The Impact of AI Overviews on SEO with Kevin Indig

AI overviews (AIOs) are reshaping how users find information, particularly for top-of-the-funnel queries. In an exclusive webinar, Kevin Indig, a leading SEO expert who has helped companies like Hims, Toast, and Reddit reach over 100M users through organic growth, shared eye-opening insights on the impact of AIOs on click-through rates (CTRs), ranking potential, and long-tail search.
Watch the full recording below or keep reading for more lessons.

Quick Recap of Key Takeaways

• AIOs are having the biggest impact on top-of-funnel, informational queries

• When Google shows AIOs, CTRs decrease, even for paid results and cited sources

• Optimizing for AIOs requires a focus on content relevance, brand presence, and technical factors like JavaScript rendering

• Measuring AI search visibility involves tracking citations, brand mentions, and referral traffic from AI chatbots

• SEOs need to adapt their KPIs and content strategies to account for the shift towards AI-driven search

The Challenge

As AI overviews become more prevalent in search results, particularly for long-tail, informational queries, websites are seeing a significant impact on their organic traffic and AI search visibility. Kevin analyzed over 19 studies, some looking at hundreds of millions of keywords, to understand the extent of this disruption. The data reveals that even when a website is cited within an AIO, its click-through rates are much lower compared to when no AIO is shown.

The impact of AIOs on organic traffic is substantial:

• 30% of LinkedIn poll respondents reported a traffic decline in the last 60 days attributable to AI

• CTRs decrease across the board when AIOs are shown, including for paid results and cited source

• Informational, top-of-funnel queries are most affected, with long-tail searches showing AIOs more frequently

• Mike King of iPullRank documented 30-60% organic traffic losses from AI Overviews in his AirOps webinar on AI traffic loss. Kevin Indig's analysis of 19 studies confirms AI Overview click through rate drops across the board when AIOs appear.

Optimizing for AIO Rankings

To increase the likelihood of being cited in an AIO, websites need to focus on several key factors:

• Content relevance: Ensure content is highly relevant to the user's intent and provides a comprehensive, well-structured answer

• Brand presence and entity recognition: Build a strong web footprint and gain visibility on trusted sources

• Technical optimization: Avoid relying on client-side JavaScript rendering, as LLMs struggle to process it

• Question-based headings have the highest correlation with AI citations, based on HubSpot data shared by Aja Frost in a recent AirOps webinar. To improve your AI Overview optimization, restructure your H2s and H3s around the questions your audience asks.

The most effective approach is to analyze the current AIO answer for a target query, compare it to your own content, and iteratively optimize to provide an even better response. This may involve adjusting the format, depth, or breadth of your content to better match user intent.

Measuring AI Search Visibility

Tracking your brand's visibility in AI search involves monitoring:

• Citations and brand mentions within AIOs and AI chatbots

• Referral traffic from AI chatbots to your website

• Potential partnerships or licensing deals with AI platforms

AirOps, Semrush, and Ahrefs now offer AI Overview tracking and optimization capabilities. AirOps consolidates AI citation data and SEO rankings so you can measure your AI search visibility in one place.

How to structure content for AI citations

You earn AI citations by giving search engines clear, direct answers positioned early in your content. Kevin Indig's research across 19 studies identified content structure as a primary factor differentiating pages that earn AIO citations from those that do not.

Aja Frost's HubSpot research found that 62.1% of AI citations come from blog posts, and question-based headings drive the strongest citation rates. Frost's data shows content format is a stronger predictor of AI citations than keyword density alone. Understanding how AI citations work gives you a foundation to build on.

Here are five tactics to help you optimize for AI Overviews:

• Lead every section with a direct, declarative answer to the question your heading poses. AI models pull the first clear statement they find.

• Use question-based H2 and H3 headings that mirror real search queries. Frost's data confirms these correlate with higher citation rates.

• Keep paragraphs to 2-3 sentences. Frost's citation analysis found shorter blocks correlate with higher citation rates.

• Use structured lists and definition formats. HubSpot's citation data shows labeled formats correlate with higher AI citation rates than dense prose.

• Include specific data points, named sources, and original research. AI search engines consistently cite content with named sources and specific data, based on HubSpot's citation analysis.

Knowing how to optimize for AI Overviews starts with treating every section as a standalone answer. Your content should be useful even when read out of order.

Best Practices and Key Learnings

Adapt Your KPIs

With the rise of AIOs, traditional SEO KPIs like organic traffic may not paint a complete picture. Indig recommends:

• Measuring visibility in AI chatbots, even without direct citations

• Focusing on the bottom-line impact of organic traffic, rather than just volume

• Conducting post-purchase surveys to understand how users discover your brand

• Top-of-funnel traffic patterns have shifted as AI Overviews answer informational queries directly. Kevin Indig's AirOps webinar confirmed that brands tracking citation rates and AI brand mentions are better positioned to diagnose and recover awareness-stage traffic declines.

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Rethink Your Content Strategy

To succeed in the age of AI search, content needs to be exceptional and address information gaps. This means:

• Identifying and addressing topics that aren't well-served by existing content, even if they lack search volume

• Providing unique insights or data that sets your content apart

• Creating content that helps users make choices, such as comparing alternative solutions or guiding product selection

Communicate the Narrative

As an SEO professional, it's crucial to effectively communicate the impact of AIOs to leadership and stakeholders. This involves:

• Explaining the reasons behind potential traffic declines

• Emphasizing the importance of bottom-line metrics over vanity metrics

• Develop a plan to regain lost revenue or leads through targeted content strategies

Putting the Insights into Practice

The rise of AI overviews presents both challenges and opportunities for SEO professionals. By adapting your content strategies, measurement techniques, and communication approach, you can navigate this shifting landscape and continue to drive organic growth. Focus on creating exceptional, relevant content that addresses user needs, build your brand's web presence, and stay attuned to the evolving ways in which users discover information in the age of AI-driven search.

Ready to take your SEO strategy to the next level? Email team@airops.com to claim one of 10 exclusive training opportunities with AirOps experts. Learn how to optimize your content for AI search, measure your performance, and future-proof your organic growth.

Frequently asked questions about AI Overviews

What is the impact of AI Overviews on SEO?

AI Overviews reduce clicks to traditional organic results by answering queries directly in the search page. The Google AI Overview SEO impact shows up in the data: Mike King of iPullRank documented 30-60% traffic declines for queries where Overviews appear. Restructuring content around extractable, well-structured answers is the primary approach for improving AI citation rates, based on HubSpot and AirOps webinar findings.

How do AI Overviews affect organic traffic?

AI Overviews absorb clicks that previously went to organic blue links, especially for informational queries. The impact of AI Overviews on SEO shows up first in head terms with clear, direct answers. You can offset losses by targeting long-tail queries and earning citations in Overviews.

How do you optimize content for AI Overviews?

You optimize by structuring content around direct answers and question-based headings, then grounding each section in specific data. Frost's HubSpot research found that question-based headings correlate with higher AI citation rates. Track your citation performance across Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to identify which formats and topics earn the most AI visibility.

AI Overviews are reshaping where your traffic comes from and which pages earn visibility. AirOps Insights tracks your AI citations across Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity so you see exactly where your brand appears in AI-generated answers. Page360 combines your AI citation data with SEO rankings and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) site analytics into a single performance view. Book a call to measure your AI Overview presence.