By Bob Cates | Hero Marketing Agency
bob@marketlikeahero.com | 830-388-9749
Introduction
In today’s rapidly evolving search landscape, staying visible on Google requires more than just traditional SEO tactics. With the rollout of AI Overviews in May 2024, Google has introduced a powerful, AI-driven feature that delivers synthesized answers directly in search results, often before users ever click on a website.
This fundamental change is reshaping how users interact with search and how businesses need to approach digital visibility. At Hero Marketing Agency, we’re helping businesses adapt to this new reality by combining proven SEO strategies with emerging AI Optimization (AIO) techniques to ensure our clients remain competitive in this new era of search.
What Are AI Overviews?
In May 2024, Google introduced a major shift in how it presents search results with the launch of AI-generated search results, commonly referred to as AI Overviews. These summaries are powered by generative AI and are designed to deliver quick, comprehensive answers by compiling information from multiple sources.
AI Overviews appear when Google’s systems determine that a synthesized response would be especially helpful, typically for complex, broad, or exploratory queries. This is a major departure from the traditional “10 blue links” model of search results.
Instead of simply listing web pages that match keywords, AI Overviews provide:
- A synthesized summary on the left that directly answers the query.
- Curated links on the right that offer opportunities to explore the topic in greater depth.
These AI Overviews are now front and center in many search results, appearing even before organic listings and ads.
The Impacts: Why This Matters for Your Business
Website Traffic Declines
One of the biggest consequences? Users no longer need to visit your website to get answers. This change has already led to organic traffic drops between 18% and 64% for some industries, especially for informational queries like “How often should I change my air filter?”
Google Chooses What to Feature
AI Overviews pull from Google’s Knowledge Graph, a wide range of third-party websites, and online content to construct answers. However, Google does not guarantee inclusion, nor can you “opt in” or “opt out” of being featured.
Broader, Deeper, Faster Answers
These summaries provide a broader context than Featured Snippets, which typically pull from a single source. They’re built to efficiently meet user intent, combining multiple perspectives to form a unified response.
How Do Links Appear in AI Overviews?
Links in AI Overviews are selected automatically by Google to support the snapshot or offer deeper exploration. This includes links to:
- Publishers
- Creators
- Retailers
- Local businesses
Learn more about how links work in AI Overviews.
You don’t need to do anything to “activate” AI Overviews. Google’s systems determine when to display them and what content to feature based on your site’s relevance and adherence to Google Search Essentials. To access the new Google AI search results, simply perform a search on Google.
How to Stay Visible: SEO + AIO (AI Optimization)
At Hero Marketing Agency, we help you navigate the evolving search landscape by combining traditional SEO with emerging AI Optimization (AIO) strategies. Here’s how you can stay competitive:
- Adapt to AI-Driven Search Results
Ensure your content is:
- Authoritative
- Well-structured
- Comprehensive
This increases the chances of your website being cited in AI Overviews—even if your full content isn’t displayed.
- Use Long-Tail, Conversational Keywords
AI understands more complex search queries. Optimize for natural language—think “How do I lower my AC bill in Texas summer?” rather than just “AC bill tips.”
- Strengthen Your Social Media Presence
AI systems are pulling more from social platforms and community sites. Frequent posts, thoughtful captions, relevant hashtags, and user engagement all enhance your brand’s authority in the eyes of AI.
- Prioritize High-Quality, In-Depth Content
Create content that:
- Covers one topic in depth
- Offers unique perspectives
- Provides expert insights
- Gets updated regularly
This signals to AI—and your human readers—that your site is a trustworthy, up-to-date resource.
- Emphasize Structure and Design
Clear content structure still matters:
- Use meaningful headings and subheadings
- Break text into digestible sections
- Include rich visuals, videos, and graphics
A good user experience boosts both human engagement and AI relevance.
- Ensure Technical SEO Is Spot-On
We’re doubling down on:
- Core Web Vitals for speed and performance
- Structured data to help AI interpret your content
- Mobile-first indexing to ensure mobile usability is prioritized
- Build Brand Authority with Content and Backlinks
Publish valuable blog content consistently. Then boost its reach with strategic link-building from credible, industry-related sites. This helps improve both traditional rankings and AI visibility.
- Use Smarter URL Structures for Topical Authority
Generic URLs like www.website.com/blog-title/ don’t help Google (or AI systems) understand your site’s expertise.
We recommend a structured format:
www.website.com/blog/category/blog-title/
This builds topical clusters and reinforces your authority in specific service areas.
What About Local SEO?
The good news: Local keywords are less likely to trigger AI Overviews. If you’re a local business targeting terms like “AC repair in Dallas” or “family dentist in Colorado Springs,” you’re more likely to show up in traditional local packs, map results, and organic listings—for now.
However, as AI capabilities grow, local queries could eventually be affected too. Staying ahead now will give you a competitive advantage later.
A Word on Limitations
Generative AI is still experimental. It’s not always accurate.
Final Thoughts
The introduction of AI Overviews marks one of the most significant changes to Google Search in the past decade. It represents a shift toward intent-based, AI-driven answers and away from traditional link-driven discovery.
At Hero Marketing Agency, we’re already helping clients future-proof their SEO strategies by embracing AI Optimization alongside foundational SEO tactics.
Let’s build a strategy that works today—and adapts to tomorrow.