In the latest step towards a more intelligent digital experience, Google AI has introduced AI Overviews, dynamic, AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of the search results page.
May 16, 2025
Studio
Search is evolving. Again.
In the latest step towards a more intelligent digital experience, Google AI has introduced AI Overviews, dynamic, AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of the search results page.
Rather than listing websites for users to explore, AI Overviews aim to provide instant answers by interpreting complex queries and delivering keBloy insights in a conversational tone.
It’s fast, efficient and intuitive.
But if you’re a business that relies on organic visibility and web traffic? The rise of these search tools presents a new challenge.
Let’s explore what AI Overviews mean for modern marketers and how to adapt to changes in search behaviour and search intent.
What are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are Google’s latest attempt to use experimental AI to enhance the search experience. When a user enters a query, particularly a multi-layered or exploratory one, Google may now display a block of AI-generated text at the top of the results. This content aims to summarise the most relevant information from across the web.
These overviews are designed to reduce friction. Instead of sifting through ten links, users receive a snapshot of key information immediately. It's search accelerated.
But while this model supports user convenience, it may limit opportunities for clicks especially for brands striving to appear on page one of Google Search.
Search Behaviour is changing
The traditional search funnel is becoming flatter. In the past, users would scan titles, compare sites, and explore pages in depth. Today, they’re more likely to find the answer they need in the AI-generated preview, no click required.
This shift in search behaviour is subtle but significant. Users now expect instant answers, contextual understanding, and less effort. In return, they’re offering fewer interactions, less dwell time, and lower click-through rates.
And when fewer people are visiting your site from organic search, that impacts everything from lead generation to brand awareness.
How are AI overviews redefining the rules of organic search?
AI Overviews have introduced a new kind of visibility problem: your brand can be quoted without being credited.
Your content might shape the AI’s response, but if users get what they need from the summary alone, your site never sees the traffic. The result? A growing gap between authority and actual engagement.
In this new search landscape, understanding search intent isn’t optional, it’s everything. Are users after a quick answer, a deep dive, or a product they can trust? If your content doesn’t match that moment with precision, it risks being cut from the conversation entirely.
How to stay relevant in an AI-led search landscape?
If AI Overviews continue to reshape Google Search, brands can’t just tweak their SEO, they need to rethink what valuable content really looks like.
To stay visible in a search experience led by AI, your content has to go beyond the obvious. Here’s how to future-proof your strategy:
Lead with lived experience - AI can summarise facts, but it can’t replicate real-world insight. Double down on content that offers first-hand knowledge, expert opinions, or unique perspectives your audience can’t find anywhere else.
Optimise for intent, not just keywords – While ranking remains important, it’s relevance that truly drives engagement. Our analysis of 300,000 keywords revealed that AI Overviews correlate with a 34.5% decrease in clickthrough rates (CTR) for top-ranking pages. This reinforces the need to focus on search intent: tailor your content to answer the specific, real-world questions your audience is asking, not just generic queries.
Help the algorithm help you - Structured data (like schema markup) gives search engines more context to work with. It’s not just technical hygiene, it’s how you improve your chances of being trusted, referenced, and surfaced in AI summaries.
Think beyond text - Written content still leads, but video, audio, and imagery are all shaping modern results pages. Diversify your formats to meet your audience wherever (and however) they search.
Search is evolving. Is your brand prepared?
As AI Overviews reshape the search landscape, user expectations are shifting towards faster, more relevant, and more personalised results. In this new environment, visibility alone is no longer enough, your content needs to deliver real value.
At Serotonin, we develop future-ready digital strategies that align with how people search today. Our focus is on performance-led content that not only reaches your audience but resonates with them.
Want to future-proof your brand’s search strategy? Get in touch with our team.
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