These days, it seems like artificial intelligence is everywhere you look, from facial detection on your phone to electronic payments. One of the places where it has become the most prevalent is on search engines. You’ve likely searched something recently on Google that provides you with an overview feature.
Google’s AI Overview feature is a powerful tool for not only users, but also for business owners. With the right search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, content from a company’s site can be showcased in the overview, being immediately seen by people searching for relevant keywords. But how does it impact the consumer? Or your bottom line? That’s what we’re here to discuss.
Read on to learn about the basics of Google’s AI Overview. Then we’ll dive into the public’s reception of the new feature as well as the reception of business owners
What you need to know about the Google AI Overview
The Google AI Overview is a feature that was launched in May 2024 in the U.S. It followed three months later to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, India, Japan and Indonesia. It gathers quick summaries or bulleted lists of relevant information from trustworthy, high-quality sources at the top of the search engine result pages. It essentially condenses the information from the best sources into accessible, quick bites that reduce the need to scroll.
This feature won’t pop up for everything you type in. In fact, the percentage of inquiries that have the featured snippets has been steadily decreasing since the launch as Google tweaks the criteria that the algorithm is using. It started off with 15% of queries having the feature and has slowly decreased to 7%.
At BURG+CO., we pride ourselves on staying as up to date with the Google algorithm as possible, including new tools and features that can impact business owners. Our goal is to help you navigate the intricacies of Google’s algorithm to determine how you can improve your keyword rankings, organic traffic and conversion rates.
How the Google AI Overview has been received by the public
Now that we’ve gone over the basics, it’s time to explore what really matters: Do Google users like it? The answer isn’t straightforward. As there is with anything, there’s good and bad. While many people don’t delve into the technicalities of how these types of features work, they often form an opinion relatively quickly, as it interferes with how they’re able to access information.
The benefits that some people are noting include:
- Simplifying and shortening the search process
- Broadening the perspective of the user
- Fewer paid ads
The not-so-great aspects that people are highlighting:
- Increased reliance on artificial intelligence that lacks a human element
- Inconsistency due to nearly 90% of queries not having the feature
- Occasionally inaccurate information
How Google AI Overview impacts business owners
Search engines are a powerful tool for a business’s marketing strategy, which is why it’s important to figure out the good and the bad that the overview can bring to SEO growth.
Here are a few of the positive ways that the tool can impact SEO performance:
- Highlights relevant information from SEO content for increased traffic
- Offers a competitive edge over sources that aren’t featured
- Features sources seen as trustworthy, which boosts their reputation
Now it’s time to look at a few of the downsides that the overview can bring to a business’s SEO:
- Reduces engagement and conversions because it provides the content immediately
- Impacts paid advertising click-through rates, as they’re placed under the overview
- Reduces visibility to sources that aren’t featured
Want to attract new visitors to your website? BURG+CO. can help
Increasing traffic to your website plays a role in increasing conversions and leading to new clients. However, it’s difficult to attract visitors to your site when you don’t know what to do. Fortunately, this is what we specialize in at BURG+CO.
Our team has years of experience in helping businesses improve their digital presence to attract new leads and retain existing ones. If you’re looking to perform better in search engine results and attract more visitors to your site, we’re ready to talk to you to see how we can help. Contact our team today for more information about digital marketing or to schedule a complimentary consultation.
