🔍 AI Overviews Impact Search Visibility
An analysis by Bartosz Góralewicz of Onely examined 25,000 ecommerce queries. He found that 16% of these queries now return AI overviews in search results, representing 13% of the total search volume in this sector. Interestingly, 80% of the sources listed in these AI overviews do not rank organically for the original query. "Ranking #1-3 gives you only an 8% chance of being a source in AI overviews," Góralewicz stated.
🚀 Shift Toward “Accelerated” Experiences
International SEO consultant Aleyda Solis explained that Google prioritizes an "accelerated" approach for product-related queries. This means summarizing content from non-ranking sources rather than relying on high-ranking pages. Solis commented on Góralewicz’s findings, noting, "Google accelerates the experience by showcasing what users seek next." For product queries, Google now uses AI to bypass traditional results like category pages and reviews.
📊 Assessing AI Overview Traffic Impact
Solis provided a spreadsheet to help retailers evaluate their exposure to AI overviews. Góralewicz speculated that Google might expand AI overviews to high-cost queries, currently excluded from this feature. He predicted that this would happen once ads are enabled. An in-depth report from Góralewicz and Onely is expected soon, offering more insights into this trend.
💡 Opportunities for Retailers
AI overviews change how ecommerce websites achieve search visibility. Retailers need to adapt their SEO strategies to optimize product data for these overviews. Solis’s framework helps merchants audit their exposure and prioritize optimization. This shift creates opportunities for retailers to gain visibility without competing for top keywords. By optimizing product pages for Google’s AI displays, ecommerce sites can bypass traditional ranking barriers and improve their search visibility.
How will AI overviews change your SEO strategy?
