In 2024, Google introduced AI Overviews, a feature that spotlights AI-generated answers at the top of search results. Since its implementation, over a billion people utilize the service every month, and over 50% of all Google Searches include AI Overviews. Now, businesses want in, too. Around the world, businesses are trying to restructure their content to rank better in Overviews, from adding more personality to “eliminating fluff.”
If you want to improve your business’s visibility, is it worth focusing on ranking in AI Overviews? Here’s what to know.
How Does AI Overviews Work?
Suppose you look up “how to rank better on Google’s AI Overview.” Under the search, the AI Overview summarizes information from various websites and turns them into key bullet points. Next to the bullet points, the feature also recommends top websites to further help with your search. This section is ideally where you want to rank, though it doesn’t hurt if your website shows up as a redirect next to one of the bullet points.
Is Trying to Rank on AI Overviews Worth It?
While ranking for AI overviews can not harm your business, it’s also not something that should be your #1 priority. In a recent study conducted by Ahrefs, an SEO software company, “AI Overviews reportedly reduce clicks by over 30%.” After analyzing over 30,000 keywords, “the presence of an AI Overview in the search results correlated with a 34.5% lower average clickthrough rate (CTR) for the top-ranking page, compared to similar informational keywords without an AI Overview,” the blog states. In another study performed by Seer Interactive, “click-through rates when AI Overviews show up on Google” appeared at an all time low, both on Paid and Organic results.
What You Can Do Instead to Rank Better on AI-Powered Search Engines
AI Overviews might not help your business, but other AI-powered search engines can. Last year, over 200 million people used ChatGPT’s “Open AI” to look up something. While the data on click-through rates is still TBD, Open AI has emerged as an alternative to traditional search engine searches. (To learn how to rank better on ChatGPT, read our article here)
Ready to Start Ranking Better on Google? Contact Boston Web Marketing, New England’s Largest Independent Digital Marketing Company!
As the Boston’s #1 Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Website Design, & Social Media Management Company, we help businesses get found online easier. Our services include SEO, Pay-Per-Click Management, Google and Bing Ads Management, Reputation Management, and more! To learn more about how Boston Web Marketing can help you rank better online today, contact us on our website or call us at (857)-349-5062. We can’t wait to hear from you!