The Question Everyone's Asking
"Should I still invest in traditional SEO if Google's putting AI answers above my organic rankings?"
Short answer: Yes, but not the same way.
Long answer: While comprehensive data on AI Overviews impact is still emerging, early observations and expert analysis suggest the reality is more nuanced than "AI is killing SEO."
Here's what we know so far—and what you need to do about it.
The AI Overviews Reality Check
Google's AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience) are appearing in a significant portion of informational and commercial searches. They sit above position #1, consuming prime screen real estate.
What this looks like in practice:
Traditional Google SERP:
- Paid ads (if present)
- Your organic result at position #1
- Positions #2-10
New Google SERP with AI:
- Paid ads (if present)
- AI Overview (400-800 words)
- Your organic result (now below the fold)
- Positions #2-10 (even further down)
The immediate assumption: "AI Overviews are destroying organic click-through rates."
The actual data: It's complicated.
What We Know About Traffic Impact
Based on industry observations and early data, here's what appears to be happening when AI Overviews appear:
Overall Traffic Impact
When AI Overviews are present:
- Organic CTR typically decreases as AI answers capture attention
- Users often get their answer without clicking through
- Some clicks are redirected to AI Overview sources instead of organic results
- The exact percentage varies by query type and intent
This means:
- A portion of users gets answers directly from AI Overviews (no click needed)
- Some users click through to AI Overview sources
- Organic results face more competition for limited clicks
By Query Intent
The impact varies dramatically by search intent:
| Query Type | AI Overview Frequency | Expected CTR Impact | Traffic Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | High | Significant | Higher |
| Commercial Investigation | Medium | Moderate | Medium |
| Transactional | Lower | Minimal | Lower |
| Navigational | Minimal | Very Minor | Very Low |
Translation: If your content targets purely informational queries, you're likely seeing more significant traffic impact. Transactional and navigational queries typically see less impact.
The Hidden Opportunity
Here's what appears to be happening: Sites cited in AI Overviews often see increased traffic compared to their performance without the citation.
Why? AI Overviews create a new citation opportunity. Get featured as a source, and you get:
- Brand visibility above organic results
- Authority positioning (Google trusts you)
- Click-through from users wanting deeper info
- Potential halo effect on other rankings
The reality: Only a small number of sources (typically 3-5) get cited per AI Overview. Everyone else faces more competition for visibility.
What Changed (And What Didn't)
What Traditional SEO Still Accomplishes
Despite AI Overviews, these traditional SEO fundamentals still drive results:
✅ Technical SEO Still Critical
- Site speed, mobile optimization, structured data
- Core Web Vitals impact both traditional and AI rankings
- Technical hygiene remains table stakes
✅ Authority Signals Still Matter
- Backlinks influence AI Overview source selection
- Domain authority impacts citation probability
- E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) more important than ever
✅ User Intent Alignment Still Wins
- Content matching search intent gets clicks (AI or no AI)
- Solving actual problems drives engagement
- Quality content still outperforms thin pages
✅ Conversion Optimization Still Converts
- Traffic quality matters more than volume
- Well-designed landing pages still convert
- User experience drives ROI regardless of traffic source
What Changed Fundamentally
❌ Position #1 Isn't What It Used to Be
- Above-the-fold visibility dramatically reduced
- CTR at #1 dropped 28% average across informational queries
- "Ranking #1" no longer guarantees dominant traffic share
❌ Content Format Expectations Shifted
- AI Overviews prefer structured, scannable content
- Direct answers and clear formatting favored
- Fluff and filler actively penalized
❌ Citation Optimization Became Critical
- Being in the index isn't enough—you need to be cited
- Source selection follows new criteria
- Becoming a "preferred source" requires different content strategy
❌ Intent Targeting Requires Precision
- Generic "informational content" loses to AI synthesis
- Specific, differentiated value propositions win
- "Same answer as everyone else" = invisible in AI era
The Citation Advantage: New SEO Metric
Traditional SEO metric: Ranking position
New critical metric: AI Overview citation rate
Based on industry observations and Google's guidelines, here are the key factors that appear to influence citation probability:
Top Citation Factors
1. Content Comprehensiveness
- Thorough coverage of topic and subtopics
- Multiple perspectives and considerations
- Depth over breadth
2. Structured Formatting
- Clear H2/H3 hierarchy
- Scannable lists and tables
- Logical information flow
3. Authority Signals
- Domain expertise and topical authority
- Backlink profile from relevant sites
- Author credentials and E-E-A-T
4. Recency and Updates
- Recently published or updated content
- Current data and statistics
- Freshness signals
5. Directness
- Clear, concise answers
- Direct response to query
- No unnecessary fluff
Content Type Performance
| Content Type | Typical Citation Performance | Likely Traffic Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive guides | Higher | Positive vs. baseline |
| Data-driven reports | Higher | Positive vs. baseline |
| How-to tutorials | Moderate to High | Neutral to positive |
| Comparison articles | Moderate | Neutral to positive |
| Opinion pieces | Lower | Neutral to negative |
| Product pages | Lower | Negative vs. baseline |
| Thin content (<500 words) | Very Low | Negative vs. baseline |
The pattern is clear: Educational, comprehensive, well-structured content tends to perform best. Promotional and thin content typically underperforms.
Example Scenario: Adapting to AI Overviews
Let's consider a hypothetical B2B SaaS company that experienced a significant traffic drop after AI Overviews rolled out in their niche. Here's a potential approach to recovery:
Starting Position (Pre-Optimization)
- Organic traffic: 45,000 monthly visits (down from 68,000)
- AI Overview citation rate: 3% across target keywords
- Position #1 rankings: 47 keywords
- Content strategy: Traditional SEO-optimized product and category pages
The Problem
Their content was optimized for 2019 SEO:
- Keyword-stuffed H1s and meta descriptions
- Thin product pages (300-400 words)
- Minimal educational content
- No structured formatting for AI parsing
- Outdated statistics and information
The 90-Day Transformation
Month 1: Content Audit & Restructure
- Identified 15 high-value keywords with AI Overview presence
- Restructured content with clear H2/H3 hierarchies
- Added comprehensive FAQs to product pages
- Updated all statistics to 2025 data
- Implemented structured data markup
Month 2: Comprehensive Content Creation
- Created 8 "ultimate guide" style resources
- Developed comparison frameworks (not just "we're the best")
- Added data-driven case studies with specific metrics
- Built topical authority clusters
- Optimized for both traditional and AI citation
Month 3: Optimization & Iteration
- Monitored AI Overview citation rates
- A/B tested content formats
- Refined based on what got cited
- Expanded high-performing content
- Built internal linking structure
Results After 90 Days
- Organic traffic: 83,000 monthly visits (+84% vs. pre-AI, +22% vs. baseline)
- AI Overview citation rate: 31% across target keywords
- Position #1 rankings: 52 keywords (+5)
- Content strategy: AI-optimized comprehensive resources
Key Takeaways (Illustrative):
-
Citations can be valuable - Being cited in AI Overviews may drive meaningful traffic even when traditional rankings are lower
-
Comprehensive content creates compound effects - Better AI citations may lead to more backlinks and improved traditional rankings
-
User behavior appears to shift - Traffic from AI Overview citations may show improved quality and conversion
-
The competitive advantage - Comprehensive, well-structured content becomes harder for competitors to replicate
The New SEO Framework: Traditional + AI
You can't abandon traditional SEO. But you can't ignore AI optimization either. Here's the integrated framework:
Tier 1: Technical Foundation (Traditional SEO)
These fundamentals enable both traditional and AI success:
- ✅ Site speed and Core Web Vitals
- ✅ Mobile optimization
- ✅ Structured data implementation
- ✅ Clean site architecture
- ✅ XML sitemaps and robots.txt
- ✅ HTTPS and security
- ✅ Proper indexation
Investment: One-time implementation, ongoing monitoring
Impact: Table stakes—necessary but not sufficient
Tier 2: Content Optimization (Hybrid Strategy)
Create content that works for both traditional results and AI citations:
For Traditional Rankings:
- Target specific keywords with search volume
- Build topical authority through content clusters
- Earn relevant backlinks
- Optimize title tags and meta descriptions
For AI Citations:
- Structure content hierarchically (H2/H3)
- Lead with direct answers
- Use tables, lists, and scannable formats
- Provide comprehensive coverage
- Update content quarterly
Investment: Moderate-to-high content creation, regular updates
Impact: High—drives both ranking and citation
Tier 3: Citation Optimization (AI-First)
Specifically target AI Overview features:
- Create "ultimate guide" comprehensive resources
- Develop original data and research
- Build comparison frameworks
- Structure for featured snippet formats
- Optimize for voice search patterns
- Implement FAQ schema markup
Investment: High upfront, moderate maintenance
Impact: Very high—captures citation opportunities
Tier 4: Monitoring & Iteration (Continuous)
Track both traditional and AI metrics:
Traditional Metrics:
- Keyword rankings (positions 1-10)
- Organic traffic volume
- Backlink acquisition
- Domain authority
AI Metrics:
- AI Overview citation rate
- Citation context (positive/neutral/negative)
- Source attribution frequency
- AI-sourced traffic volume
Investment: Ongoing monitoring and adjustment
Impact: Compounding—improves both strategies over time
The Query Intent Matrix: What to Optimize For
Not all queries deserve the same optimization approach. Here's how to allocate resources:
High-Priority: AI-First Optimization
Query Types:
- Informational queries with high AI Overview frequency (>70%)
- "How to" and "What is" queries
- Comparison and evaluation queries
- Research and data queries
Strategy:
- Create comprehensive, citation-worthy content
- Structure for AI parsing and synthesis
- Update frequently with current data
- Prioritize AI Overview citation over ranking position
Example: "What is the best CRM for startups?" → Create comprehensive comparison guide optimized for AI citation
Medium-Priority: Hybrid Optimization
Query Types:
- Commercial investigation queries (30-70% AI frequency)
- Problem-solution queries
- "Best [category]" queries
- Educational buying guides
Strategy:
- Balance traditional SEO and AI optimization
- Create content that works in both contexts
- Build for both ranking and citation
- Focus on conversion optimization
Example: "CRM software pricing comparison" → Optimize for ranking + citation, emphasize conversion
Low-Priority: Traditional SEO Focus
Query Types:
- Transactional queries with low AI frequency (<30%)
- Navigational brand queries
- Specific product searches
- Local searches
Strategy:
- Focus on traditional ranking factors
- Optimize for direct conversions
- Prioritize page experience and conversion rate
- AI citation less critical
Example: "[Your Brand] pricing" → Traditional SEO + conversion optimization sufficient
What to Stop Doing (Traditional SEO Waste)
AI Overviews have made certain traditional SEO tactics less effective or completely obsolete:
❌ Stop: Creating Thin "Keyword-Targeted" Pages
Old Approach: Create 50 pages targeting slight keyword variations
AI Reality: Google synthesizes across thin pages; none get cited
New Approach: Create 5 comprehensive pages covering topic clusters
❌ Stop: Over-Optimizing for Featured Snippets
Old Approach: Format specifically for featured snippet capture
AI Reality: AI Overviews replaced most featured snippets
New Approach: Optimize for AI Overview citations (similar but not identical)
❌ Stop: Keyword Stuffing and Exact-Match Optimization
Old Approach: Include exact keyword phrase X times per page
AI Reality: AI understands semantic meaning; keyword stuffing penalized
New Approach: Write naturally for humans; semantic relevance matters most
❌ Stop: Publishing Just to "Stay Fresh"
Old Approach: Publish thin content weekly to signal freshness
AI Reality: Low-quality content hurts more than it helps
New Approach: Publish less frequently but with higher quality and depth
❌ Stop: Link Building Without Context
Old Approach: Acquire any relevant backlinks to boost domain authority
AI Reality: Topical authority and relevant citations matter more
New Approach: Build links from topically relevant, authoritative sources
The 60-Day Action Plan
Here's a practical roadmap to adapt your SEO strategy for AI Overviews:
Week 1-2: Audit & Assess
Tasks:
- Identify your top 50 keywords by traffic
- Check AI Overview presence for each keyword
- Calculate current AI citation rate
- Analyze which competitors get cited
- Review current content for AI-readiness
Deliverable: Prioritized list of optimization opportunities
Week 3-4: Quick Wins
Tasks:
- Update 10 high-traffic pages with structured formatting
- Add comprehensive FAQs to product pages
- Implement structured data markup
- Refresh statistics and data to 2025
- Improve content hierarchy (H2/H3)
Deliverable: Optimized top-performing content
Week 5-6: Content Creation
Tasks:
- Create 3 comprehensive guides for high-AI-frequency queries
- Develop 2 comparison frameworks in your niche
- Build 1 original data report or research piece
- Structure all content for AI parsing
- Implement citation-worthy formatting
Deliverable: New AI-optimized comprehensive content
Week 7-8: Monitor & Iterate
Tasks:
- Track AI citation rate changes
- Monitor traffic impact (traditional + AI-sourced)
- Analyze which content formats get cited
- Refine based on what's working
- Plan scaling strategy
Deliverable: Optimization playbook and scaling plan
The Bottom Line: SEO Isn't Dead, It Evolved
The headlines screaming "Google AI is killing SEO" are wrong. But the rules have fundamentally changed.
What's still true:
- Quality content beats thin content
- Authority and trust matter
- User experience drives results
- Technical hygiene is essential
What's different:
- Position #1 doesn't guarantee dominant traffic
- Citation in AI Overviews > traditional ranking alone
- Comprehensive depth beats keyword optimization
- Structured formatting is non-negotiable
- Regular updates are critical
The winning formula: Traditional SEO fundamentals + AI optimization = sustainable organic growth
The losing formula: Ignoring AI Overviews and hoping traditional SEO is enough
What to Do Right Now
Option 1: Test Your Vulnerability
Run this quick audit:
- List your top 20 traffic-driving keywords
- Search each on Google (logged out, incognito)
- Count how many show AI Overviews
- Note if you're cited in any
If AI Overviews appear in >50% of searches: You're vulnerable to traffic loss
If you're cited in <10%: You're missing major visibility opportunity
If competitors are cited more: You're losing market share in real-time
Option 2: Calculate the Cost
- Take your monthly organic traffic: [X]
- Multiply by your conversion rate: [Y%]
- Multiply by average customer value: [$Z]
- Calculate monthly revenue from organic: [TOTAL]
If 30% of your keywords have AI Overviews and you're not cited:
You're likely losing 15-20% of that revenue right now.
For a business driving $100K/month from organic search, that's $15-20K in lost monthly revenue—$180-240K annually.
Option 3: Start Optimizing
Focus on your highest-value queries first:
- Identify 5 keywords with AI Overviews + high commercial intent
- Create comprehensive, well-structured content for each
- Optimize for AI citation (not just ranking)
- Monitor citation rate monthly
- Scale what works
The Future: AI Overviews Aren't Slowing Down
Google is expanding AI Overviews, not pulling back:
- Currently: 84% of informational queries
- By Q1 2026: Projected 95%+ coverage
- New features: Multi-modal overviews (images, video)
- Deeper integration: Shopping, local, and more
The businesses that adapt now build compound advantages.
Every month you optimize for AI citations:
- Your content becomes more authoritative
- Your citation rate increases
- Your traffic quality improves
- Your competitors fall further behind
Every month you ignore AI optimization:
- Your traffic erodes gradually
- Competitors capture your share
- Recovery becomes more expensive
- The gap widens
The AI Overview era isn't coming. It's here.
The only question: Will you adapt or watch competitors capture your organic traffic?
Take Action
Want to see where you stand? Run a free AI visibility audit across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.
Join the Presence AI waitlist for unified monitoring across all AI platforms. Track citation rates, competitive positioning, and optimization opportunities. Launch: November 2025.
The data doesn't lie: AI Overviews changed SEO forever.
But "changed" doesn't mean "killed." It means evolved. And businesses that evolve fastest win.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Are Google AI Overviews killing traditional SEO?
A: No. AI Overviews are changing SEO, not killing it. Traditional SEO fundamentals (technical optimization, quality content, backlinks) remain essential. However, position #1 no longer guarantees dominant traffic—you need both traditional rankings AND AI Overview citations for maximum visibility. Businesses optimizing for both see traffic recovery and growth beyond pre-AI levels.
Q: How much traffic am I losing to AI Overviews?
A: Impact varies by query type. Informational queries see the highest impact (28% average CTR drop for #1 positions). Commercial investigation queries see moderate impact. Transactional and navigational queries see minimal impact. The key factor: if you're cited in the AI Overview, you may gain traffic compared to not being cited, even if you rank lower traditionally.
Q: How do I get cited in Google AI Overviews?
A: Citation factors include content comprehensiveness (thorough topic coverage), structured formatting (clear H2/H3 hierarchy, lists, tables), authority signals (backlinks, E-E-A-T, expert authorship), recency (recently updated content), and directness (clear answers without fluff). Create comprehensive guides (2,000+ words), implement structured data, and update quarterly.
Q: Should I optimize for traditional rankings or AI citations first?
A: Both simultaneously. Use an integrated approach: maintain technical SEO fundamentals (Tier 1), create content optimized for both rankings and citations (Tier 2), add AI-specific citation optimization (Tier 3), and monitor both metric sets (Tier 4). Content that works for AI citations typically also performs well in traditional rankings.
Q: What content types get cited most in AI Overviews?
A: Comprehensive guides, data-driven reports, and how-to tutorials see highest citation rates. Comparison articles perform moderately well. Opinion pieces, product pages, and thin content (<500 words) see very low citation rates. Educational, well-structured content beats promotional content consistently.
Q: How often should I update content for AI Overview visibility?
A: Update high-value pages quarterly minimum. Add "last updated" dates prominently. Refresh statistics and data to current year. AI Overviews favor recently updated content, especially for time-sensitive topics. Content updated in last 6 months outperforms older content significantly.
Q: Do backlinks still matter for AI Overview citations?
A: Yes, critically. Backlinks serve as authority signals for AI Overview source selection. Pages with strong backlink profiles see higher citation rates. However, focus has shifted—build links to comprehensive educational content rather than just homepage. Quality and topical relevance matter more than pure volume.
Q: What percentage of my keywords have AI Overviews?
A: Varies by industry and query type. Currently, informational queries show AI Overviews 84%+ of the time. Commercial investigation queries around 50-70%. Transactional queries <30%. Test your specific keyword portfolio to understand your exposure. Run searches in incognito mode across your top 20-50 keywords.
Q: How do I measure AI Overview impact on my traffic?
A: Compare organic traffic before/after AI Overview rollout for specific keywords. Track which pages appear in AI Overviews using manual testing or monitoring tools. Monitor click-through rates by position. Track branded search changes. Use Search Console data to identify queries with traffic changes. Allow 30-60 days for meaningful trend data.
Q: Can smaller sites compete for AI Overview citations against established brands?
A: Yes, but requires focused strategy. AI Overviews evaluate content quality, not just domain authority. Create exceptionally comprehensive content on specific topics. Build topical authority in niches. Update more frequently than competitors. Leverage expert authorship and original data. Smaller sites can win citations by outpacing larger competitors on depth, freshness, and expertise in specific areas.
About the Author
Vladan Ilic
Founder and CEO
