For years, SEO has been a fairly predictable game. You research keywords, create helpful content, earn backlinks, and watch your rankings grow.
Google shows your site in the organic listings, and you get traffic. Simple — not easy, but at least fair.Then came Google AI Overview (formerly called Search Generative Experience, or SGE.)
Now, instead of showing the classic “10 blue links” at the top of search results, Google’s AI writes its own instant answers, summarizing information it scrapes from various sources — including yours.
The catch?
Your content might be used to feed Google’s AI answer… and the user may never need to click through to your site.
That’s not “leveling up search.” That’s eating the very ecosystem that fuels it.
So, What Exactly Is Google AI Overview?
Think of it as Google’s ChatGPT built into the search results. Instead of just showing links, it pre-chews information for the searcher.
If you search for “best budget DSLR cameras in 2025”, instead of clicking a blog, you’ll likely see a colorful AI summary listing the top picks, why they’re good, and maybe even buying advice — all right there.
Sounds convenient for the user, right?
Sure. But for publishers, businesses, and SEO professionals, it’s a disaster.
Because:
a. Google takes your information.
b. Rewrites it.
c. Shows it above your link.
And leaves you hoping someone scrolls down far enough to find you.
It’s like inviting a dinner guest who eats the meal you cooked, then tells everyone else what it tasted like without mentioning you made it.
How AI Overviews Are Hurting SEO?
1. Massive Drop in Organic Click-Through Rates
Before Google AI Overview, the first few organic results got the lion’s share of clicks. Now? People see their answer immediately and don’t bother scrolling.
Studies from SEO tracking tools like Sistrix and SimilarWeb are already showing click-through rates down by 18%–40% for certain queries. That’s not a small dip — that’s traffic falling off a cliff.
2. Zero Credit for Your Work
Google claims to cite sources in AI Overviews, but those citations are tiny, hidden, and often not even clickable in a way that drives real traffic. And many times, the AI blends multiple sources, so your contribution is buried in a sea of “some people say…” summaries.
If you’ve spent weeks crafting an original guide, seeing it chopped up and rephrased without meaningful credit feels like creative theft — even if it’s technically legal.
3. Small Sites Get Crushed
Big, authoritative domains might survive because Google still sees them as trustworthy. But for small blogs, niche e-commerce sites, and independent creators, this is a knockout punch.
If you’re not in the handful of links Google chooses to feature in its AI box (and even those barely get clicks), you might as well not exist.
4. Skewed Information Quality
AI Overviews aren’t perfect — they’ve already been caught hallucinating facts, pulling outdated info, and even recommending unsafe advice. But here’s the kicker:
If your site has a small error, Google’s ranking system punishes you. If its AI gets something wrong? It just quietly changes it later, without apology.
This double standard means the illusion of accuracy often matters more than actual accuracy.
5. The Death of Long-Tail SEO
Long-tail keywords (like “how to fix squeaky brakes on a 2010 Toyota Corolla”) have been the bread and butter for many small publishers because they bring in niche, high-intent traffic. Google AI Overview gobble up these questions and answer them instantly, cutting you out of the loop entirely.
It’s like losing the quiet backroads that used to be safe from highway traffic — now the AI bulldozer has paved right over them.
6. More Ad Dependence
When organic traffic shrinks, businesses panic — and where do they turn?
It’s hard not to see the conflict of interest here: Google reduces free clicks and conveniently sells you paid ones. SEO pros have been side-eyeing this for years, but Google AI Overviews turn that suspicion into a neon billboard.
7. Content Strategy Chaos
For years, we’ve optimized for snippets, “People Also Ask” boxes, and organic results. Now, all that planning has to account for an unpredictable AI box at the top.
You can’t optimize for it (Google won’t give the playbook), and you can’t fully avoid it — it appears on informational, product, and even some local searches.
It’s like playing chess where the rules change mid-game, and your opponent is the referee.
8. Erosion of Trust in the Open Web
If people never click through to the original source, they lose context. They don’t see the nuance, supporting details, or the author’s expertise. Over time, audiences may forget that real people make this content — they’ll assume “Google knows everything,” not realizing Google is just repackaging human work.
9. New Sites Struggle to Break In
Before Google AI Overview, a well-optimized piece of fresh content could rank within weeks for lower-competition terms. Now, even those wins are blocked by the AI wall. This makes it harder for newcomers to build authority or even get noticed.
10. Loss of User Journeys
A single click to your site could lead to multiple pageviews, email sign-ups, and future purchases. With AI Overviews, the journey stops at Google’s page. The relationship between you and the visitor never begins.
Why This Change Feels Different from Past SEO Shifts?
SEO veterans have survived algorithm updates, mobile-first indexing, Core Web Vitals, and more. Those were tough but manageable — the game changed, but the players could adapt.
Google’s AI Overview feel different because Google has inserted itself as the primary destination, not the gateway. The open web becomes a content supplier to Google’s AI machine, not a partner in delivering information.
What You Can Do About It?
You can’t “beat” AI Overviews right now. But you can adapt:
Focus on content Google can’t easily summarize — deep personal stories, data-driven research, community discussions.
Build brand loyalty off-platform — newsletters, podcasts, private communities.
Double down on other channels — YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok — platforms where you control the relationship.
The Bottom Line
Google’s AI Overview isn’t just another update — it’s a seismic shift in how search works, putting Google firmly in control. For SEO professionals, this means reduced traffic, less visibility, and more unpredictability.
While users may enjoy the convenience, if creators aren’t rewarded for their work, the quality and diversity of online content will inevitably decline. And when that happens, even Google’s AI will struggle to find valuable insights to summarize.
At Adsagenz, we help you adapt to this new reality. Don’t let your brand get left behind — connect with us today to future-proof your SEO strategy..
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