AI Overviews Impact on SEO Clicks

An AI-Literate Approach to Modern SEO

SEO professionals are at a fascinating crossroad. AI Overviews, like those generated by ChatGPT, can reduce clicks by 58% on informational keywords. What does that mean for the future of search? While AI can cite your content, users often prefer quick answers over navigating to your site. High intent keywords and well-structured content are becoming increasingly important to navigate this new landscape. AI Overviews in the search results: a challenge to traditional SEO start by understanding why traditional SEO tactics are becoming less effective. AI-driven search results present concise answers drawn from various sources, reducing the need for users to click through to websites. It can pose a significant challenge for content creators who have traditionally relied on informational keywords to drive traffic. Instead, AI Overviews often provide the information users seek directly in the search results.

Optimizing for a New Age of Search

A bold new transition is underway. SEO isn’t just about keywords anymore; it’s about understanding and leveraging AI search behaviors. People are reliant on AI tools to find information quickly, and this behavior is reshaping how content should be optimized. AI Overview results are more likely to appear for informational queries, reducing the need for users to click through. In response, content creators should focus on more converting high-intent keywords, which are less impacted by AI Overviews.

Answering AI with High-Intent Content

How AI search works, and why it pays to pivot

Strategically crafting content for this AI-driven age is essential. Rather than feed on just informational keywords, focus on high-intent keywords. These keywords are so sought after that the AI does not always have a pre-made answer, and users are more likely to click through. The goal with high-intent content is to provide the direct solution that answers the user's query. AI tools like ChatGPT can generate a variety of structured data, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always effective. Structured data may take a while to implement and maintain, and its impact on AI citations can often be minimal. Google has been inconsistent with its support for schema types, and AI Overview results can often ignore schema.

Structured data: is it worth the investment?

Google’s attitude towards schema is not predictable. As of 2023, Google has significantly reduced visibility for FAQ schema and has even announced the discontinuation of support for it. While structured data can be useful for traditional search results, its effectiveness for AI Overviews is questionable. A study by Ahrefs tracked 1,885 pages adding schema and found that AI citations barely moved. Moreover, if you ask ChatGPT for the most important schema to use for SEO, it will often mention FAQ schema. However, the importance of FAQ schema has decreased significantly in recent years. Google began reducing the visibility of FAQ schema starting in 2023 and has since announced that it will no longer support it entirely.

The Path to Converting Content

Focus on creating high-value content that makes use of the exact language AI is using to search. This means incorporating target keywords in your page title, URL slug, H1, and the first sentence of your content. To see what keywords ChatGPT is using, copy the part of your URL that comes after '/c/,' and then use browser developer tools to inspect network responses for the keyword "queries." This process will show you what ChatGPT searched for when generating its results.

Practical guidance for SEO in a new age

Set your content apart with data, benchmarks, and statistics. Original content is essential. Even though the average page cited by AI was 500 days old and still getting picked, it's important to regularly update your content to maintain relevance. Unique insights and original data are key to getting cited by AI tools.

• Answer first: Present the answer to the user’s query right away. This makes your content more likely to be cited by AI Overviews.
• High-Intent Keywords: Target keywords with high user intent. AI Overviews are less likely to cover these, making users more likely to click through.
• Structured content: Structure your content clearly, so it’s easy for AI to parse and understand.
• Entity Authority: Build authority in your topic area. The more AI knows about your brand, the more it will trust your content.
• Update Regularly: Keep your content fresh. Regular updates can help maintain your content’s relevance and visibility.