It's worth understanding what's going on here, because the full picture is less alarming than the headlines make it sound, but it does have real implications for your local SEO.

Here’s What an AI Overview Looks Like

That block of text at the top of a Google search result is an AI Overview. Google generates AI Overviews using information from Google's search index, knowledge systems, and content it identifies as relevant to the query. 

Depending upon what the search result shows for you, everything else (your map results, website links, ads) might sit below the AI Overview. 

It’s important to note that, depending upon your search type and personalization, the search results will be organized differently. That means some people may see an AI Overview at the top of the search result, while others won't. 

What Google AI Overviews Are

When someone types a question into Google, AI Overviews write an answer right there on the page, above the website links and the ads, without the person having to click on anything.

Think of it as Google doing the reading for you. Rather than returning ten links and leaving you to sort through them, the AI pulls information from across the web and writes a single answer. The response does not exist anywhere before you search. Google writes it fresh each time.

99.2% of searches that trigger an AI Overview are research questions, meaning someone is trying to understand something rather than find a business to contact. 

How AI Overviews Generate an Answer

AI Overviews are powered by Gemini, Google's own AI model. When a search comes in, Gemini reads across several sources before writing a response. That includes:

• Web pages that Google has already found and stored
• Google's own database of facts, places, and businesses
• Google Business Profiles and review data
• Other trusted sources relevant to the specific question

How It Reads the Question and Writes the Answer

Google is doing more than matching the words you typed. It tries to understand what you want to know, and that’s called personalization. Someone searching "how long does a roof last" might be a homeowner planning ahead, someone buying a house, or a contractor comparing materials. 

Google tries to determine which situation applies before writing its answer.

Once it has what it needs, it writes a readable answer by combining what it found. Depending on factors such as location, personalization, and Google's ongoing testing, users may see different AI Overview responses for the same query. 

AI Overviews vs. Traditional Search Results

How AI Overviews Have Changed Search Behavior

When someone gets their answer directly from the results page without clicking on anything, that's called a zero-click search. Someone who would have clicked through to your website a couple of years ago might not need to anymore.

Website visits have dropped by around 34.5% on searches where AI Overviews appear. At the same time, Google's own data shows that overall search usage has increased by more than 10% for searches that include AI Overviews. People are searching more, but clicking through to websites less often. 

What This Means for Your Business

Most of what you've probably heard about AI Overviews is scarier than the reality.

The Calls and Foot Traffic You Depend On Are Not Going Away

For most local service businesses, the searches that bring someone through your door are still working the same way they always have and are displayed the way you’re used to, without an AI Overview at the top.

For most local businesses, their customers are searching for local-specific queries like:

• "Emergency plumber near me"
• "Dentist open Saturday"
• "HVAC repair Chicago"
• "Car dealership near me"
• "Personal injury lawyer free consultation"

For most searches like the above, the ones that drive phone calls, appointments, and store visits, the Local Pack remains one of the most prominent features on the page.

Where Things Have Shifted

That said, there are two places where things have changed.

Fewer visits to educational content:

When someone searches "how often should I service my HVAC" or "what does mold remediation cost," they might now get a direct answer from Google in the AI Overview. If you had a blog post answering that kind of question, it may now get fewer visitors and overall traffic than it used to.

More informed visitors when they do click:

People who visit your website after reading an AI Overview already know what they're looking for. They've read a summary, they've narrowed it down, and now they're deciding. That means you may get fewer visitors, but those you do get are more likely to act.

The Opportunity Most Local Businesses Are Missing

When AI Overviews appear for research-style questions in your industry, they pull information from websites that already rank well on Google. If your website shows up as a cited source, you are in front of a potential customer while they are still figuring out whether they have a problem worth solving, before they have even started looking for someone to call.

Getting there isn't complicated, but it does require the basics to be in good shape, such as:

• Good informational content on your website
• A well-managed Google Business Profile
• Your business information is consistent across the web
• Strong reviews

How AI Overviews Came to Exist

Once people realized they could just ask an AI a question and get a straight answer without clicking through ten websites, Google had to respond. The rapid adoption of generative AI tools accelerated Google's efforts to integrate AI-generated answers directly into search.

Things moved quickly.

• May 2023: Google launches an early version called Search Generative Experience (SGE), available only to users who signed up to test it
• Throughout 2023 and early 2024: Google tests and refines the feature, fixing early problems, including answers that turned out to be wrong
• May 14, 2024: AI Overviews launch for all U.S. users, one of the biggest changes to Google's search page in years
• Late 2024 onward: Rollout to over 100 countries, now available in over 120 countries

How to Get Your Business Featured in AI Overviews

While no business can guarantee placement inside an AI Overview, there are several steps that can improve your chances of being cited as a source.

Create Content That Answers Customer Questions

AI Overviews are most likely to appear when someone is researching a topic or trying to understand a problem. Think about the questions your customers ask before they contact you and create content that answers them clearly.

Examples include:

• How much does HVAC repair cost?
• How often should I service my vehicle?
• What happens during a personal injury consultation?
• How long does roof replacement take?

The more useful and direct your answers are, the easier it is for Google's systems to understand and reference your content.

Demonstrate Experience and Expertise

Google wants to provide accurate information. Content that demonstrates real-world experience and expertise is more likely to be trusted.

Some ways to strengthen credibility include:

• Including author information
• Sharing first-hand experience
• Publishing case studies
• Keeping information accurate and up to date
• Referencing reputable sources when appropriate

Build Topical Authority

One article rarely establishes authority on a subject. Instead of publishing a single article about a topic, create a collection of related content that helps users understand it from multiple angles.

For example, a roofing company might publish content covering:

• How long do roofs last
• Roof replacement costs
• Common signs of roof damage
• Repair versus replacement
• Roofing material comparisons

This helps Google better understand your expertise within a topic area.

Keep Your Google Business Profile Updated

For local businesses, your Google Business Profile remains one of the most important sources of information Google uses to understand your business.

Make sure your profile includes:

• Accurate business hours
• Services and categories
• Photos
• Service areas
• Updated contact information
• Recent customer reviews

Build Trust Across the Web

Google looks for consistency and credibility across multiple sources. When your business information is accurate and consistent across directories, review platforms, industry websites, and other trusted sources, it becomes easier for Google to verify your business.

Where AI Overviews Are Heading

AI Overviews are slowly moving beyond pure research questions. Throughout 2025, they started appearing on more commercial searches, too. How far that creep goes into the searches local businesses depend on is worth keeping a close eye on.

On the ad side, roughly 40% of AI Overview results now show ads, up from about 3% at the start of 2025. Google isn't experimenting with this anymore.

As AI-generated answers become more common in Search, Google also introduced a more conversational experience called AI Mode.

AI Mode

Where AI Overviews give you a one-shot answer inside a normal results page, AI Mode is more like having a back-and-forth conversation with Google. You can ask follow-up questions and go deeper.

For local businesses, what matters right now is this: Google's own documentation confirms that information from Google Business Profiles can help inform how businesses are represented in AI-powered search experiences. 

Keeping it accurate and up to date means current hours, photos, services, and responses to reviews. That's going to matter more as these features develop, not less.

Your AI Overview Questions Answered

What Are Google AI Overviews?

They are AI-generated answers that appear at the top of certain search results, above the website links, map results, and paid ads. Google writes them fresh for each search by pulling information from multiple websites.

Do AI Overviews affect local businesses?

For most local service businesses, not much has changed where it counts. AI Overviews show up mainly on research questions, not on the searches that drive phone calls and bookings. The map results haven't gone anywhere.

How are AI Overviews different from regular search results?

Normal results give you a list of websites to choose from. AI Overviews skip that step and write the answer directly on the page. The sources are shown alongside it, but most people don't need to click.

Can my business appear in AI Overviews?

Yes. AI Overviews often cite websites that Google considers authoritative and relevant to the topic being searched. While inclusion is not guaranteed, businesses can improve their chances by publishing helpful content and maintaining strong SEO fundamentals.

How do AI Overviews choose sources?

Google evaluates a variety of signals when selecting sources, including relevance, content quality, expertise, trustworthiness, and overall authority on the topic.

Does ranking number one guarantee inclusion in an AI Overview?

No. Many AI Overview citations come from highly ranked pages, but ranking first does not guarantee inclusion. Google may pull information from multiple sources when generating a response.

Are AI Overviews replacing Google Search?

No. AI Overviews are an additional search feature, not a replacement for traditional search results. Website listings, Local Pack results, and paid advertisements still play important roles in search visibility.

What's the difference between AI Mode and AI Overviews?

AI Overviews provide a generated answer directly within a standard search results page. AI Mode offers a more conversational experience that allows users to ask follow-up questions and continue exploring a topic.

Why do fewer people click on websites when an AI Overview appears?

When the answer is right there on the page, many people do not feel the need to click further. Website visits drop by around 34.5% on searches where AI Overviews appear, with the biggest impact on research-style rather than local service searches.

When did Google launch AI Overviews?

Google launched AI Overviews for all U.S. users on 14 May 2024, following a test period that began in May 2023. The feature now operates in over 100 countries.

How do I flag an AI Overview that's wrong?

There's a thumbs-down icon on every AI Overview. Click it and follow the prompts. That's the most direct way to get inaccurate information in front of Google.

Make Sure You Show Up When Customers Are Searching

The way people find local businesses is changing, but what makes you findable hasn't. A well-managed Google Business Profile, strong reviews, your information consistent across the web, and clear content about what you do and where you do it. That's still the foundation of everything.

It's what we've been building for local businesses since 2017, and it's exactly what our local SEO services are built around.

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