Google’s rollout of AI-generated overviews in the United States and over 100 countries is changing how users interact with search results. Google AI Overviews, previously called the Search Generative Experience (SGE), provide quick, summarized answers at the very top of the Google Search user interface. B2B marketers speculate that once the full impact of this rollout is realized, many of their web pages will experience significant reductions in search visibility and traffic. With AI Overviews occupying prominent positions in Google Search engine results pages (SERPs), traditional organic search listings are pushed further down the interface, requiring users to scroll to see and click them.
Paid search ads are also affected in certain SERPs, with Google AI Overviews likely to draw attention away from traditional ad placements. However, losing prime real estate at the top of SERPs isn’t the only Google AI issue for marketers to consider. Google’s AI-driven ad formats, like Performance Max campaigns, can now appear as AI Overview ads within SERPs without requiring additional setup. Yet, at the time of writing, these placements lack segmented performance reporting, leaving some gaps in data transparency.
With Google AI Overviews becoming more common, B2B marketers may need to adopt more aggressive paid search strategies. Higher bids on competitive keywords may become necessary to retain search visibility and traffic, driving up costs.
While it is currently impossible to gauge all the long-term effects of Google AI Overviews, there are some immediate actions marketers can take to proactively adapt their search strategies. PAN’s experts recommend heeding the following:
AI-Powered Search: 6 Tips to Adapt Your Strategies
For Organic Search:
1. Embrace User Intent and SERP Feature Acquisition Tactics
Google AI Overviews can make it more difficult to acquire search visibility and traffic from certain keyword queries. That doesn’t mean brands can’t make use of these keywords, but it’s imperative to correctly identify the user intent for your target queries, build on-page strategies specifically for acquiring desired SERP features, and temper related expectations. Remember: SERP impressions = visibility = awareness. SERP clicks = traffic = website visits.
2. Lean Into Semantics and Structure for Static Content
Static content that aims to rank well in search engines can be transformed and enriched by semantic data. This involves looking for semantically related keyword clusters and structuring information so that it is understandable not only by humans but also by machines. This structure, including the use of structured data like Schema markup, is crucial for powering Knowledge Graphs and AI-generated responses like those offered by Google AI Overviews or Bing Copilot.
3. Focus on Authority, Brand, and Trust
While disruptive, new user interactions with AI-powered search present opportunities. Becoming a cited source can be a great way to increase brand awareness. However, trust is also at a premium if you want to keep users’ attention and earn conversions. The rise of generative AI (Gen AI) presents significant challenges to the quality of information, public discourse, and the general open web. Gen AI’s ability to predict and personalize content can be easily misused to manipulate what we see and engage with in the digital realm.
PAN’s recent Brand Experience Report explores this issue further: Two out of three consumers surveyed said they would leave (35%) or consider leaving (32%) a brand if it relied on AI rather than people for storytelling — and when consumers could spot AI-generated content, 30% reported feeling negative about the brand. This reinforces the mantra of “support, not replace” when it comes to content and Gen AI.
For Paid Search:
4. Target High-Intent Keywords
Prioritize keywords that indicate mid-to-bottom funnel intent, such as those containing “buy,” “order,” or location-based phrases, to maximize conversion potential. High-intent keywords help reach users who are more likely to convert, countering the click-through-rate (CTR) drops caused by AI Overviews.
5. Adopt Aggressive Bidding Strategies
With AI summaries affecting CTRs, consider competitive bid strategies like Target Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) or Target Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) to manage bids and secure top ad positions. Aggressive bidding enables continued ad visibility in competitive SERPs, ensuring a strong presence even as AI Overviews become more prominent.
6. Leverage AI-Powered Ad Formats
Invest in Google’s Performance Max campaigns, optimized for placements across multiple surfaces, including AI-driven SERPs. Although these ad formats currently lack segmented performance reporting, they still enhance visibility in AI-enhanced SERPs.
Google & AI: The Only Constant Is Change
According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, AI has been transforming Google Search for years. Most recently, we’ve seen AI Overviews push other SERP listings well below the fold, which can reduce visibility and traffic. But Google still has the largest global search engine market share. At present, the rise of challengers like ChatGPT Search has not made a significant dent.
- Interested in learning more? Download PAN’s SEO guide now for additional insights.
- Ready to consult with trusted experts? Reach out to the PAN team today to discuss tailored strategies for maximizing search performance in AI-enhanced SERPs.
