Semrush Study: AI Overviews' Impact on Organic Traffic Revealed

Hey there! Have you Googled something recently and noticed… well, something different? Right at the very top of the page, even before the first result, there's often a new, shiny box. It’s a neat summary, answering your question directly, sometimes with pictures and links. That, my friend, is Google’s new **AI Overview**. It’s a big change, and it’s got a lot of website owners, marketers, and bloggers asking the same nervous question: "Is this the end of organic traffic as we know it?" It’s a valid concern. If Google answers the question for people, why would they click on your website? Well, take a deep breath. It’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, there’s a massive new opportunity hiding in plain sight. The team at Semrush just did a deep dive, analyzing nearly 94 million search queries to see what’s really going on. And the results are fascinating. Let's break down what they found, in simple terms, and figure out what it means for you.

What Exactly Are These AI Overviews?

Think of Google’s AI Overview as a super-smart assistant. You ask a question, and instead of just giving you a list of books to read (your standard search results), it reads the most relevant ones for you and gives you a quick, digestible summary. This summary is generated by AI, pulling information from various websites it deems credible. The goal is to give you a fast, comprehensive answer without you having to click through multiple links. But here’s the key: these overviews don’t show up for *every single search*. And that’s our first clue about how to adapt.

The Big Question: How Often Do They Actually Show Up?

According to the Semrush study, AI Overviews appear in about 25% of all searches. So, one out of every four times you search for something, you’ll likely see one. But the real story is in *which* searches trigger them.

The "How-To" and "What-Is" Questions (Informational Queries)

This is where AI Overviews are most common. When someone searches for things like "how to repot a plant" or "what is the capital of Australia," the AI summary pops up more than half the time (52%). This makes sense, right? These are questions with factual, straightforward answers, perfect for an AI to summarize.

Shopping and Researching (Commercial Queries)

What about when people are looking to buy something? For searches like "best running shoes for flat feet" or "reviews for a new smartphone," AI Overviews appear about 17% of the time. They’re still present, but far less dominant. People in a buying mood often still want to see product pages, reviews, and different stores for themselves.

When You Know Where You're Going (Navigational Queries)

If you type "YouTube login" or "Facebook" into Google, you’re not looking for a summary; you’re looking for a specific website. Google knows this. That's why AI Overviews almost never show up for these searches—less than 1% of the time.

The Real Game Changer: Where Do the Links in AI Overviews Come From?

Okay, this is the part that made my jaw drop. You’d assume that the links featured inside the AI Overview would be from the websites already ranking in the top 10, right? Wrong. The study found something incredible: 86.5% of the links inside AI Overviews come from websites that are NOT in the top 10 organic results. Let that sink in for a moment. This means there is a completely new, parallel track to getting traffic from Google. It’s like there are now two front pages. You can rank on the traditional "Top 10" list, or you can get featured in the AI summary at the very top. Sometimes, you can even do both! This isn't a threat; it's a whole new ballgame. It’s an opportunity for high-quality content, even from smaller sites, to leapfrog the competition and land in that coveted top spot.

So, How Do I Get My Website into an AI Overview?

This is the million-dollar question. While there's no magic button, the Semrush study gives us some powerful clues. Getting featured is all about becoming the AI’s favourite source. Here’s how you can do it.

H3: Aim for the Top (It Still Matters!)

While many featured links come from outside the top 10, the single best place to be is still the #1 organic position. The study showed that the website ranking first has a 33.6% chance of also being cited in the AI Overview. This means that a strong Search Engine Optimization strategy is more crucial than ever. Don’t abandon the fundamentals. Keep focusing on creating valuable content that earns that top spot.

Be the Clearest, Most Helpful Answer

Imagine Google’s AI is like a student writing a research paper on a tight deadline. Is it going to cite a source that’s dense, confusing, and rambles on? Or is it going to cite the one that’s clear, well-structured, and gets straight to the point? It’s going to choose the clear source every time. To get featured, your content needs to be:
  • Direct and Factual: Answer the question clearly and concisely, especially at the beginning of your article.

  • Well-Structured: Use clear H2 and H3 headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to break up information. This makes it easy for both humans and AI to scan and understand.

  • Authoritative: Back up your claims with data, sources, and expertise. Show that you know what you’re talking about.

Think Like a Human (And Write for One!)

At the end of the day, AI is trying to understand and serve humans. The best way to optimize for AI is to optimize for people. What questions are they *really* asking? What’s the simplest, most helpful way to answer them? Forget about trying to trick an algorithm. Instead, focus on creating the single best resource on the internet for a specific topic. If a real person would find your article incredibly helpful, chances are the AI will, too.

The Final Takeaway: Don't Panic, Adapt!

Google’s AI Overviews are not an "SEO apocalypse." They are simply the next evolution of search. Yes, they are changing the landscape. Clicks might be distributed differently now. But they are also creating a powerful new way for quality content to get discovered. The playing field has been shaken up, and that’s exciting! The core principles of good content haven’t changed. Be helpful. Be clear. Be an expert. Instead of fearing AI Overviews, see them as a challenge. How can you make your content so good, so clear, and so valuable that Google has no choice but to feature it? The websites that adapt and focus on quality will not just survive this change—they will thrive. What are your thoughts on AI Overviews? Have you seen them in your searches? Let me know

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