In 2025, Google’s AI-generated overviews are becoming a more prominent feature in search results. These AI snapshots summarize answers directly at the top of the SERP, often above traditional organic listings. For business owners and SEOs alike, the rise of AI Overviews has sparked an important question:
What does this mean for click-through rates (CTR)?
Let’s break down what AI Overviews are, how they affect user behavior, and what your business can do to stay visible and competitive in this evolving landscape.
What Are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews (formerly known as Search Generative Experience or SGE) are concise, AI-generated summaries that pull from multiple sources to answer a query right on the results page. These overviews often:
- Appear above all other listings
- Contain links to cited sources
- Pull data from a variety of trusted sites and web pages
For example, if someone searches “best lawn fertilizer for Florida spring,” they may see an AI Overview listing fertilizer types, seasonal timing, and even product recommendations—with clickable links to source material.
How AI Overviews Affect Click-Through Rates
1. Fewer Clicks for Basic Answers
For searches like definitions, quick comparisons, or “how to” summaries, users may no longer need to click through to get what they want. This can reduce CTR for:
- Top-of-funnel educational content
- Simple product or service explainers
- General informational blogs
2. Greater Emphasis on Authority and Source Attribution
When your content is cited in an AI Overview, it can still drive qualified traffic—if the link is prominently included. That means the quality, clarity, and trustworthiness of your content now play a direct role in visibility.
3. Bigger Wins for Niche and Location-Based Queries
While AI Overviews can handle general topics well, they often fall short when queries require:
- Local nuance
- Service-specific expertise
- Personalized or opinion-based content
For example, a Florida roofing company writing “What to Expect During a Roof Replacement in Sarasota” is less likely to be displaced by AI than a generic “What is a roof replacement?” post.
What You Can Do to Stay Competitive
✅ Optimize for Authority
- Include author bios that establish E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
- Use structured data and schema to clearly label your content
- Reference trustworthy sources when appropriate
✅ Focus on Content Google Wants to Cite
- Write clear, concise answers to common questions in your niche
- Use headers that mimic search queries (e.g., “How long does a roof replacement take in Florida?”)
- Break content into digestible sections for easy AI parsing
✅ Lean Into Local and Long-Tail Topics
AI struggles with specificity. Content like:
- “Best AC Maintenance Plans for Pinellas County Homeowners”
- “What Florida Homeowners Should Know About New Pool Enclosure Codes”
…will likely remain reliant on human-written, niche authority content.
✅ Test and Monitor Your Click-Through Rates
Use Google Search Console to monitor how your rankings and CTRs are shifting over time. Pages showing high impressions but dropping CTR may be impacted by AI Overviews—and may need to be rewritten to focus on deeper, more engaging insights.
AI Overviews aren’t the end of SEO—they’re the next evolution. While surface-level content may lose clicks, in-depth, helpful, and authoritative content still has room to thrive. The businesses that adapt will not only stay visible but also benefit from being cited as trusted sources in the AI-powered future of search.
📊 Let’s Future-Proof Your SEO Against AI Disruption
At SEO Consulting Experts, we help Florida businesses create content that’s both AI-resilient and built to rank. From technical optimization to local content strategies, we position your site for the next generation of search.
👉 Schedule a Strategy Session and get a clear plan for thriving in the AI Overview era.
