How Google is Integrating AI in Organic Search

Organic search is changing, and it is changing fast! Here's what's going on so far

Traditional search is changing quickly as Google is integrating AI features more and more.

In most cases, these integrations result in losses of traffic, which business owners need to be aware of. This, in turn, calls for changes in SEO strategies or priorities.

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Here’s what can be impacting your search findability due to AI integrations:

AI Overviews

Previously, “SGE experiment,” AI Overviews are AI-generated answers to a given query. They basically summarize top-ranking URLs, so there’s a strong correlation between AI Overview citations and organically ranking URLs.

Here’s what you need to know about AI Overviews:

• Whether you are cited in AI Overviews or not, if your important query is triggering one, it will likely result in a loss of clicks because AI Overviews give conclusive answers to a query, removing the need to click.

• If your page is cited in an AI Overview, you will see your average position as #1 in Google Search Console, but the click-through will likely be abnormally low, so the average position will be up but the click-through will be lower in your Performance report.

AI Overviews in People Also Ask

The traditional SEO recommendation is to include “People Also Ask” questions in your content strategy to generate additional clicks from Google. Now Google is often serving AI-generated answers to “People Also Ask” questions, serving multiple sources (which will also decreases organic traffic to all the citations):

AI Overviews in “Suggested Topics”

This section doesn’t have an official name yet. It works very much like a “fan-out” technique: When you are searching for something with dual intent, Google recommends related topics that may help you make a more informed decision.

For example, if you search for something like “roof repair”, Google will suggest exploring signs of and common causes for roof damage.

If you clicking any of these “fan-out” suggestions, you will get an AI-generated answer. This will unlikelygenerate any clicks because it gives additional information, outside of the initial intent, i.e. finding a roof repair solution.

AI-Generated Snippets (Test)

Many people start seeing AI-generated or AI-enhanced search snippets. For example, Google may rewrite a search snippet using AI (previously, it used either the meta description or on-site text to create search snippets which was possible to control):

Sometimes, instead of rewriting a search snippet, Google gives additional information (which, in contrast, can make your search snippet more clickable than before):

I couldn’t replicate either of these, but based on the number of reports of more and more people seeing these, it is likely that these AI-generated snippets will become public very soon.

AI in Local Search

Google is adding AI features in blended results, especially local packs.

According to some reports, Google is now inviting searches to research a local business using AI, and it will suggest related questions that they can benefit from asking:

I haven’t seen this yet but it is a very likely feature because it does exactly what Google’s URL bar is doing now, i.e. it encourages users to learn more about any web page and even suggests possibly useful questions:

For local businesses, the main strategy here should be about making all the details public and visible: Describe your products or services in a lot of detail on your site, encourage very detailed reviews from customers, etc.

Google is also integrating AI actions in local packs, which were previously introduced in the AI Mode. For example, for the “car tires near me” search, Google will suggest checking prices right from organic search:

When generative engines were launched, our biggest fear was that they would ultimately replace organic search. Google’s aggressive AI integrations in search are definitely accelerating this process: AI makes organic search less predictable, decreases traffic, and makes buying journeys more spontaneous and less trackable.

Yet, by knowing what is happening and what to expect, you have time to adjust.