The advent of has sent shockwaves through the digital marketing and SEO communities, fundamentally altering the landscape of search engine optimization and website traffic. Introduced as a feature that uses gen🐈erative AI to summarize and synthesize information at the top of search results, AI Overviews have significantly reduced organic clicks and click-through rates to websites. According to Search Engine Land, recent data indicates a staggering 30% drop in search clicks over the pꦿast year, with AI Overviews often providing users with immediate answers, negating the need to visit external sites. This shift has left many marketers scrambling to adapt to a reality where traditional SEO strategies are losing their grip.

Moreover, as reported by TechCrunch, Google claims that AI Overviews are driving a 10% growth in specific🐲 query types where the feature appears, suggesting that while overall traffic may be down, certain search behaviors are being amplified. Yet, this growth does little to comfort publishers and creators witnessing flatlined or declining site visits, a sentiment echoed by inღdustry experts like Eric Siu of Leveling Up, who notes that even seasoned SEO professionals are struggling to maintain traffic levels in this new era.

Navigating the New Normal

The question now facing digital marketers is whether to pivo✃t from traditional SERP-focused strategies to optimizing for AI Overviews. This isn’t just a tactical shift but a strategic overhaul. As Siege Media highlights in a recent report, there’s a silver lining for some: while sitewide traffic may be suffering, homepage visits are seeing an uptick, possibly due to AI Overviews linking directly to authoritative landing pages. This suggests that building topical authority and focusing on high-quality, comprehensive content could be key to staying relevant.

Eric Siu emphasizes the importance of topical authority over chasing high-volume keywords, advocating for progrℱammatic SEO to target high-intent, long-tail queries. This approach, exemplified by companies like Expedia with millions of tailored pages, allows smaller players to compete by creating scalable, user-focused content. Additionally, Martech.org points out that large language models and AI Overviews might be quietly driving traffic to homepages, reinforcing the need for a strong, centralized brand presence.

Optimizing for AI and Beyond

To thrive amidst these changes, marketers must optimize for AI Overviews by focusing on citations, reviews, and content depth—elements that signal authority to AI algorithms, as noted by Siu. Google’s mission to organize the world’s information remains unchanged, meaning the best, most relevant content still has a chance to shine, whether through AI summaries or traditional rankings. Blo༒g.Google also underscores the evolving nature of search with updates like AI Mode, pushing marketers to think beyond Google alone.

A Multi-Platform Future

Finally, the concept of “search everywhere optimization” is gaining traction. With attention fragmented across platforms like Instagram, Amazon, and ChatGPT, re🔜lying solely on Google is no longer viable. Search Engine Land reports that AI Mode traffic is often untrackable, further complicating traditional metrics. Marketers must adapt by creating linkable assets, leveraging AI tools for content creation, and playing natively to each platform’s strengths. While traditional SEO may be on life support, a dynamic, multi-channel approach offers a path forward in this AI-driven search landscape.