Google search has been the backbone of digital marketing for years. Create valuable content, optimise for search, and watch the traffic flow. But Google’s AI Overviews (previously the Search Generative Experience) have completely flipped this playbook.
Instead of directing users to your website, Google now serves AI-generated summaries directly on the search results page.
Sure, this might improve user experience, but it’s absolutely decimating organic traffic for publishers, service providers, and businesses that built their entire growth strategy on search visibility.
The Data Doesn’t Lie: Traffic is Disappearing
The impact is measurable and significant. Pew Research Centre data shows that when AI summaries appear, click-through rates to traditional search results drop to just 8%, compared to 15% without AI summaries. Even more concerning, only 1% of users click on source links within the AI overview itself.
The Guardian reports that some publishers have experienced traffic drops of up to 79% when their content appears below AI Overviews. For businesses dependent on search visibility, this represents an existential threat to their marketing funnel.
The Shift: From SEO to GEO
This isn’t just another algorithm update; it’s a complete overhaul of how search works. We’re moving from Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to what we call Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
The question is no longer “How do we rank first?” but “How do we become the source that AI quotes?”
This requires content that is:
- Structured and scannable, because AI systems need clear, hierarchical information to extract and synthesise
- Authoritative and accurate, since only trusted sources make it into AI summaries
- Answer-focused, meaning content must directly address user queries with precision
Businesses that master GEO will become the authoritative sources that AI systems reference. Take a look at LLM SEO! Those who don’t risk becoming invisible in search!
Strategic Responses for Forward-Thinking Marketers
1. Engineer Content for AI Consumption
Transform your content strategy from article-focused to answer-focused. Structure information using clear headings, FAQ formats, and definitive statements that AI can easily parse and quote.
2. Diversify Beyond Search Dependency
Organic search can no longer be your primary traffic source. Build a consistent presence across LinkedIn, YouTube, industry podcasts, and email marketing. These channels provide direct audience access that no algorithm can eliminate.
3. Own Your Audience Relationships
Email lists and community building create direct communication channels independent of search algorithms. As organic reach becomes less predictable, owned media becomes increasingly valuable.
The CODESM Perspective
AI Overviews represent both disruption and opportunity. While traditional SEO tactics lose effectiveness, businesses that adapt quickly gain competitive advantages.
The solution isn’t to abandon search marketing, it’s to evolve beyond it. By mastering GEO principles, diversifying traffic sources, and building direct audience relationships, businesses can maintain growth regardless of these and other algorithm changes.
Success in this new landscape requires expertise across multiple marketing disciplines, and that’s exactly what our Marketing as a Service (MaaS) model provides.
Ready to Future-Proof Your Marketing?
The businesses thriving despite AI Overviews have one thing in common: they’ve stopped relying on single traffic sources and built comprehensive marketing systems.
Need strategic support?
- On-Demand MaaS: Task-based marketing expertise when you need it
- Managed MaaS: Full-scale strategy and execution with enterprise-level tracking
- Strategy Sessions: Cut through the noise and build marketing that works in the AI era
We combine AI efficiency with human expertise, using technology where it adds value and human insight where it matters most.
Let’s build marketing systems worth finding, regardless of how search evolves.
