Google AI Overviews (AIO), in which Google’s AI engine attempts to answer your query at the top of a search results page, is now available in more than 100 countries. But for website publishers and operatorsit is still difficult to assess impact of the AIO on your business. How often does your website appear in AIO? How many times are your citation links in AIO clicked?
These are tough questions to answer because Google doesn’t always provide data on its use of AI, but SEO company BrightEdge thinks it can help. It has just been updated Data Cubea search database and SEO tool that it says “provides brands with detailed insights into their AI footprint.”
To learn more about the state of Google’s AI insights and to gather tips for publishers and website operators, I spoke to BrightEdge founder and CEO, Jim Yu. We last talked about this about seven months ago, before AIO was widely launched (at this stage it was only available in limited beta in the United States).
Google’s industry approach to AI in search
Yu first explained that BrightEdge has been monitoring Google’s AI generative search tools – formerly known as “generative search experiments” (SGE) – since its beta phase, using its own generative analyzer. This tool tracks changes in AI previews and website footprints in search results, he said.
Just recently, they noticed that the travel industry saw a 700% increase in AI presentation activity over the past month. Yu said this indicates that Google has taken an industry-specific approach to creating AI models. Healthcare and e-commerce are two other industries where AI insights are used extensively. But in each case, the approach is slightly different, he noted. Healthcare in the IOA has “tight guardrails” and relies on trusted healthcare sources due to sensitive information. E-commerce in AIO offers rich interactive experiences, including reviews, product details, and trends. Travel, on the other hand, focuses on location-based intention.
AI Travel Insights October 2024; source: October and November from BrightEdge General trends in AI report.
Yu also noted that some companies have seen dramatic growth in their generative AI footprint. Cube data showed that from September to October, many companies’ generative AI footprint more than doubled. This signals a significant change in search visibility for websites, Yu said.
Citations in Google and Perplexity
One of the things I’ve noticed during the wider rollout of AIO, including in the UK where I live, is that Google has chosen to use citation links alongside its AI summaries – very similar to Perplexity, which pioneered this approach. This contrasts with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which currently does not provide citation links (although SearchGPT, a new ChatGPT feature currently in testing for premium users, does include links).
Here’s an example of what I currently see when I search Google and Perplexity with the same query: “How is JavaScript used in modern web applications?”
Google’s AI previews, as you can see below, included several links (note the link icon scattered throughout the AI preview text), although there were no only 6 sources in total. (Interestingly, I received a different response from the AI presentation and 3 additional source links when I tested it in another of my Google accounts – so your mileage may vary.)
Google AI Overview response to a JavaScript query.
The same query in Perplexity prompted a longer answer (more like an article) and 8 source links. But the presentation is similar to that of Google’s product. Besides, I made the same query in Perplexity back in January and I got 22 sources at the time. I don’t know why the number of sources cited by Perplexity for this query has decreased, but it is now about the same number as provided by Google.
Response from Perplexity (pro version) to a JavaScript query.
But are users clicking?
I asked Jim Yu about quotes in Google AI previews and whether people click on them. He made a few points in response.
“The general situation we’re seeing is that, firstly, SEO traffic from Google is not decreasing – it’s actually increasing,” Yu said. “Overall, SEO traffic is increasing. But that doesn’t mean SERP (Search Engine Results Page) click-through rates in AI previews are increasing.
In other words, according to BrightEdge, there has been an increase in overall clicks from Google Search. Yu attributes this to Google’s recent increase in market share in search.
Regarding clicks on a search page containing an AI preview, Yu commented that AIO acts like “click-free quick answers on steroids,” implying that people don’t necessarily click on them. citation links. He said AIO likely reduces click-through rates because its AI summaries aim to directly answer a query.
AI insights drive more impressions and interactions
His second important point, however, might be more encouraging for publishers and web operators. AIO is proven to generate more overall impressions for publishers, which can help them in ways other than clicks.
“With the AI previews – and again, it’s very preliminary – but some of these formats actually get people to interact more in that AI preview,” Yu said. ..) even if (the user) doesn’t click on every impression, (AIO) generates more impressions – and they (Google) do more to play with this format.”
Indeed, Yu says BrightEdge just noticed a new feature in AIO where users are encouraged to do more things with the big picture: ask more questions, dig deeper into data, etc.
“Even if you don’t get a direct click on the first impression, there are a lot more interactions and impressions.”
– Jim Yu, Founder and CEO of BrightEdge
“What’s happening is that these kinds of interactions are generating more and more impressions within the AI experience,” Yu explained. “So even if you don’t get direct click from the initial impression, there are a lot more interactions and impressions happening. And SO if you click on the link you go to the source.
So what should publishers and operators do to adapt to this new SEO paradigm?
Yu encourages website managers to keep an open mind about the value of AIO to their business. “AI is refining its understanding of who to trust on what topics,” he said. So having a presence within AIO will help your website in the long run, he suggests, especially if it actually opens up new opportunities for users to interact with your brand. Hopefully, Google AIO users will eventually click through to your website, although that part is still up in the air.
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