How to Maintain Visibility in AI Overviews Without Sacrificing Traffic

AI Overviews are Google’s auto-generated answers that steal the spotlight at the top of search results, often before users scroll.

Top-ranking pages can experience up to a 34.5% drop in clickthrough rate (CTR) when an AI Overview appears, according to an analysis of 300,000 keywords by Ahrefs.

This is proof that visibility alone no longer guarantees traffic.

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored article created in partnership with Digital Silk.

Interestingly, organic CTR have improved where AI Overviews don’t appear, suggesting that the decline is directly tied to Overviews’ presence, not broader search trends.

To combat this downward trend, brands should own high-intent informational space, strengthen authority, and lean into structured data to stay present in AI-powered results.

“Brands must adapt by focusing on content that’s selected for these AI summaries to maintain visibility,” said Digital Silk CEO Gabriel Shaoolian.

CTRs when AI Overviews show up on Google are at an all time low, both on Paid and Organic.

When they don't show up, we're in good shape with those CTRs growing.

Check out our analysis of our client data over 12 months.https://t.co/ggU2eoGVg2pic.twitter.com/f9e4Ps1aBp

— Wil Reynolds (@wilreynolds) February 4, 2025

Ahref’s data is supported by Seer’s study, which analyzed about 10,000 keywords ranking in the top 20 positions with informational intent, used Google Ads and Google Search Console data, along with Ziptie data, to track when an AI Overview was displayed for each query.

The key takeaway? AI Overviews doesn’t just lower traffic. It favors content that answers questions with authority and structure.

Optimize for AI-Driven Search Results

But with Google’s AI Overviews pulling info from different sources, what should brands do to ensure their content still ranks?

“Brands need to create deeper, more authoritative content that answers specific user intents. Structured data, clear expertise signals, and easily digestible insights will help ensure content is prioritised in AI-generated summaries,” Shaoolian noted.

“The main challenge is reduced direct website traffic from organic search.”

Another challenge is Google integrating ads into AI Overviews, which could push ad spend higher.

To address this, Shaoolian suggests strengthening organic and paid strategies, such as high-intent paid placements within AI Overviews.

He adds that brands should continue optimizing organic content for AI sourcing on the side.

To combat the effects of AI Overviews, brands need to adapt by focusing on content that’s selected for these AI summaries by:

• Creating authoritative, high-quality content that answers user queries
• Using structured data (like Schema markup) to help your content appear in AI summaries
• Strengthening brand authority to build trust and visibility
• Targeting informational queries where AI Overviews are common
• Using paid strategies to boost visibility alongside organic content

This checklist from Digital Silk provides actionable steps for strengthening brand presence and supporting ongoing visibility efforts:

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Digital Silk (@digital_silk)

Beyond visibility challenges in the U.S., Google’s global rollout of AI Overviews raises new concerns for brands operating across borders.

For this, Shaoolian advises localising content and structured data.

“AI Overviews will favor brands that provide region-specific, trusted information, so adapting SEO strategies for local nuances is now critical for global reach,” Shaoolian added.

As Google accelerates its AI integration with features like Gemini and global AI Overviews, brands must rethink their content depth and technical precision.

Staying visible now means staying useful to machines as much as to users.