For years, marketers have played the SEO game—optimizing content to win top spots on Google. But with the rise of Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and AI overviews, the rules are changing fast.
AI-generated summaries now dominate search results, pulling information from multiple sources to provide immediate, direct answers—often without users needing to click through. In fact, over 60% of long-tail searches (4+ words) now return an AI overview, pushing traditional listings further down the page.¹
So, what does this mean for marketers? Less visibility, fewer clicks and shrinking organic traffic. For brands that have relied on top search rankings, this shift is serious. Let’s break down just how much traffic websites stand to lose—and what to do about it.
Key Insights
- Organic traffic is taking a hit—big time
AI Overviews are pushing traditional search results further down the page, cutting into organic traffic. Studies estimate traffic losses of 10–30%, with some sites seeing drops as high as 50–60% (or more) for certain queries.2 - Some industries are getting hit harder than others
Industries that rely on information-heavy searches—like healthcare and education—are seeing the biggest impact. A study of 1 billion queries found 76% of healthcare searches triggered an AI Overview, compared to just 17% in finance. E-commerce, tech and fashion brands are also experiencing major disruptions.3 - Google’s AI is reshuffling search rankings
The AI-generated results aren’t just surfacing the usual top-ranked pages. Over 93% of links in AI Overviews come from outside the top 10 search results. In a study, SGE appeared for 87% of tested searches, but only 4.5% of AI-generated links matched first-page organic results. The result? Top-ranked sites losing visibility—and traffic.4 - The financial impact is real
Less traffic means less revenue. Analysts estimate that AI answers could cut publisher traffic by 20–60%, leading to $2 billion in lost ad revenue per year.5 From news sites to e-commerce brands, companies are bracing for revenue headwinds as clickthrough rates drop. - The good news? There’s a way to win
Yes, AI Overviews are stealing clicks—but brands that optimize for AI-driven search have an opportunity. In some cases, top-ranked sources in AI results saw a 219% increase in clicks.6 The takeaway? Structured data, schema markup and expert-driven content are more important than ever. If you adjust your strategy, you can reclaim traffic and stay ahead.
It’s Time to Rethink Your SEO Strategy
Google’s AI Overviews are changing the game, and brands that fail to adapt risk losing significant search visibility. The key to success? A smarter, more diversified approach to demand generation—one that goes beyond traditional SEO to engage audiences across multiple channels.
We’re here to help. At RAB2B, we show brands how to navigate these shifts, ensuring their marketing strategies stay ahead of the curve. Ready to rethink your search strategy? Let’s talk.
- Campaignium, “Google Testing AI Overviews: What It Means for Your Website,” Campaignium, September 28, 2024
- Danny Goodwin, “Google SGE Impact by Industry and Emerging Features,” Search Engine Land, January 18, 2024
- Raja, “Surviving Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) Revolution: Blog: Adapex,” adapex.io, September 5, 2024
- Bart Goralewicz, “Google Sge Organic Traffic Impact Divided by Verticals [Data Study],” Search Engine Journal, July 16, 2024
- Gilad David Maayan, “How Google Sge Will Impact Your Traffic – and 3 SGE Recovery Case Studies,” Search Engine Land, September 5, 2023
- Danny Goodwin, “94% of Google SGE Links Are Different from Organic Search Results, Study Finds,” Search Engine Land, January 5, 2024
