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Think back to the last time you went looking for some answers.
Maybe you needed a dog-friendly restaurant for your company party. Maybe you couldn't quite remember how many teaspoons were in a tablespoon (it's still three).
Whatever the question, one thing is clear: Google has the answer.
And for most queries submitted to the search engine, it has many. The page that appears after clicking return is what search engine optimization professionals refer to as the SERP, or search engine results page. How, where, and when your business shows up on the SERP can have a major impact on its ability to drive website traffic, gain new customers, and increase revenue.
These pages, coupled with the complex strategies involved in ranking higher on them, serve as the focal point of search engine optimization (SEO); they're an undeniable snapshot at just how well your brand is faring with Gocgle's algorithm.
But with Google's latest search feature, things are starting to look a little different.
I, For One, Welcome Our New AI Overview
Not long after the release of ChatGPT and the swarm of other large language models billed as Generative AI, Google began experimenting with a new feature it first called "Search Generative Experiences."
In the experimental feature powered by Google's own large language model, Gemini, certain queries would occasionally return an AI-generated response prior to organic or sponsored results. Some of the text-based generations were sound; others suffered from hallucinations or misinformation.
In May 2024, Google confirmed its latest product officially left the testing phase, rolling out to US markets with a plan of global expansion by end of year. With the announcement, a new name: AI Overviews.
"It was definitely top of mind even back last year," says Jackson Hille, SEO Director of 6sense, an account-based marketing platform and sales intelligence software. "Within the executive ranks, there was already an inclination of Al's potential to change how Google presents search moving forward and how we might need to adapt our website, our content, or our expectations in terms of how much demand we're going to see through organic traffic."
Apart from misinformation, the SEO community's primary concern with AI Overviews centers around visibility: will users handed a well-crafted AIgenerated response simply end their...