Remember when SEO was “simple”? You’d stuff some keywords into your content, build a few dodgy backlinks, and watch your rankings climb like a kid on a jungle gym. Those days are dead and buried, and Google just held the funeral.
If you’ve been watching your organic traffic numbers lately and wondering why they’re dropping faster than your enthusiasm for another Zoom meeting, welcome to the party. Google’s AI Overviews have crashed the SEO scene like that mate who shows up uninvited but somehow makes everything more interesting.
The uncomfortable truth? We’re witnessing the biggest shift in search since Google decided that mobile-first wasn’t just a suggestion. And most businesses are about as prepared for this as a tourist in Darwin during the wet season.
Here’s what’s actually happening: Google’s AI is now answering questions directly in search results, which means fewer people are clicking through to your carefully crafted content. Your “ultimate guide to whatever” is getting summarised by a robot, and users are getting their answers without ever visiting your site.
The question everyone’s asking: How will AI-powered search affect rankings, traffic, and content strategies in 2025?
Let me save you the suspense: if you’re still playing by 2019 SEO rules, you’re about to get schooled by businesses that figured out the new game while you were still debating whether AI was just a fad.
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Google’s AI Overviews aren’t just another SERP feature you can ignore until next quarter. They’re fundamentally changing how people search and where they get their answers.
Remember featured snippets? Those little preview boxes that stole some of your clicks? AI Overviews are featured snippets on steroids, with a PhD in content summarisation and a personal vendetta against your click-through rates.
Instead of showing a quick excerpt from one source, AI Overviews are pulling information from multiple websites, synthesising it into comprehensive answers, and serving it up on a silver platter. Users get their answers without clicking through to anyone’s website.
What does this mean for your traffic? If your content strategy has been built around capturing clicks for “how to” questions and basic informational queries, you might want to pour yourself a strong flat white and reassess your approach.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Google’s algorithms aren’t just looking for content anymore—they’re looking for genuine expertise. The days of ranking generic, surface-level content written by someone who Googled your industry five minutes before writing are officially over.
In 2025, Google is rewarding:
This shift means you can’t just hire some freelancer from overseas to churn out 500-word blog posts about your industry anymore. You need actual expertise, real experience, and content that provides value beyond what AI can synthesise.
Zero-click searches aren’t new, but AI Overviews are making them more sophisticated and bloody annoying for website owners. Users can now get complex answers to multi-faceted questions without leaving Google’s ecosystem.
The data shows certain query types are getting absolutely hammered:
But here’s the silver lining: navigational searches, high-intent commercial queries, and complex decision-making searches are still driving traffic. People still need to visit your site to buy something, book a service, or get detailed, expert advice.
Let’s talk about what’s actually happening to organic traffic since AI Overviews became Google’s favourite child.
Early data from SEO tools and analytics platforms shows some sobering trends:
But here’s what the doom-and-gloom crowd isn’t telling you: the impact isn’t uniform. Some industries are getting smashed, others are barely feeling a scratch.
AI Overviews love to cannibalise:
Content that still drives clicks:
B2B and Professional Services: You’re actually doing alright. Your content tends to be more complex and specific, which AI struggles to summarise effectively.
E-commerce: Mixed bag. Product information queries are getting eaten alive, but purchase-intent searches are holding strong.
Publishing and Media: If you’re still relying on basic informational content for traffic, you’re in trouble. Original reporting and analysis are your lifelines.
Local Businesses: Relax. Local search results and Google Business Profiles are still getting prominent placement.
Google’s party line is that AI Overviews are designed to help users while still driving “valuable traffic” to websites. They’re telling us to:
The SEO community’s experience tells a different story:
Traffic Impact: Sites are reporting 10-40% decreases in organic traffic for informational content, particularly in competitive niches like health, finance, and general business advice.
Ranking Volatility: Rankings are bouncing around like a kangaroo on Red Bull as Google’s algorithms figure out this AI integration.
Content Performance: Detailed, expert-level content is performing better than ever, while generic fluff is disappearing faster than Tim Tams at morning tea.
User Behaviour: Here’s the interesting bit—users who do click through are spending more time on pages and converting at higher rates. Lower volume, higher quality.
Despite all the hype, AI Overviews aren’t perfect:
If you can’t beat them, join them. Here’s how to structure content so it might get featured in AI Overviews while still driving traffic to your site:
Content Structure That AI Actually Understands:
Go Deeper Than Surface Level:
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) used to be guidelines. Now they’re survival requirements.
Experience and Expertise:
Authority and Trust:
Original Research and Data: AI can’t conduct surveys, analyse proprietary data, or create original studies. This type of content continues to drive significant traffic and backlinks.
Expert Commentary and Analysis: In-depth analysis from people who actually know your industry provides value that AI summaries can’t match.
Visual and Interactive Content: Videos, infographics, calculators, and interactive tools provide user experiences that go beyond what AI Overviews can offer.
Local and Personalised Content: Location-specific information and personalised recommendations remain highly valuable and difficult for AI to replicate.
Case Studies and Success Stories: Real examples with specific details, outcomes, and lessons learned.
Industry Reports and Trend Analysis: Original research and data-driven insights about your industry.
Tool Comparisons and Reviews: Detailed, hands-on reviews based on actual use and testing.
Step-by-Step Tutorials: Comprehensive guides that go beyond basic how-to instructions.
Expert Interviews and Commentary: Insights from recognised industry experts and thought leaders.
Page Speed and Core Web Vitals: If your site loads slower than a government website, you’re already losing.
Mobile Optimisation: It’s 2025. If your site doesn’t work perfectly on mobile, what are you even doing?
Structured Data: Schema markup helps Google understand your content and increases the chances of appearing in AI Overviews.
Content Freshness: AI prefers recent, updated information. Stale content gets ignored.
Internal Linking: Help Google understand your site’s topic coverage and authority through strategic internal linking.
Site Architecture: Clear, logical site structure helps both users and AI understand your content organisation.
Beyond Traditional Rankings:
AI Overview Visibility:
Google Search Console: Still your best friend for understanding how Google sees your site.
Analytics Deep Dives: Look beyond surface metrics to understand user behaviour and traffic quality.
SEO Tools Evolution: Major tools are adapting to track AI Overview visibility, though the data is still evolving.
SEO isn’t dead—it’s just not what it used to be. The integration of AI into search results is the most significant shift since Google went mobile-first, and businesses that adapt quickly will have a massive advantage over those still stuck in the past.
What’s happening in the next 6-12 months:
How to future-proof your strategy:
The businesses thriving in 2025 won’t be the ones trying to game the system—they’ll be the ones providing genuine value that AI can’t replicate.
Ready to stop losing traffic to AI summaries? The companies winning in this new landscape aren’t fighting the changes—they’re adapting faster and smarter than their competition.
At Scale and Grow, we’re helping Australian businesses navigate this transition with SEO strategies that actually work in the age of AI. We don’t just follow Google’s guidelines—we help you build the kind of authority and content quality that thrives regardless of algorithm changes.
Contact us today to future-proof your SEO strategy and start getting found by people who actually want to buy what you’re selling.
P.S. – If you’re still optimising for keyword density and exact match domains, you might as well be optimising for dial-up internet. It’s time to join the rest of us in 2025.