Modern search is transforming rapidly with the rise of AI-generated overviews, integrations like Google’s AI Overviews, and content discovery engines powered by platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini. This is the age of AI Search. Businesses can no longer rely solely on traditional SEO. They must use a workflow that’s purpose-built for visibility and authority within AI-powered environments.
A recent study by GrowthSRC Media reveals that the introduction and subsequent expansion of Google’s AI Overviews has significantly disrupted click-through rates (CTRs) for top-ranking organic search results. Key findings include:
- Top Position Declines: CTR for the #1 search position dropped sharply from 28% to 19%—a 32% year-over-year decline—following the widespread introduction of AI Overviews. The #2 position saw an even steeper fall: from 20.83% to 12.60%, a 39% decrease.
- Lower Positions Benefit: Curiously, positions 6 through 10 enjoyed a 30.63% increase in CTR compared to the previous year. This suggests users are often scrolling past AI-generated summaries to seek original sources further down the result page.
- Average Declines Across Top Results: For positions 1 to 5, average click-through rates fell by 17.92%.
Publisher and Industry AI Search Insights
Major publishers, such as MailOnline, have noticed parallel trends. When an AI Overview is present, CTRs on MailOnline’s desktop listings fall from about 13% (without AI Overview) to less than 5%. On mobile, the drop is from 20% to 7%. MailOnline’s broader data indicates CTR reductions of over 56% on desktop and 48% on mobile for keywords triggering AI Overviews.
E-commerce Disruption
The study also observed changes in e-commerce keyword performance—linked not just to AI Overviews but also the increasing prevalence of Google’s Product Widgets (“Popular Products,” “Under [X] Price”), which open shopping interfaces within search results. These widgets, especially prominent since November 2024 in home care, fashion, and beauty, are diminishing traffic to traditional organic listings.
Changing SEO Strategies
Experts now stress that traditional SEO KPIs like pure website traffic or organic rankings are less meaningful in this new landscape. With fewer users clicking through, the recommendation is to shift focus towards:
- Brand visibility across social and search channels
- Measuring results using engagement metrics beyond clicks (such as conversions, branded search growth, or assisted conversions)
- Expanding content across multiple platforms (e.g., YouTube, TikTok, Reddit)
- Developing authoritative, awareness-building content at the top of the sales funnel
Future SEO Considerations
The decline in organic clicks for top positions underscores evolving search behaviors driven by AI features and zero-click search trends. SEOs and publishers are encouraged to adapt by emphasizing brand presence and understanding new patterns of user engagement rather than focusing solely on ranking and traffic metric
Why Adapting Is Urgent
As recent studies show, organic click-through rates have plunged since the rollout of Google’s AI Overviews. Top organic positions suffer dramatic losses in traffic as users engage more with AI summaries and in-page features. This shift means that even content that “ranks” highly may see significantly reduced visitor numbers. Companies who fail to adapt risk invisibility as engagement metrics and branded search take precedence over pure ranking.
The AI Visibility Workflow: Four-Step Proven Strategy
Adopting a robust workflow tailored to the AI-driven landscape is now mission-critical. Here’s how the recommended strategy from DigitalBiz can equip companies—especially SMEs—for the new era of search:
1. Strategic Content Planning (MarketMuse)
- Identify Key Opportunities: Use MarketMuse’s AI tools to analyze industry topics, competitor gaps, and develop data-backed content calendars.
- Build Authority: Address gaps in content to increase topical authority, crucial for AI engines and LLMs that prioritize expertise and breadth when referencing brands.
2. Multi-Format Content Creation & Distribution (AI EngineBoost)
- Diversify Formats: Create articles, video, audio, and visual assets—distributing them across channels where both users and AI engines source content.
- Increase Discoverability: Ensure every format is optimized not just for search, but for inclusion in AI-generated answers.
3. Technical and Semantic Optimization (SEO2LLM)
- AI Engine Readiness: Ensure all site content is structured and tagged for maximum crawlability by AI engines and large language models.
- Semantic Strength: Optimize for entity understanding to ensure brand mentions and citations are accurately grasped and surfaced by AI systems, not just search engines.
4. Continuous Measurement & Optimization (RankScale)
- Visibility Tracking: Monitor how and where your brand appears across AI chatbots, summarizers, and evolving search platforms.
- Benchmarking: Compare performance against competitors and identify where new citations or updates are needed.
- Actionable Insights: Receive ongoing guidance to adjust underperforming content, earning better AI-driven placements and refining E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) signals.
How This Workflow Helps Companies Adapt
- Future-Proofs Strategy: Embeds flexibility to pivot as algorithms, AI models, and user behavior evolve.
- Maximizes Brand Reach: Ensures the brand is not just visible to users browsing but is actively referenced and recommended by AI and LLM platforms.
- Drives Sustainable Results: Moves beyond superficial traffic, building branded searches, awareness, and trusted authority in both search and AI environments.
- Enables Continuous Improvement: Automated measurement and competitor tracking translate insights into rapid, targeted action.
Summary Table: Toolkit Functions
| Tool | Purpose | Adaptation Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| MarketMuse | Content research and planning | Aligns content with AI and search priorities |
| AI EngineBoost | Multi-format content creation/distribution | Multiplies touchpoints for user & AI discovery |
| SEO2LLM | Technical and semantic optimization | Maximizes crawlability and LLM readiness |
| RankScale | Performance tracking and benchmarking | Informs updates; closes improvement loop |
By integrating this workflow, businesses build strong, adaptive digital foundations, ensuring relevance as both user habits and discovery mechanisms migrate to AI-dominated landscapes.