Written by SAY’s SEO partner Yaser UK, this article is for everyone who’s worried that Google AI mode and AI overviews will kill traffic to their website.
The bad news: AI overviews are stealing your link clicks, and the launch of Google AI Mode will exacerbate this trend.
It’s true. Just because you rank #1 for a search term doesn’t stop you from being pushed into third place, behind the AI overview and sponsored links.
While some users are sceptical of both AI and sponsored links, the presence of an AI overview in search can reduce click-through by over 30%.
With over half of searches on Google (where more than 9 out of 10 searches still happen) now including an AI overview, this explains why hits on your website are going down.
It’s because Google’s AI overviews are stealing your link clicks.
There’s worse to come.
With Google’s full AI mode moving into the mainstream, organic listings as we know them will become increasingly rare. In their place, search looks likely to become a conversation with AI. This means less links and, therefore, less clicks.
There’s light in the AI-induced gloom
Here’s the good news: Despite this new world of AI-empowered search, the work you put into ranking well for specific topics isn’t wasted.
While search results are increasingly being presented through AI overviews, the mission of search engines remains the same – to give users the best possible answer to their question.
This often results in people being directed to the website most appropriate to their needs. If you’ve done your SEO well, and kept it up to date, the search AI should be sending the ideal customer in your direction.
In short, the fundamentals of SEO still apply.
Optimise to be part of the AI conversation
In fact, SEO is becoming even more important. A poorly optimised site still found its way into the traditional listing-based search results, just not on page one. The chances of it getting a mention in AI-enabled search are close to zero.
Search is becoming increasingly conversational and Google AI Mode is giving this trend a boost. People are typing longer questions into search engines, and they’re getting more specific. That’s because a more detailed query brings up results that are more relevant.
Let’s say you’re researching SaaS cybersecurity options for your business. A Google search for ‘cybersecurity SaaS platform’ brings up sponsored links from cybersecurity providers, followed by organic links.
A more specific search, ‘best cybersecurity SaaS platform with AI agents’, prompts an AI overview discussing the best solutions by name. It immediately explains how these systems leverage AI, and highlights their key features.
It also lists factors to consider when choosing a cybersecurity system, which could trigger further research.
All this content is supported by links, both to the products listed and other sites considered relevant to the subject. You’ll undoubtedly follow some of these links to develop your understanding of the options.
Links that are surfaced by an AI-overview will drive traffic to those websites. To increase the chances of your site being included, it must be optimised to help Google answer detailed questions, fast.
If your website isn’t configured to give the search engine the answers it needs, it’s less likely to be included in AI-enabled search results.
What AI isn’t changing about SEO
Don’t be taken in by the new wave of practices like Artificial Intelligence Optimisation (AIO) and Answer Engine Optimisation. They sound highly relevant at a time when AI is taking over search, but look closely and you’ll discover they’re what good SEOs are already doing.
Google has spent years refining algorithms to give its users the best answer to their query. All that work isn’t going away because of AI. It’s still looking for sites that are credible, authoritative and easy to crawl.
The fundamentals of SEO remain:
User experience: Information is presented clearly, allowing users (including AI) to get the best answers with minimal effort.
Authority: The site has a high trust value from external sources considered credible.
Content: A strategy that prioritises high-quality, original content becomes even more important.
Technical SEO: This underpins the other elements, with factors like page speed and site design impacting the search bot’s ability to find what it needs.
Yes, specifics within these fundamentals are changing in the light of AI-enabled search. But they’re always changing, because that’s the nature of SEO.
The Great Decoupling
In the discussion of AI and SEO, it’s important to mention ‘the great decoupling’. This is the strange trend visible in places like Google Search Console. Website impressions are up, but clicks are tanking.
Impressions – the number of times a site appears in search results – are boosted, because a site can appear twice in the same results: once in an AI overview and again in traditional listings.
Clicks are down, because the AI-generated summary answers questions instantly, eliminating the need to click through.
However, research shows that most links cited in AI overviews also rank highly in organic search results. It’s another indicator that the fundamentals of SEO still apply, although with more intense focus on transactional and commercial search intent.
AI-enabled SEO is still all about brand
Google’s SEO guidelines E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) haven’t changed and they align with one word: brand.
Growing visibility and trust in your brand is as important as ever, and arguably, even more important as AI takes more responsibility for sifting search results. It’s not something you can achieve overnight, but it goes faster when you partner with a PR & Comms agency.
“SEO, like brand, isn’t about shortcuts – it’s about consistency, quality and long-term thinking,” says Yaser, founder of Yaser UK, SAY’s partner SEO consultancy.
“Both are closely connected, even more so as AI increasingly drives search. Setting yourself apart by becoming a recognisable and trusted brand helps establish authority, making users more likely to click and engage.”
Want your brand to feature in more AI overviews and search results? Learn more about how we help brands build trust.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
