Will Google’s AI Overview Shake Up the SEM Landscape?

Announced in 2023, Google SGE (Search Generative Experience) continues to intrigue SEM specialists. Expected to revolutionize how users search the web, this new version of Google—already rolled out in the United States—could negatively impact websites’ organic traffic. Now known as AI overview, it is being closely scrutinized by experts to assess its impact on SEO and SEA.

AI Overview, what is it?

When conducting a Google search, users will see various results. In addition to websites covering the searched topic, Google highlights various features such as frequently asked questions on the topic (“More Questions”), images, and more… but what we’re particularly interested in today is the featured snippet: a text excerpt from a website that best matches the user’s search query.

Since mid-May, this featured snippet has been replaced by default in the United States bythe AI Overview, a response generated by the Gemini artificial intelligence system. Not wanting to fall behind OpenAI, Google has decided to provide users with an answer compiled from various sources, typically the most-visited websites.

AI Overview goes beyond a simple written answer, since Google Gemini will be able to draw on the entire Google ecosystem to provide users with the most relevant answer possible: a map, products available on Google Shopping, videos…

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The End of SEO?

The first expected consequence of AI Overview: a net loss of visitors from organic search. The answer provided by AI Overview has a single goal: to offer a clear and quick response. This process does not encourage users to visit various websites on their own to learn more.

According to initial tests, informational queries are the most likely to trigger the conversational AI, particularly “how-to” questions, which cause the module to appear. The AI Overview could then cause a drop in traffic to websites that offer numerous guides to their visitors.

Fewer visitors, but more qualified ones?

The big question everyone is asking… If organic traffic is dropping, is it still worth putting effort into your content?

According to our experts: YES, now more than ever!

Initial analyses have shown that Gemini’s proposed response is based on the sites that are “perceived” most favorably by Google—that is, those that appear in the search results immediately after the AI overview module.

So yes, websites will likely, on the whole, lose traffic from users searching for information. However, they will still attract traffic from users who are genuinely interested in your content. It’s therefore essential to continue working on your search engine optimization (SEO) to stay at the top of the rankings and attract more qualified visitors.

The AI overview therefore risks favoring a few particularly well-crafted sites at the expense of others.

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What impact does this have on Google searches today?

It is difficult to measure the impact, given that AI Overview has had a smaller reach since its rollout. In fact, the May launch generated numerous absurd responses that were, of course, shared by internet users.

Gemini seems to have some difficulty recognizing the irony in certain messages, and because its algorithm prompts it to consult popular websites, many of its responses included humorous elements drawn from sites like Reddit. On certain topics, AI Overview lacks data and constructs a response using the limited resources at its disposal. According to an analysis conducted by Semji, AI Overview had disappeared from 71% of search results. During tests in February 2024 on the same search results, AI Overview was absent from only 10% of the results.

The synergy between SEO and SEA remains crucial

While the rollout date outside the United States is “imminent” but has not been specified, AI Overview could be launching very soon.

Here are a few tips from our digital marketing experts to help you prepare for this change:

• SEO Content: Focus on your search queries and content. Purely informational articles and keywords will no longer be enough to generate traffic; you’ll need to consider search queries with commercial or transactional intent, as well as long-tail keywords.

• Making it easier for robots to do their job: an often-overlooked task that will become increasingly crucial for ranking well in search results. Before publishing any content, we make sure to correctly fill out meta titles and descriptions, ALT tags, and more… And why not even provide a summary of the article that AI Overview can use to craft its response?

• Content Creation: In addition to articles, the AI Overview will encourage brands to offer more and more multimedia content in the hope of appearing in the AI Overview module. A video posted on YouTube is likely to appear at the top of the results if it matches the user’s search query. Crafting titles and descriptions for your videos is becoming a crucial step—but don’t compromise on quality!

• SEA as a supplement: a tool that remains essential for ranking highly in search results. In fact, shopping results may be added to the AI Overview if Gemini deems them relevant. As a result, make sure to optimize your Search and Performance Max ads: provide Google with all your headlines and descriptions, as well as as many images and videos as possible, which it can then reuse to highlight your ads!

AI Overview is expected to launch in Europe by the end of the year—don’t wait for it to roll out to start working on your content. DATASOLUTION is here to support you through this transition.

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