What Are AI Overviews and How Do They Impact Website Traffic



AI Overviews (formerly referred to as AIOs) is a new Google feature that allows users to view quick, summarized answers for their queries. Instead of simply getting a list of websites, Google is now using AI to combine the content from many sources and display a short, useful answer at the very top of the page.

What’s an AI Overview?

An AI Overview is an intelligent summary that is displayed at the top of the Google search results (also called position zero). The AI Overview appears before ads and organic listings, and it is most useful for complex queries like "How to lower blood pressure naturally," where the AI interim provides natural solutions like exercise, healthy eating, and stress management—all in one tidy little box above the links.

The AI Overview will often even have quotes or links to the original sites, so users can quickly find trusted information without scrolling around.

How AI Overviews Are Affecting Search Behavior

AIOs are changing the way people search in Google. Many users are getting their answers straight from the AIO, not clicking links or scrolling down at all. Consequently, websites may be losing traffic, even if they are displaying on page 1.

For instance, if someone searches "best running shoes for flat feet", they may only see a brief list with suggested product lists in the AIO, and therefore may no longer visit review sites or blogs.

Drop in Organic Website Traffic

Website owners are experiencing up to a 23% drop in clicks from January 2023 to April 2023, due to AI Overviews being introduced. Even though impressions (the instances of your page shown) may be significantly increasing, click-through rates are dropping—down to 3% from 2.3%.

If your site content is not being called out within the AIO (even if it is ranking in the top 10), there are going to be less users who see or click on your link.

Included vs. Not Included in AIOs

If your page is included in an AIO summary, you are much more likely to receive clicks because users see your content first.

On the flip side, if your page is excluded, you may never get clicked at all—even if it is on page 1. Research shows being in the AIO is more important than just ranking well.

Impact Differs by Search Type

AI Overviews produce different effects on various searches:

  • ✅ Link to credible references, like studies or quotes from the professionals.

  • ✅ Ensure all web pages are single-topic focused.

How to Improve the Chance of Getting into AI Overviews

Want to improve your chance of getting included in AIOs? Here is what you need to do:

  • ✅ Write clear, valuable content in short paragraphs.

  • ✅ Answer the most important questions early in your article and use summaries or bullet points.

  • ✅ Use schema markup (for example, FAQ or How To tags) to help Google understand your page.

Conclusion

AI Overviews are changing how individuals landscape their Google interactions and where they click. It is increasingly crucial now to stay in sight and get traffic, but you need to optimize your content for AIOs.

  • Informational searches (“how to start a blog”): Users frequently will get what they need from the AIO, leading to decreased blog traffic.

  • Transactional searches (“best phone under $300”): Users might still click a link, but only if your site is included in the AIO.

Location: India

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