration
- If relevant: Make technical data sheets or product catalogs crawlable
- Consistently implement technical SEO basics such as heading hierarchies (H1, H2 etc.) and meta texts
- Keep an eye on Core Web Vitals via the Google Search Console and optimize if necessary
- Mobile first still applies, so the entire page should be optimized for mobile devices
- Optimizing loading times is important against the mobile-first background, but also so that bots can crawl the page completely
- And here again: Use structured data (schema markup) for e.g. FAQ, how-tos or blog articles
5. Actuality as a ranking, relevance and trust signal
Many B2B topics are constantly changing – standards are updated or new functions such as AI become relevant. That's why it's important to keep content up to date. This was already the case in “classic SEO”, but is becoming even more important due to AI and its understanding of context.
This means that good content is not created just once, but should be regularly reviewed and updated. For our clients, we rely on well-structured content plans, regularly check the texts for content and performance, and plan updates accordingly. Consistent implementation also includes:
- Making updates comprehensible and including the update date (ideally via structured data)
- Not just making "cosmetic" updates, but updating keywords and figures, incorporating new studies, and rewriting sections
- Regularly updating the sitemap and submitting it via Google Search Console
- Regularly checking important content or pillar content (in terms of content and performance) and planning updates accordingly
- Using updated content on other channels and promoting it in social media or via newsletters, for example
6. Build online reputation for your own brand in a targeted manner
Last but not least, the topic of context again - in the sense of holistic optimization for generative search engines (Generative Engine Optimization or GEO for short), SEO takes place not only on-page, but also off-page. Google's AI virtually sees your site not only in isolation, but in the context of all other content that takes place or does not take place on the web in relation to your company.
The reputation of your brand or company on the web is becoming an increasingly important, "silent" ranking factor. Or, in short, if you are not recommended, the Google AI Overview will not recommend you either. This includes:
- Mentions of the brand or company in industry-relevant media, specialist portals, studies, publications, interviews, etc.
- Testimonials, customer feedback or reviews for more credibility; ideally also integrated on the website via structured data
- Create company profiles (e.g. Google Business, LinkedIn, Xing, GitHub, etc.)
- Monitor brand reputation, e.g. via special tools and/or in AI models such as ChatGPT, Perplexity or Copilot
What do Google AI Overviews mean for your B2B SEA strategy?
In addition to the strategic adjustments that are important in the SEO area, you should not neglect your SEA strategy. Even though the paid search results have so far been less affected than the organic ones, the restructuring of the SERP and the changed click behavior are leading to increasing competition and budget pressure.
Just like for SEO, relevance is an important keyword here. Those who manage to use more relevant keywords, create landing pages and offer CTAs have the chance to use their budget more efficiently and generate higher quality traffic. There are a few more strategic recommendations for this:
1. Focus on bottom-funnel or long-tail keywords
From our point of view, the most important recommendation: The campaign structure for your Google Ads must take the increasing zero-click behavior into account. As with organic search results, users won't click on anything else if the Google AI Overview already provides the answer to their question. And the AI overviews can do this very well, especially for top-funnel or informative keywords. Typical examples are:
- What is Zero Trust?
- What is ISO 27001?
- Advantages of ERP system
If you run ads on such search queries, you may get impressions, but with the result "no action". Keywords that already contain a concrete intention to act or at least potential for action and are located in the bottom or mid-funnel are more useful. Here again are the same top-funnel search queries in comparison with an equivalent in the mid- or bottom-funnel:
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Top-Funnel
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Mid-Funnel
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Bottom-Funnel
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What is Zero Trust?
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Zero Trust Solution GDPR-compliant |
Zero Trust consulting for IT security
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What is ISO 27001?
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SASE provider ISO 27001
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SASE Solution ISO 27001 Book a demo |
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Advantages of ERP system
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ERP system for medium-sized businesses |
Find ERP software for medium-sized businesses |
Notably, mid- or bottom-funnel keywords are usually longer and more precise than top-funnel search queries. These long-tail keywords often have a low search volume, but due to their higher action orientation, they generate more valuable traffic with higher conversion potential.
In addition, the search queries are more complex, meaning they are either more difficult to answer in the Google AI Overview, prompting the user to seek further information. Alternatively, for some highly transactional keywords, Google does not display any AI Overviews at all, so the focus is clearly back on the ads.
2. Strengthen target audience understanding & integrate into campaign structure
If we're already talking about more precise search queries, it's also clear that a list of long-tail keywords alone won't help you. The entire SEA campaign must be aligned to address the relevant target audience in the right context. To do this, you need to know:
- Who is your ideal customer?
- In what situation do customers make a decision?
- What signals are important for a targeted request?
Important for this: You need a good data basis. You can get this, for example, via Google Analytics 4, ideally in combination with first-party data (e.g. from your CRM system). Your Google Analytics and Google Ads accounts should definitely be linked to each other, and ideally your first-party data sources as well.
Here are a few examples of interesting audiences:
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GA4 Audience
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Conclusion
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Users who visit certain pages for longer than 60 seconds |
Mid-funnel, interesting for a consideration campaign |
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Users with a scroll depth of more than 75 percent who download a PDF |
Bottom-funnel, interesting for a demo request campaign |
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Users with repeated sessions without conversions |
Potential lead, interesting for a remarketing campaign |
With these insights, you can better align your campaign structure with the funnel logic and use the custom segments in Google Ads even more efficiently.
3. Conversion rate optimization of the website is becoming (even) more important
The goal of every B2B website is to generate leads or conversions – so far, nothing new. However, if you're getting less traffic through Google AI Overviews and zero-click searches, every click becomes a more significant touchpoint that you should use even more efficiently. After all, fewer clicks matter less if the remaining clicks convert better.
The key is to ensure that your landing pages and website as a whole are structured in an action-oriented way, guiding users directly to the next step – e.g., requesting a demo, downloading a white paper, or filling out a contact form. This secures leads even if traffic decreases, while simultaneously lowering your cost per lead. Key levers include:
- Users must understand your offer in less than 5 seconds; problem, benefit, and a clear CTA should be visible above the fold.
- More consistently align landing pages with the relevant target audience and funnel logic (see previous tip).
- Condense the content of the landing page and develop a crystal-clear CTA, carrying it throughout the entire page.
- Focus more on soft and micro-conversions, e.g., lead magnets such as white papers for download, newsletter subscriptions, or webinar registrations.
- Optimize the technical foundations of the website (e.g., loading time, mobile UX, page speed, and Core Web Vitals).
- Make trust anchors visible; references, testimonials, or certifications build trust.
4. Remarketing as an essential measure to retain users
And if a user doesn't convert immediately, are they lost forever? Even if your website is highly conversion-optimized, it's unlikely that every click will lead to a new lead. However, if you're getting less traffic overall, it becomes all the more valuable, and you shouldn't let any click simply fizzle out. This is where remarketing comes into play.
The advantage of every click that goes beyond the Google AI Overview is: users show concrete interest and have conversion potential. Especially in the B2B and IT sectors, it's quite unusual for users to convert directly on their first visit to your website – decision-making processes usually take much longer. Remarketing is therefore essential to avoid squandering this potential. The following is important for this:
- Strategically align remarketing along the funnel logic (users who have abandoned a lead form need a different approach than visitors to a product page).
- Offer soft conversions at various levels along the funnel logic (also include content offers such as white papers, offer low-threshold actions).
- Use all traffic sources (with fewer clicks, it can be difficult to reach the data threshold of Google Ads for remarketing, so also include organic traffic via Analytics).
A study on Media Consumption and Vendor Engagement from techtarget shows that IT buyers research for 3 to 4 months before contacting sales for the first time 3 to 4 months before making a purchase decision. So it's important that you don't lose the prospect in this crucial phase.
5. Outlook on new ad formats & placements in Google AI Overviews
If we look at the new SERP structure with regard to Google Ads, two different scenarios are possible:
Ads appear as usual before the Google AI Overview, then come the organic results.
The Google AI Overview is in position zero, followed by ads and organic results.
However, the more users focus on the AI Overview, the more the ads fade into the background. This, of course, also endangers Google's business model. One solution being considered by the corporation: placing ads in Google AI Overviews. Various formats are currently being tested, including:
- Sponsored Answers (contextually integrated into the AI Overview)
- Product comparisons (including prices, ratings, and links)
- Product ads (including image, link, and CTA)
The rollout has already begun in the USA (as of July 2025) and is expected to be extended to Europe in the coming months. Important: You cannot book these formats separately at this time; rather, Google decides when to show ads in the AI Overviews and when not to. So, it remains important to keep search intent and context in mind for your campaign plan, your ads, and landing pages.
Our assumption is that, in the long term, Google will transfer the ads from the SERP to the Google AI Overviews or to the Google AI Search in Google AI Mode.
6. Further Tips and Measures for Individual Review
In addition to the tips and measures already mentioned, there are a few more levers that may be of interest regarding SEA and Google AI Overviews. However, to delve further into the details, an individual assessment of your current campaigns is always necessary. This may include:
- Optimizing Ad Content & Assets
- Reviewing Budget & Bidding Strategies
- Updating KPIs & Conversion Tracking
Here, it is important not to act rashly and to implement changes according to plan and within a controlled testing framework. If you are not an SEA professional yourself, it is best to leave this to an agency.
One last thought on SEO and SEA with regard to Google AI Overviews: In addition to the individual tips and measures, it is particularly important not to regard the two areas as separate silos, but to interlink them more closely. For relevance and context—which are your most important assets in both disciplines—you need contextually strong, cleanly structured content, which is classically provided by SEO. At the same time, SEA clicks and data are important to compensate for traffic losses in the organic area. A future-proof strategy, therefore, considers SEA and SEO in combination.
How does the tracking of mentions in Google AI Overviews work?
Online marketing in any form is, of course, not something you should simply implement blindly—the measurability of results is one of the most important factors and essential for optimizing your campaigns. Tracking mentions in Google AI Overviews is currently still a 'black box'.
There are already initial tools that have integrated functions for tracking Google AI Overviews. Sistrix, for example, rolled out such a function in May. The problem: most tools obtain their data from the Google SERP, but not directly from Google. A separate evaluation via the Google Search Console would be much more reliable.
Although clicks on sources in the Google AI Overviews and in Google AI Mode now flow into the Search Console data according to Google, they are not separately identified.
Is Google allowed to create AI overviews just like that?
Many website operators are also asking the question: Is Google allowed to automatically summarize content? In fact, the rollout of Google AI Overviews in Europe is still referred to as a 'test' by many and has been delayed primarily due to legal issues compared to the introduction in the USA.
From a purely technical point of view, Google is on the safe side, as it only accesses publicly available web content for the AI Overviews, according to its own statements. The problem: this content is reinterpreted by the AI and placed in a new context. This leads to questions regarding copyright and also responsibility for the content displayed. The European Commission is currently investigating the following points or violations:
- Digital Markets Act (DMA)
- GDPR & Digital Services Act (DSA)
- EU copyright regulations
- European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)
- AI Act (with regard to transparency and security)
Our assessment: Not making your business website crawlable for AI is not a future-proof strategy. However, it is all the more important that the content of your website is of high quality, up-to-date, and factually correct. If there are areas with sensitive data, you should rather exclude them specifically via robots.txt or a paywall.
An outlook: What's next for Google AI Overviews & Google AI Search?
Google AI Overviews are not a test run, but mark a profound change in search behavior—away from searching to direct answers. The fact that Google has taken this path is also proven by the Google AI Mode, which enables a dialogue-based search aka SearchGPT and whose rollout has already begun in the USA.
All features of Google's AI Search projects ultimately lead to the classic SERP (Search Engine Result Page) being replaced by direct answers to questions, resulting in a change in user search behavior. For companies, click records and first place in the organic search results are no longer the most important measures of success, but contextual visibility within overviews and AI search.
This offers enormous potential that you should not squander by declaring SEO or SEA as 'dead'. The right strategic adjustments are important to prepare your website and your content for the fact that Google will take over the Googling for users in the future. How well are you positioned? You can find out now with our AI Search Readiness Analysis. Simply contact us for a non-binding strategy discussion.
Google AI Overview FAQ
What are Google AI Overviews?
The Google AI Overview is an AI-generated answer box above the search results that bundles information from various sources. The goal is to answer user questions directly – without clicking on external pages. However, this model quickly reaches its content limits when dealing with complex B2B and IT topics.
When do AI Overviews appear in Google Search?
Google AI Overviews currently appear in about 50 percent of all search queries – especially for information-oriented, complex long-tail keywords. Transactional searches have hardly been affected so far, but that is likely to change. Overviews appear particularly frequently in mobile searches and in knowledge-based industries.
Can I trust the Google AI Overview?
According to Google, AI Overviews are generated from publicly accessible sources that have been checked according to E-E-A-T criteria. However, if the information for this is extracted from various sources and compiled in a new context, it can lead to oversimplified summaries and misinformation.
How do I rank in Google's AI Overview?
Within Google AI Overviews, there is no classic ranking as in the organic search results. Mentions as a source are currently not evaluated separately by Google, and clicks are included in the organic clicks in the Google Search Console. Initial tools provide data on whether companies are visible in Google AI Overviews (e.g. Sistrix); however, it is not clear where the data comes from and how reliable it is.
Can the Google AI Overview also generate images?
No, the Google AI Overview cannot generate its own images. Sometimes images are displayed in Google AI Overviews, but these are extracted from reference websites or pulled from the Google index.
How does Google create the AI Overview?
Google AI Overviews are based on Generative AI with RAG technology (Retrieval-Augmented Generation). This combines content from current sources such as the Search Index, Knowledge Graph and websites. The selection is made algorithmically according to relevance and E-E-A-T. Each overview is generated dynamically and cannot be exactly reproduced.