Google is evolving. Its Ai-powered systems, such as Gemini (and other generative / large-language-model based layers), are now surfacing “Ai Overviews” (sometimes called “featured answers” or “Ai summaries”) that can answer user queries directly in results, reducing clicks to external websites. That means traditional SEO strategies are under pressure: even if you rank first, you may lose traffic to zero-click results.

We believe SEO is far from dead. Instead, it’s morphing. The shift demands smarter content strategy, structure, and intent alignment. This article outlines what businesses should do today to survive and thrive in Google’s new Ai age.

What are Google Ai overviews?

• Ai Overviews are response boxes in Google Search that summarise or directly answer a user’s question using Ai / LLM data.
• They often appear above traditional organic listings or as a “zero-click” answer (i.e. users see what they want without clicking).
• Early evidence shows that sites ranking at #1 for certain queries have lost significant traffic when an Ai overview appears for the same query.

These overviews are powered by systems like Gemini (Google’s generative Ai), which leverages large linguistic models to understand language, context, and user intent better than before.

So, while your site still needs solid SEO, your content needs to adapt to this new landscape.

Does this mean SEO is over?

Short answer: no. But the playbook is changing.

Fundamental SEO principles, site performance, crawlability, keyword targeting, and backlinks remain important. But now you also need to win a seat at the Ai overview table.

The trick is that Ai overviews prefer concise, well-structured, intent-satisfying content. If your long-form pages are meandering or don’t directly answer common questions, they may never be chosen.

To succeed, you’ll need to optimise both for people and for Ai.

Key differences: Traditional SEO vs “GEO” (generative engine optimisation)

I like to think of this as a new sub-discipline: GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). Where SEO is about influencing search engine algorithms, GEO is about shaping content so that Ai systems understand, trust, and cite it.

Here’s what changes:

The goal: make your content machine-citable yet human-pleasing.

How to optimise for Google Ai overviews (our approach)

Below is a practical blueprint we use when updating or creating content in this new paradigm:

1. Research high-intent, long-tail question phrases

• Use tools (e.g. AnswerThePublic, SEMrush, Ahrefs) to find queries your audience is actually typing (e.g. “how to reduce bounce rate UK”, “what is generative Ai SEO”).
• Frame these as subheadings (H2 / H3) in your page.

2. Lead with a clear, concise answer

• Within the first 50 – 100 words, include a compact answer to the question. This gives Ai systems a snippet from which to pull.
• Then expand with context, examples, and detail.

3. Use FAQ / Q&A sections

• Include an FAQ section tackling 5 – 10 common questions.
• Format them in the “Question: Answer” style so Ai can more easily extract.

For example:

Q: What defines a good Ai-optimised page?
A: One that answers a user’s question clearly in the first paragraph, follows with deeper detail, and is structured using clear headings and links.

4. Structure your content for skimmability

• Use short paragraphs (2 – 4 lines).
• Use bulleted / numbered lists.
• Use bold or italics sparingly to highlight key points.
• Use headings that include the query or keyword.

5. Internal linking & entity references

• Link to related pages using relevant anchor text (so Ai sees the relevance).
• Use named entities (brands, tools, people) and link to them or define them to build semantic context.

6. Clear author/brand attribution

• Ensure the author is clearly shown.
• Provide credentials, context, or links (so Ai recognises authority).
• When possible, add schema markup (e.g. Article schema, Author schema).

7. Technical SEO remains critical

• Page speed / Core Web Vitals.
• Mobile responsiveness.
• Crawlability (robots.txt, XML sitemaps).
• Clean URL structure.
• Proper use of canonical tags.

8. Visuals with descriptive alt text

• Use relevant images, infographics, and charts.
• Use alt tags that describe what the visual shows, including keywords or terms.
• Using visuals helps break up text and gives cues to Ai systems.

9. Monitor & test

• Track when Ai overviews appear for your target queries
• Use analytics to see drops in traffic for those queries.
• Test variant content (shorter vs longer intros) and see what works better.
• Measure “featured snippet hits” vs normal rankings

What you should expect (and be ready for)

• Some queries will go “zero-click”, meaning users may never reach your site for certain informational searches.
• But sites that establish themselves as information authorities (with well-structured, Ai-friendly content) are more likely to be cited or referenced in Ai overviews, which still drives visibility and brand exposure.
• Your conversion content (product pages, service pages) still matters hugely; Ai won’t (usually) replace needing your pages to persuade and convert.
• You may see shifts in which pages get traffic. Past top performers might drop; well-optimised new pages might rise.

How we can help you navigate this change

Our evolving SEO service now includes GEO Audit & Strategy:

• We analyse which of your key phrases already trigger Ai Overviews.
• We identify gaps in your content structure and suggest rewrites.
• We implement schema, author attribution, and internal linking improvements.
• We monitor ongoing performance shifts and iterate.

If you’d like us to perform a generative SEO / Gemini-readiness audit or build out pages optimised for Ai Overviews, we’ll happily advise. Contact us today for a tailored audit and roadmap.

Conclusion

The appearance of Ai Overviews is a wake-up call. But it doesn’t spell the end of SEO. It demands evolution. Your content must be more deliberate, more structured, and more Ai-friendly, without losing the human voice.

If you lean into the change, your site can still win. And at Weblinx, we’re ready to help you win that new battleground.