Google AI Overviews Are Changing Search. What Should Marketers Do Now?

If your rankings look steady but your organic traffic is sliding, you’re not imagining it. Google’s AI Overviews are answering more questions right on the results page, and fewer people need to click.

That’s a real change. But it doesn’t hit every business the same way, and it’s not a reason to give up on search. Here’s what’s happening and what I’d do about it this quarter.

What AI Overviews actually are

An AI Overview is the AI-written summary that appears at the top of some Google results. It pulls information from several web pages, writes a short answer and links to a handful of sources.

They’ve been showing in Australia since late 2024, and Google says they reach more than two billion people a month. Google has also launched AI Mode, a chat-style version of search where you can ask follow-up questions. Both work on the same idea: answer first, links second.

How much they’re really costing clicks

The research so far isn’t pretty for websites that rely on informational traffic.

• An Ahrefs study in April 2025 found that when an AI Overview appeared, the top-ranking page had a click-through rate about a third lower than expected.
• A Pew Research Center study in July 2025 found people clicked a regular result in 8% of visits with an AI summary, compared with 15% without one.

But averages hide the detail. AI Overviews mostly show up on informational searches. They appear far less often when someone wants to buy, book or find a local business. So the damage depends on what your traffic is made of.

Which of your searches are at risk

Sort your keywords into three buckets.

High risk: quick answers

“What is”, “how to” and definition searches. If the answer fits in a paragraph, Google will often give it without a click. Blog posts built on these terms are the most exposed.

Medium risk: research and comparison

Searches like “best CRM for small business” or “SEO vs Google Ads”. The AI Overview gives a summary, but people still click through to compare options, read reviews and check prices.

Low risk: ready to act

Local, branded and transactional searches, like “emergency electrician Rockingham” or “buy pool pump online”. People want a business, not an essay. These still send clicks, calls and sales.

What marketers should do now

Here’s the order I’d tackle it in.

1. Find out where you’re exposed

Open Google Search Console. Look for pages where impressions are holding or growing but clicks are falling. That’s the fingerprint of an AI Overview taking the click. Then search those terms yourself and see what shows up.

2. Rewrite key pages to be cited

AI Overviews tend to cite pages that give a clear, direct answer. So put the answer in the first two sentences. Use headings that match the questions people ask. Keep paragraphs short. Add detail AI can’t make up: your own numbers, examples, prices and experience.

3. Shift effort to searches that convert

Put more into service pages, location pages and product pages, and less into generic “what is” articles. A page that ranks for a buying search is worth ten that rank for trivia.

4. Build brand demand

When people search your business name, AI Overviews rarely get in the way. The more people know you, the less you depend on generic searches. Reviews, PR, partnerships and paid social all feed branded search.

5. Strengthen trust signals

Named authors with real experience, reviews, case studies and mentions on respected sites help Google decide your page is worth citing. They also help the customer trust you once they arrive.

6. Change what you report on

If your SEO report is all traffic and rankings, it will look worse every month even when the business is doing fine. Report on enquiries, sales, cost per lead, branded search growth and how often you’re cited in AI answers.

7. Keep paid search in the mix

Google Ads still show above and below AI Overviews, and Google has started placing ads inside AI Overviews in some markets. For high-intent searches, paid and organic together protect your share of the page. A Google Ads account audit will show whether your campaigns are set up to hold that ground.

What not to do

• Don’t block Google to keep your content out of AI Overviews. The controls that limit AI Overviews, like the nosnippet tag, also strip your normal search snippets. For most businesses that does more harm than good.
• Don’t flood your site with AI-written articles. Google is already summarising the generic stuff. More of it won’t help.
• Don’t chase every AI Overview. Pick the questions that matter to your buyers and win those.

The bottom line

AI Overviews are shrinking the value of easy informational traffic. They’re barely touching the searches where people are ready to spend money. Focus there, make your best pages worth citing, and measure what actually pays the bills.

Want to know where you stand? Start with our free audit, or see how our AI search optimisation works.

FAQs

Do AI Overviews show in Australia?

Yes. Google expanded AI Overviews to Australia in late 2024. They appear on a wide range of searches, especially question-style ones.

Can I stop Google using my content in AI Overviews?

You can limit it with snippet controls like nosnippet, but those also affect how your page appears in normal results. Most businesses are better off aiming to be cited instead.

How do I get my website cited in AI Overviews?

Rank well for the search, answer the question clearly near the top of the page, structure your content with helpful headings, and back it up with real expertise. There’s no special tag or trick.