Organic Results Blocking Creeping Up
Google’s AI Overviews feature, launched in May 2024, has been a controversial feature among publishers and SEOs since day one. Many publishers resent that Google is using their content to create answers in the search results that discourage users from clicking through and reading more, thereby negatively influencing earnings.
Google AIO Taking Over Entire Screen
BrightEdge’s research shows that AI Overviews started out in May 2024 taking up to 600 pixels of screen space, crowding out the organic search results, formerly known as the ten blue links. When advertising is factored in, there isn’t much space left over for links to publisher sites.
Graph Showing Growth Of AIO Pixel Size By Height
Percentage Of Queries Showing AIOs
The percentage of queries that display Google’s AI Overviews have also been creeping up. Health related search queries have been trending higher than any other niche. B2B Technology, eCommerce, and finance queries are also increasingly showing AI Overview search results.
The Takeaway
I asked BrightEdge for a comment about what they feel publishers should get ahead of for 2025.
Jim Yu, CEO of BrightEdge, responded:
“Publishers will need to adapt to the complexity of content creation and optimization while leaning into core technical SEO to guarantee their sites are seen and valued as authoritative sources.
Citations are a new form of ranking. As search and AI continue to converge, brands need to send the right signals to search and AI engines to help them decide if the content is helpful, unique, and informative. In a multi-modal world, this means schema tags about a publisher’s company, products, images, videos, overall site and content structure, reviews, and more!
In 2025, content, site structure, and authority will matter more than ever, and SEO has a huge role to play in that.
Key Questions Marketers Need to Address in 2025
- Is your content ready for 4-5 layered intents?
- Can you match Google’s growing complexity?
- Have you mapped your industry’s intent combinations?
Key Actions for 2025
The Pattern is clear: Simple answers → rich, context-aware responses!
- Intent Monitoring: See which intents AIO’s are serving for your space
- Query Evolution: Identify what new keyword patterns are emerging that AIO’s are serving
- Citation Structure: Align content structure to intents and queries AIO’s are focused on to ensure you are cited
- Competitive Intelligence: Track which competitor content AIOs select and why
Conclusion
AIOs aren’t just displaying content differently – they’re fundamentally changing how users find and interact with information. The takeaway from the data is that publishers are encouraged to create unambiguous content that directly addresses topics in order to rank for complex search queries. A careful eye on how AI Overviews are displayed and what kinds of content are cited and linked to is encouraged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the purpose of Google’s AI Overviews?
A: Google’s AI Overviews aim to provide users with more accurate and relevant search results by aggregating information from multiple sources and presenting it in a concise manner.
Q: What are the implications for publishers?
A: The rise of AI Overviews is likely to have significant implications for publishers, who may see a decline in traffic and revenue as users increasingly rely on the aggregated search results provided by Google.
Q: How can publishers adapt to the changing landscape?
A: Publishers can adapt to the changing landscape by creating high-quality, informative content that addresses users’ needs and is optimized for search engines. They should also focus on building their brand and establishing themselves as authorities in their respective niches.
Q: What is the future of search and AI?
A: The future of search and AI is likely to be shaped by the increasing use of machine learning and natural language processing. As AI becomes more sophisticated, search engines will become more able to understand the nuances of human language and provide more accurate results. This will likely lead to a shift away from traditional search results and towards aggregated search results.
