How Google’s AI Overview Is Already Transforming the SERP in a Surprising Way

The Google search engine results page (SERP) for your top keywords might just be the most valuable piece of digital real estate for your business—possibly even more critical than your own homepage! It’s where decisions are made, impressions are formed, and competition is fiercest, making it an essential battleground for every company’s visibility and growth.

Over the years, the Google SERP has undergone significant layout transformations. Ads shifted from the side to the top. Knowledge panels and carousels claimed valuable space. Featured snippets began offering answers directly on the page, and ‘zero-click searches’ for flights, movie times, and definitions became the norm. Staying on top of the ongoing evolution of Google’s SERP is one of the fundamental requirements for both paid and organic search marketers. Understanding its structure shapes strategy and is critical to leveraging Google effectively to drive business goals.

We are now in the AI era, where Google’s SERP is entering uncharted territory. AI Overviews have taken over the most prominent space at the top of the page, pushing results lower and reshaping user behavior. This isn’t just a trial or experimental feature—it’s firmly embedded in Google’s vision for the future of search. 

As Google’s Brendon Kraham notes, “Since launching in the U.S., we’ve found that people who use AI Overviews search more and are more satisfied with their results.” While some trends are emerging, the long-term impact of these changes remains uncertain. How will search evolve as AI continues to redefine the landscape? What strategies will be most effective in navigating this shift?

We have some initial data showing how AI Overviews impact both paid and organic search. Here, we’ll explore these early trends and provide actionable insights to help you adapt your strategy to stay competitive in this rapidly evolving environment.

The impact of AI Overview on search marketing

Google’s AI Overview leverages generative AI to provide richer, more contextualized answers to user queries. Now available across over 100 countries, this tool redefines search behavior by prioritizing immediate, AI-driven responses over traditional search results. While it enhances the user experience, it also poses challenges for brands: organic search results are pushed below the fold, making paid search more crucial than ever.

At Skai, we’ve analyzed the changes this feature has brought since its rollout in May 2024, and we’re here to help you understand how to adapt your strategy for success in this new search landscape.

The analysis conducted by the data science team focused on evaluating the impact of Google’s AI Overview feature on search engine results page (SERP) dynamics. By examining over 300 million organic queries and 286 billion impressions across various industries, the study identified shifts in user behavior, click-through rates (CTRs), and the balance between paid and organic search traffic following the feature’s general availability in May 2024. Key findings highlight a decline in organic visibility due to AI Overview’s placement, leading to increased reliance on paid search strategies across multiple verticals.

Key Impact of AI Overview on the Google SERP
Skai’s data science team uncovered significant shifts caused by Google’s AI Overview:

1. Organic Visibility is Plummeting: AI Overview pushes organic search results further down the page, leading to a noticeable decline in click-through rates (CTRs).
2. Paid CTRs Are Soaring: Paid search, particularly for detailed and informational queries, captures the lion’s share of user attention—most notably in industries like health, food, and beauty.
3. Search Behavior is Changing: As internet users become more comfortable with AI Overview, we see longer query lengths and increased informative queries as a percentage of total searches.

The Bottom Line: Organic search is no longer the reliable source of free traffic it once was. With results buried beneath AI-driven content, brands must embrace a paid-first strategy. Strategic ad placements are now essential to staying visible and driving meaningful conversions.

Methodology

The analysis leveraged data from Skai’s ecosystem, covering a range of industries, including health, beauty, food, business, and telecommunications. The team used a controlled comparison approach, analyzing search query trends and CTRs from a four-month pre- and four-month post-rollout period of Google’s AI Overview.

By standardizing factors such as geographic location and ad spend, the study isolated the effects of AI Overview on search behavior. Specific metrics included query length, the ratio of informational queries, and CTRs for both paid and organic results. Note – Informational queries were identified using keywords like “what,” “why,” and “how,” ensuring a focused analysis of user intent and behavior changes attributable to Google’s AI-enhanced search functionality.

Vertical-level insights: tailoring strategies to key trends by industry

Here’s a closer look at how Google’s AI Overview is reshaping search behavior across industries, supported by our detailed analysis:

Health: adapting to an information-driven landscape

The rollout of Google’s AI Overview has significantly changed search behavior in the health sector. Organic queries are growing longer and more detailed, with their weekly ratio rising to approximately 3% post-rollout—a clear sign that consumers are increasingly seeking in-depth, specific answers on health-related topics. On the paid side, CTRs for informational queries have seen consistent growth, allowing brands to capitalize on the demand for trustworthy, actionable content.

Health: What this means for your search strategy

• Emphasize preventive care and wellness in search campaigns: With users increasingly seeking in-depth answers, target long-tail keywords like “how to manage chronic stress” or “best foods for gut health,” aligning with the shift toward informational queries.
• Position paid ads as trusted sources: Highlight certifications, expert partnerships, or affiliations in your ad copy to capture clicks in a space where organic results are being pushed below the fold.
• Adapt SEO content for detailed health questions: Create high-quality, long-form articles that address new fitness trends, mental health tips, or dietary advice, helping counteract organic CTR losses.
• Leverage video and visual content for engagement: With the rise of health influencers and video tutorials, consider linking paid campaigns to educational video content, such as workout routines or guided meditations.
• Ensure mobile-first optimization: Health-related searches often happen on mobile devices, so focus on fast-loading, responsive designs to retain traffic from organic and paid searches.

By combining a robust SEO strategy with targeted paid search efforts, health brands can stay competitive in an environment where visibility is increasingly tied to the ability to address complex user queries effectively.

Beauty & Personal Care: balancing intent and precision

Paid search trends have shifted significantly in the beauty and personal care sector. Informational queries now represent just 8% of total paid searches, down from 18%. Despite this, CTRs for these queries have held steady at 14%, signaling a solid ROI potential for well-crafted campaigns. Meanwhile, organic informational queries have experienced modest growth, underscoring the importance of addressing user curiosity with detailed content about products and routines.

Beauty & Personal Care: What this means for your search strategy

• Target sustainable and personalized trends: With the rise of clean beauty, focus on keywords like “vegan skincare” or “sustainable packaging” to attract eco-conscious users.
• Create tutorial-driven ads: Engage users with campaigns offering tips like “how to layer skincare” or “contouring techniques,” reflecting the slight increase in informational organic queries.
• Build niche-focused organic content: Develop SEO around emerging interests, such as “blue light protection in skincare” or “gender-neutral beauty products,” to capture curiosity-driven traffic.
• Leverage seasonal campaigns: Use urgency in paid ads to promote offerings like holiday skincare kits or gift bundles, maximizing ROI on stable paid CTRs.
• Incorporate influencer-backed messaging: Use influencer recommendations in ad copy to drive credibility and engagement, especially for informational searches.

By combining precise paid strategies with organic content tailored to emerging trends, beauty brands can effectively engage audiences and maintain visibility in an evolving search landscape.

Food & Grocery: embracing specificity in search

For the food and grocery sector, searches are becoming longer and more informational. Users increasingly seek specific content, such as recipes or product comparisons. Paid CTRs have risen in response to this demand, while organic informational CTRs have declined as AI Overview pushes organic results lower on the page.

Food & Grocery: What this means for your search strategy

• Focus on detailed solutions in paid campaigns: Target longer queries like “affordable dinner recipes” or “meal planning for busy families” to meet the rise in informational searches.
• Enrich landing pages with actionable content: Align with user expectations by offering interactive recipe cards, nutritional guides, or product comparisons.
• Promote local and sustainable options: Incorporate keywords like “sustainably sourced groceries” or “organic meal kits” to connect with eco-conscious shoppers.
• Expand delivery-related campaigns: Highlight features like “same-day delivery” or “easy online shopping” to address the growing demand for convenience.
• Capitalize on seasonal trends: Tailor campaigns to holiday baking, grilling season, or other peak interests to maximize engagement and clicks.

By delivering actionable, tailored content through paid and organic strategies, food and grocery brands can capture evolving user intent and thrive in an AI-influenced search environment.

Business & Industrial: rising demand for detailed solutions

Searches in the business and industrial verticals are becoming more informational, with paid query lengths increasing from 3.4 to 3.7 words on average. Organic informational queries now account for 1.52% of organic searches, up from 1.24%, signaling a growing interest in more nuanced and specific solutions.

Business & Industrial: What this means for your search strategy

• Target complex queries in paid campaigns: Use keywords like “how to automate inventory tracking” or “best tools for remote collaboration” to leverage the rise in informational CTRs.
• Incorporate trending industry needs: Build campaigns and content around “sustainable manufacturing” or “IoT-enabled tools” to align with current demands.
• Create in-depth organic resources: Develop whitepapers and case studies to rank for queries like “how to improve supply chain efficiency” or “top ERP systems for small businesses.”
• Highlight ROI in paid ads: Emphasize cost savings or efficiency, such as “cut logistics costs by 20% with our solutions,” to attract decision-makers.
• Use geotargeting for regional campaigns: Address localized challenges with campaigns focusing on infrastructure upgrades or regional support services.

By crafting detailed, trend-aligned campaigns and content, business and industrial brands can establish authority and connect with audiences seeking in-depth solutions.

Internet & Telecom: navigating regional variations

Unlike other verticals, the internet and telecom sectors have experienced relatively stable organic behavior, with minimal changes in query length or CTRs. However, paid CTRs initially dipped post-GA before recovering through localized campaigns, emphasizing the strong connection between ad spend and performance in this industry.

Internet & Telecom: What this means for your search strategy

• Focus on evolving technologies in paid campaigns: Target long-tail keywords like “how does 5G improve streaming” or “benefits of fiber-optic broadband” to capture curiosity-driven searches.
• Highlight hybrid work solutions: Use keywords like “fast internet for remote work” or “best telecom plans for hybrid teams” to meet ongoing demand.
• Target underserved areas with localized strategies: Promote keywords like “broadband in rural areas” or “community fiber programs” to capture demand in emerging markets.
• Promote bundled services: Use paid campaigns to highlight value, such as “internet and streaming bundles” or “family plans with unlimited data.”
• Adapt campaigns to competitive regions: Monitor search trends in high-demand areas to refine paid and organic strategies for maximum impact.

Telecom brands can stay visible and competitive in the shifting search landscape by aligning campaigns with evolving technologies and maintaining a localized, value-driven focus.

Recommendations for staying ahead of Google’s AI Overview

Adapting to Google’s AI Overview demands a thoughtful, data-driven approach that balances paid search dominance with the enduring value of SEO. The decline in organic visibility, as evidenced by AI Overview pushing results below the fold, makes paid search an essential focus for maintaining visibility and driving conversions. Brands must embrace strategies that prioritize long-tail keywords, which align with the rise in informational queries, ensuring campaigns meet the evolving intent of search users.

With paid CTRs rising across key verticals such as health and food, the alignment between ad copy, landing pages, and user expectations is more critical than ever. Success in this environment depends on creating ads that directly answer detailed queries and landing pages that deliver on these promises with actionable, engaging content. For example, food brands can optimize by linking ads to recipe-based landing pages, while health brands can leverage trusted expert content to enhance credibility and drive clicks.

While facing headwinds from declining organic CTRs, SEO remains a vital element of a balanced strategy. The steady increase in organic query length across industries like business and industrial highlights the importance of creating detailed, long-form content tailored to user needs. Leveraging long-tail keywords for content creation and keeping pages updated ensures relevance, helping brands capture as much organic traffic as possible in this competitive space.

Finally, agility is paramount in this rapidly evolving search landscape. The systematic shifts in search behavior—such as the rising monetization of informational queries—require brands to monitor performance closely and adapt their strategies accordingly. This means continuously evaluating both paid and organic performance to identify opportunities and adjust to trends. By understanding these shifts and tailoring strategies to meet changing behaviors, brands can navigate the challenges of AI Overview while seizing their opportunities to stay competitive.

AI is changing the way people search, and marketers need to evolve accordingly

Google’s AI Overview has shifted the balance in search, making paid search necessary for visibility and conversions and creating an opportunity for brands. While a strong SEO foundation is essential for addressing evolving user needs and capturing organic traffic, organic visibility is declining, and the potential for targeted paid search campaigns has never been more significant. 

Understanding these trends and adapting strategies accordingly, brands can not only navigate these changes in search but also capitalize on the opportunity, helping your brand thrive in this AI-driven search environment.

Ready to take your search strategy to the next level? Let’s discuss how we can help you succeed in this evolving landscape.