AI and SEO: How brands can adapt to search algorithm changes
AI is impacting search engine optimization, a core aspect of digital marketing. Here's what brands need to do to make sure their websites rank in this new realm.
You may have already begun to notice, but Google Search is now starting to look a lot different. Instead of just a long list of links relevant to your searches, there are now AI-generated responses based on your queries above the fold.
As part of Google’s ongoing efforts to improve search experiences for its users, these AI Overviews are intended to help individuals find quick answers to their questions without having to go through endless websites to find them.
But while Google AI Overviews might be great for users, what do they mean for traditional SEO and the brands relying on it to help market themselves online?
What is Google AI Overview and how does it work?
AI Overviews are concise summaries provided by Google’s Gemini engine that appear at the top of search results. These summaries are generated by AI algorithms that search through returned results and provide a quick reference to the information that can be found through different websites, blogs, or reports.
AI Overviews are helpful because they essentially create clickable summaries of relevant data points. For example, if you were to Google “how long does it take to ride a bike?” you’ll be given a quick summarized answer (based on gathered research) as well as other helpful points related to the search. This might include types of bikes, the places for beginners to ride, safety considerations, or where to purchase biking equipment.
AI overviews impact traditional search engine optimization (SEO) in several ways:
- Potential changes in click-through rates. AI Overviews are designed to limit the amount of work needed for users to find what they look for. Because of this, they don’t need to navigate the same number of links they usually would. Studies are showing that when an AI Overview is present there’s a 70% drop in click-through rate (CTR).
- Shifts in keyword strategies. In the past, businesses could focus their SEO efforts on a blend of generic and broad keyword terms. However, AI overviews focus on answering the specific search intent of a user. Because of this, brands will need to put more time into how they target longer tail phrases to show that their content is relevant enough to be listed in the Overview.
- The heightened importance of E-E-A-T – For a couple of years now, Google’s search algorithms have focused on providing search results that meet their E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines. This principle is critical to being listed in AI Overviews and can increase the web traffic a website receives.
Adapting your SEO strategy for AI Overviews
Google’s rapid shift to AI Overviews means brands can’t waste anytime rethinking their SEO strategies. Here are five ways marketers can get started.
1. Adapt your content focus
To have your website referenced in AI Overviews, your content must be accurate and comprehensive. This means providing helpful resources and backing up claims with credible sources.
The best way to do this is by making your business a thought leader on a specific niche topic. Instead of trying to provide content for everyone, look for ways to cover a handful of topics really well.
Publishing less content—but increasing the quality of information you release—will go a long way in helping achieve this.
2. Optimize for AI
Google AI Overviews have also changed where businesses should focus their optimization efforts. While traditional ranking factors still have weight, there’s also the need to cater to AI-driven algorithms when structuring the content and site navigation.
Schema markup is one of the elements used for generating AI Overviews. This means businesses should look for more ways to improve their content to get listed in these unique search results. One of the most effective ways to do this is by asking questions and answering in detailed, but easy-to-understand ways.
Getting to the point quickly when addressing header questions makes it easier for AI algorithms to process the information on a site and index it appropriately.
3. Balance user experience + technical SEO
Google wants to make sure that the information it’s gathering for its AI Overviews comes from credible sources. One sign that a professional source manages a website is when it operates at peak performance and is designed to improve the user experience.
Make sure your website is responsive enough to serve properly on mobile devices and that you eliminate long loading times. This requires due diligence when addressing various technical SEO elements and ensuring all of your site’s content can be crawled correctly.
4. Brand building + thought leadership
AI tools can process information much faster than humans ever could on their own. Google AI Overview results aren’t just based on the relevancy of the content on a site. They also consider social signals collected on different brands across social media platforms, review sites, and referral links placed on other high-authority websites.
This makes brand building an important element for future-proofing SEO efforts. It’s all about proving the information on your site comes from a highly trusted and relevant source. This requires more than just producing great content—it also means marketing that content to other reliable sources and using high-quality backlinks to help add more trust to your brand.
5. Don’t drop SEO efforts
An initial knee-jerk reaction might be to stop marketing and SEO activities to see how the dust settles. However, AI Overviews are still affected by first-page results. Even the most conservative studies show that about 52% of sources mentioned in AI Overviews rank in the top 10 results.
Most of us would like it to be higher, but it still means that about half of the sources used rely on traditional SEO results. This means that right now the best way to get featured in AI Overviews is to ensure that your site ranks on the first page for relevant queries.
Keep SEO agile + adaptable
As AI tools continue to reshape how individuals access online information, it’s important to recognize how they also affect your marketing efforts. While Google AI Overviews are definitely starting to rewrite the SEO playbook, there undoubtedly will be future developments worth considering to ensure you’re still able to rank your website effectively.
By following the above guidelines, you’ll be in a better position to keep your SEO strategies adaptable, while continuing to see positive results from your marketing efforts.
