Google I/O in May 2024 was dominated by one theme: AI. And the most important announcement for most website owners was that Search Generative Experience (now renamed AI Overviews) is rolling out globally to billions of users.
This is no longer a US test. It is search.
What are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews is the block of AI-generated text that can now appear at the top of Google search results: above the organic listings. It summarises an answer to the searcher's question, drawing from many websites, with source links on the side.
For many query types, this means the user gets the answer without clicking through. For websites that depend on search traffic, this is a structural shift.
What happened after launch?
The first days after global rollout attracted a great deal of attention. AI Overviews produced answers recommending putting glue in pizza and eating rocks to get minerals. The examples spread quickly and Google pulled the feature back for many query types and adjusted the system.
Two things worth taking from that: AI Overviews is not perfect. And Google adjusts quickly when things go wrong.
What does this mean for organic search traffic?
Early data from English-language markets shows that click-through rates fall for searches where AI Overviews appear: which is expected. The user got the answer there.
But not all searches get AI Overviews. Google does not show it for navigational searches, local searches with location intent, and many commercial searches where the user clearly wants to buy or compare. There, the organic results still matter most.
Which types of content hold up best?
Based on observations from the first months:
- Content that is cited in AI Overviews still drives traffic: the link is visible and clicked
- Content with high specificity and local context appears less often in AI Overviews
- Content requiring human judgement (purchasing decisions, local services, complex professional questions) is less affected
- Content answering generic factual questions is most affected
For SMBs selling services locally: your situation is far better than international headlines about "AI killing SEO" suggest.
What should you do?
Monitor your click data in Google Search Console. Does a drop stand out after May 2024? Which query types?
Continue investing in content with genuine answers, local relevance and professional depth. That is the content that is either cited in AI Overviews (and therefore still visible) or appears where AI Overviews are absent.
AI Overviews are a fact. That does not mean search is irrelevant for your business: it means search has changed.
Want to understand how AI Overviews affect your specific industry? Get in touch.