Search has changed more in the last two years than in the previous decade. The rise of AI Overviews (formerly known as SGE) and the dominance of zero-click results means brands are competing on a new playing field where visibility often happens without a direct click. Many marketers worry this shift makes SEO less effective. However, research from Google and reputable industry publications shows a more balanced picture.
The truth: AI-generated summaries and zero-click results reshape traffic patterns, but they do not eliminate opportunities.
Instead, brands must optimize differently—toward clarity, structure, expertise, and user intent.
As Mr. Phalla Plang, Digital Marketing Specialist, explains, “Real SEO advantage in the AI Overview era comes from content that is clear, structured, and genuinely helpful. Search is evolving, but quality still wins.”
This Myths vs Facts guide breaks down what AI Overviews mean for brands and how to thrive in the new search environment.
Myth #1: AI Overviews Kill All Organic Traffic
Fact: AI Overviews redistribute traffic rather than eliminating it.
In 2024, Google stated that AI Overviews are designed to “connect users to high-quality websites that support deeper exploration” (Google Search Central, 2024). Multiple industry analyses found that while some informational queries receive fewer clicks, other query types—such as shopping, local services, and product comparisons—still generate strong traffic (Search Engine Land, 2024; Search Engine Journal, 2025).
AI Overviews often cite multiple sources, giving well-structured content more visibility than before. Rather than taking traffic away, AI Overviews pull high-quality information from trustworthy, expert-driven content.
What To Do
- Use clear, scannable sections that answer queries directly.
- Add schema types such as FAQPage, HowTo, Product, and Organization.
- Strengthen E-E-A-T: include author expertise, citations, and transparent claims.
- Add visual elements like tables, summaries, and comparisons—AI tends to reuse these.
- Keep content accurate, consistent, and aligned with search intent.
Myth #2: Zero-Click Results Make SEO Irrelevant
Fact: SEO matters more because zero-click results still rely on authoritative sources.
Zero-click results occur when users find answers directly on the SERP. However, those answers are still powered by content created by publishers. According to Google’s 2024 documentation, AI Overviews draw from “web content that demonstrates expertise, accuracy, and helpfulness.”
SEO is shifting from generating clicks to earning visibility, citations, and brand trust across multiple search surfaces.
Research by Search Engine Journal (2025) found that brands cited in zero-click results often receive increases in branded searches, even if immediate click-through declines.
What To Do
- Optimize for decision support, not just keywords.
- Include pros and cons, steps, definitions, and structured explanations.
- Build topical authority through internal linking and related content clusters.
- Add complete, accurate details that AI can confidently reuse.
Myth #3: Long-Form Content No Longer Performs in an AI-Driven SERP
Fact: Long-form content still performs when structured, accurate, and easy to navigate.
Google Research (2024) highlights that AI systems rely on context-rich, multi-paragraph information to verify accuracy and generate reliable summaries. This means long-form content gives AI more material to analyze—but only if the content is clear.
Long content fails only when it is repetitive, unstructured, or overly complex.
What To Do
- Use short paragraphs, clear headings, bullets, and transitions.
- Add definitions for complex concepts—AI prefers content that resolves ambiguity.
- Include data, real examples, and expert insights.
- Ensure every section has one job: solve one problem clearly.
- Avoid filler; keep value density high.
Myth #4: AI Overviews Only Cite Large, Well-Known Websites
Fact: Smaller sites earn citations when their content is clearer, more accurate, or more intent-aligned.
In 2024, Sistrix analyzed early AI Overview rollouts and found that small and mid-sized websites were frequently cited when they offered niche expertise or more precise answers. Google explicitly states that citations are selected based on helpfulness and relevance, not domain size.
This means the playing field is more open—expert-driven niche content can outperform larger generalist sites.
What To Do
- Produce clear, evidence-supported content with niche depth.
- Use structured data consistently across pages.
- Publish expert commentary, author bios, and transparent sources.
- Optimize for specificity: address narrower search intents.
- Improve speed, accessibility, and UX to strengthen trust signals.
Integrating the Facts
AI Overviews and zero-click results are not the end of SEO—they signal its next evolution. Brands now optimize across three layers:
- Content Understanding: clarity, structure, and intent alignment
- Content Credibility: expertise, accuracy, and transparent evidence
- Content Eligibility: schema, accessibility, and site quality
Zero-click exposure increases brand familiarity, even without immediate traffic. When users later need deeper details, services, or transactional actions, they return to the sources they saw in AI summaries.
The most successful pages support both AI and human readers with clarity, depth, and usefulness.
Measurement & Proof
To measure performance in an AI-driven SERP:
1. Track SGE-related impressions
Google Search Console now provides data on impressions within AI Overviews surfaces. Pages with rising impressions but low CTR often appear in AI snippets.
2. Analyze branded search growth
Being cited in AI Overviews can increase brand recall. Track branded keyword volume to capture this effect.
3. Evaluate micro-conversions
Monitor:
- return visits
- scroll depth
- time on page
- resource downloads
- internal link engagement
These behaviors show whether your content attracts deeper exploration after initial zero-click exposure.
4. Compare pre- and post-AI Overview performance
Look for shifts in:
- snippet coverage
- FAQ impressions
- featured elements
- query types (informational vs commercial)
5. Tie content quality to outcomes
Pages with clearer structures, accurate references, and stronger intent alignment typically see the biggest gains.
Future Signals
Looking toward 2025 and beyond:
- AI Overviews will become more personalized, adjusting summaries based on user intent, location, and past behavior.
- Structured data will matter even more, helping AI verify and interpret details.
- Accuracy will become a ranking factor, with AI systems cross-checking content against multiple sources.
- Multimodal search will grow, combining text, images, voice, and video into unified answers.
- Zero-click formats will expand into voice assistants, shopping, and local recommendations.
Content that is helpful, transparent, and focused on real user needs will remain the most valuable asset regardless of format.
Key Takeaways
- AI Overviews redistribute traffic but do not remove SEO opportunities.
- Zero-click does not mean zero value; impressions build trust and recall.
- SEO becomes more important as AI relies on expert, structured sources.
- Long-form content works when clear, accurate, and intentionally structured.
- Smaller websites can earn citations with niche depth and evidence-backed clarity.
- Measurement must include impressions, branded search, and engagement—not only clicks.
- The future of search favors content that is transparent, accurate, and user-first.
More Read
References
Google. (2024). How AI Overviews generate results in Search. Google Search Central. https://developers.google.com/search
Google Research. (2024). AI systems for large-scale information understanding. https://research.google
Search Engine Journal. (2025). Zero-click search behavior and SGE impact report. https://www.searchenginejournal.com
Search Engine Land. (2024). How AI Overviews influence user clicking behavior. https://searchengineland.com
Sistrix. (2024). SGE citations analysis and domain authority patterns. https://www.sistrix.com
