Google AI Overviews: Impact to date and what the future holds
AI Overviews have become one of the most significant shifts in search since Google first began indexing the web. Over the past year, we’ve seen the integration of AI-generated summaries start to reshape how users interact with search results, how Google defines its role, and how brands approach SEO. So, what’s changed so far - and where are things heading next?
What impact have AI Overviews had so far?
For years, Google was the ultimate middleman. Its mission was to help users find information as efficiently as possible — delivering thousands of results in milliseconds and moving users swiftly on to other websites. That model built one of the most profitable businesses in history, driven by advertising revenue and click-throughs to third-party sites.
But with the rise of AI Overviews, Google’s role is shifting. The search engine is no longer just an organiser of information — it’s becoming a destination in its own right. AI-generated summaries now provide rich, self-contained answers that blend the authority of sourced content with the immediacy of conversational insight.
This evolution has created a new challenge for SEO: the rise of zero-click searches. More users are finding the answers they need directly in the results page, without ever visiting a source site. For businesses and digital marketing agencies, this means traditional SEO metrics like organic traffic volume are becoming less reliable indicators of success.
Instead, the focus is moving towards visibility within the AI Overview itself — being cited as a trusted source, even if users don’t click through. That’s a major mindset shift for marketers who have long measured value in sessions and page views.
“...with the rise of AI Overviews, Google’s role is shifting. The search engine is no longer just an organiser of information - it’s becoming a destination in its own right.”
At the same time, user behaviour is changing fast. Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini (formerly Bard) have normalised conversational search. People are no longer typing short, functional queries like “flat in Clifton” - they’re entering detailed, context-rich prompts:
“Two-bed flat in Clifton, walking distance to the Red Lion pub and near the 75 bus route into town.”
That evolution creates opportunity. As queries become longer and more specific, content needs to match that richness. Brands that structure their information clearly and semantically - anticipating user intent and answering nuanced questions - stand the best chance of being surfaced in AI Overviews.
“...user behaviour is changing fast. People are no longer typing short, functional queries... they’re entering detailed, context-rich prompts”
How are AI Overviews going to impact the future of search?
One thing is certain: AI Overviews are here to stay. Google’s recent advertising campaigns around “the future of search” make it clear that AI-powered results aren’t just an experiment - they’re the direction of travel. Historically, Google never needed to promote its search engine. The fact that it’s now on TV doing just that suggests a fundamental change in how it wants people to use search and reveals that they view the likes of ChatGPT as a threat to their long-established market dominance.
If AI Overviews are to become the default search experience, Google will need to find ways to monetise them. Today, around 57% of Google’s global revenue comes from search ads. That means we can expect advertising formats to evolve - with AI-driven answers incorporating paid placements in a way that feels native, not intrusive.
SEO reporting will need to adapt. The traditional means of measuring impact used by both the client and the SEO agency, built around traffic and rankings, will no longer be sufficient to gauge efficacy. Forward-thinking SEO teams will look beyond the click — focusing instead on presence, influence, and authority within AI-generated results.
In the same way that featured snippets once transformed SEO strategy, AI Overviews present a new frontier. Being referenced as a credible source within an overview could soon be as valuable as ranking #1. The real question will be how we measure that influence.
“Google remains well-placed to lead this new era — thanks to its scale, brand strength, and resources ...but the search market is more open than it’s been since the turn of the century.”
For marketers, content creators, and SEO experts, success – as it always has in the world of SEO – will depend on adapting quickly whilst maintaining the core principles of Google’s EEAT guidelines in general terms, through the building of content that serves both human needs and is built in such a way to maximise visibility in AI-generated results.
If you would like a free, no obligation assessment of your website’s SEO health and readiness for the AI Mode evolution, we’d love to hear from you – contact us today to chat all things SEO with our expert team.
