Google has officially launched its AI Overviews (formerly known as SGE or Search Generative Experience) on search engine results pages. This new feature uses AI to generate overviews and answer queries directly on the results page. Leadhub experts are keeping a close eye on how this new technology is changing the search experience.
AI Overviews And Featured Snippets
In some ways, AI Overviews are an evolution of Google's featured snippets. Featured snippets provide brief excerpts or snippets of information from web pages in response to certain queries. AI Overviews take this a step further by generating entirely new content using artificial intelligence models instead of pulling excerpts.
While this advancement in search technology is exciting, it has also raised some concerns among SEOs, business owners, and Google users.
Key Concerns About AI Overviews
Any change to the search engine results page (SERP) can have significant effects on organic performance. While potentially useful for the user, AI overviews pose a threat to how websites rank and the percentage of people who will click through to a site to get the answer they're looking for. Some of the main concerns about AI Overviews are:
- Accuracy — Some AI-generated overviews contain inaccurate information sourced from unreliable sources like Reddit or satirical articles. AI currently struggles to distinguish fact from fiction or sarcasm.
- Copyright infringement — There are accusations that Google is using content from publishers without proper attribution or citation in its AI Overviews.
- Organic traffic losses — AI Overviews are pushing down traditional organic links on result pages. This could potentially impact website traffic, especially for sites relying heavily on blog content and long-tail keyword traffic.
- Lack of replicability — Each AI-generated answer is unique, making it difficult to consistently "rank" in these overviews or replicate successful results.
Leadhub's Response To AI Overviews
Our team at Leadhub is proactively identifying areas where our clients' traffic may be affected so that we can reinforce those areas and double down on proven SEO best practices. We're exploring potential opportunities to be featured in AI Overviews while also carefully considering whether this alignment is truly beneficial for our clients.
While new technologies like AI Overviews can cause initial worry, Leadhub remains calm and focused on uncovering new opportunities amidst the changes. We're keeping a close eye on search trends and are prepared to pivot our strategies as needed.
Due to the prevalence of inaccurate information in AI Overviews, especially as we approach election season, there is speculation that Google may roll back or refine this feature.
Rest assured, the Leadhub team is committed to staying ahead of the curve and ensuring our clients' continued success in the ever-evolving digital landscape. As always, we prioritize best practices, adaptability, and a data-driven approach to maximize your online visibility and growth.
