The Future of Search is Here
We originally wrote this blog post in May 2025. With the rapid shift in how AI-search is changing, we felt the need to update and improve this guide for you.
Updated on 25 August 2025
Our original guide gave us a strong start. It correctly focused on quality, E-E-A-T, and structured answers. The world of search has changed so much this year. This makes our original advice incomplete. It also lacks urgency.
AI Overviews, or AIOs, are no longer a test. They are a dominant force. AIOs appear in approximately 30% of US queries. They are now in over 200 countries. This is a real challenge for informational content. The strategic shift is from clicks to being a trusted authority. Being chosen as a source is a new measure of visibility. It is a powerful trust signal.
Our original blog post was ahead of its time. It correctly identified the shift in search. We focused on E-E-A-T, structured content, and direct answers. These things still matter. Our first guide gives us a great foundation. We now need to build from it.
Immediate Action Items:
- Let’s audit your keywords: We need to find where AIOs are already appearing.
- Let’s create unique, original data: This is content AI cannot replicate or invent.
- Let’s rethink our content strategy: We benefit from building comprehensive topical authority, not fragmented content.
- Let’s track what works: We need a new way to measure performance beyond clicks.
This blog was co-created with AI tools to ensure accuracy, then refined by our human team for clarity.
Curious how AI is reshaping SEO?
Let Alex and William walk you through this guide’s key insights. Press play and explore how to stay visible in a search landscape that’s changing fast.
Google's AI Overviews: Audio Overview Transcription
Alex: Welcome back to The Umuti Podcast. Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s shaking the foundation of digital strategy—how Google’s new AI Overviews are changing SEO forever.
William: Thanks for having me, Alex. This one’s a big shift. If you’ve been relying on organic traffic to fuel your content strategy, you’ll want to listen closely.
Alex: Let’s start with the basics. Google’s AI Overviews are part of its Search Generative Experience, or SGE. Instead of just showing links, it now serves up these rich AI-generated summaries at the top of the results page. They pull insights from across the web—and that’s causing traditional click-through rates to nosedive.
William: Exactly. We’re seeing some businesses report a 70% drop in CTR when an AI Overview appears. That’s despite search volume going up overall. People are getting answers right on the search page without clicking through.
Alex: So we’re entering a world where being *visible* doesn’t necessarily mean being *visited*. That can be disheartening, especially for conscious business owners who are putting out quality content with care.
William: It’s a moment to pause, not panic. The goal isn’t traffic for traffic’s sake. It’s about being *trusted*, *understood*, and *cited*—by both humans and AI.
Alex: Alright, let’s get into how these AI Overviews actually work. They’re not just summarising—they’re anticipating.
William: That’s right. Google’s using its Gemini model to synthesise content from blogs, forums, structured data, even video transcripts. So it’s drawing from everywhere to answer questions more like a human might.
Alex: Which means, if your content is vague, shallow, or poorly structured—it gets passed over.
William: Exactly. It’s not just about keywords anymore. Google’s looking at clarity, structure, depth, and brand trust. That’s a big leap from the old checklist SEO days.
Alex: So, your content now needs to teach, guide, and genuinely help. If it does, it stands a much better chance of being picked up in these AI summaries.
Alex: Let’s unpack what influences whether your content makes it into one of these Overviews.
William: There are three big signal types: query-dependent, query-independent, and user-dependent.
Alex: Right—query-dependent means: how well do you actually answer the user’s question?
William: And query-independent is all about your content’s quality, freshness, and your authority as a brand. That’s where E-E-A-T comes in: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Alex: The third piece is fascinating. User-dependent signals. Google tailors AI Overviews to each person’s history, location, and preferences.
William: Which means your content has to be both broad enough to serve the public and specific enough to feel personalised.
Alex: And over all of that? Brand consistency. If your story’s fragmented between your LinkedIn, your blog, and your podcast descriptions—Gemini doesn’t know what to trust.
William: That’s where strategy meets storytelling. Every piece has to echo the same voice and values.
Alex: Let’s get practical. If someone’s listening and thinking, “Okay, how do I adapt?”—what are the most urgent changes to make?
William: Start with structure. Break your content into short, clear sections. Use headings that mirror search questions.
Alex: Like, instead of “Schema Explained,” try “What is schema markup and why does it matter?”
William: Exactly. Also, use semantic HTML and schema markup. It helps AI parse the page cleanly.
Alex: And don’t just stop at text. We talk a lot at Umuthi about multimodal storytelling—can you say more on that?
William: Sure. AI now consumes video, audio, and visuals. So a blog with an explainer video or a podcast summary is way more likely to be surfaced in an AI Overview.
Alex: Every extra format strengthens your authority. It’s like giving AI more reasons to trust you.
William: Think of it as building a knowledge ecosystem. Everything interlinks, supports, and signals that you know your stuff.
Alex: Let’s talk consequences. The data is clear: impressions are up, but clicks are down. What does that mean in practice?
William: It means you can no longer rely on traffic alone to measure success. You have to look at search presence, brand mentions, how often you’re being cited by AI.
Alex: So you shift the goal from being visited, to being trusted. That’s a big mindset change.
William: And it’s also a strategic one. Your posts need to go deeper, answer more follow-up questions, and be designed for extraction.
Alex: That also means reducing the fluff, right? No filler paragraphs. Get to the point and make every section count.
William: And remember—readability isn’t just for humans. AI struggles with dense, ambiguous text. So keep it clear, short, and well-formatted.
Alex: Before we wrap, let’s name the traps. What should listeners *stop* doing?
William: Obsessing over clicks. That metric is losing relevance.
Alex: Right—and keyword stuffing is done. Semantic depth is what matters now.
William: Another one: inconsistent messaging. If your brand sounds different on Twitter than it does on your website, AI won’t trust you.
Alex: And ignoring formats. If your insights live only in a blog post and not in video, audio, or visual formats—you’re missing out.
Alex: So, what’s the takeaway?
William: Structure for clarity. Speak with consistency. Diversify your formats. And above all—build trust.
Alex: We’re communicating in two directions now. Human to human. And human to AI.
William: And both are asking the same question: who do we trust to tell the truth?
Alex: Thanks for joining us, William. As always, it’s about staying rooted. Clear. And intentional.
William: My pleasure, Alex. Let’s keep building the kind of internet we actually want to use.
Alex: Until next time, keep showing up with purpose. And keep growing.
AI Overviews and the New SEO Landscape
At Umuthi, we’ve always believed technology should serve humans, not distract them. That conviction guided our founders away from the frantic agency treadmill, back to African soil, and into a calmer, more intentional way of working. Now, we bring that perspective to Google’s latest leap: AI Overviews, the public face of its Search Generative Experience (SGE).
For years, Google was all about the “ten blue links.” Then, Google began adding new features. It added direct answers to user questions, so people didn’t have to click. AI Overviews changed everything. They are the most important shift we’ve ever seen. Google is no longer about links. It is about answers.
The goal is to find information from many trusted sources. It then creates a single, simple answer at the top of the page. This is a big change. It alters how people find information. It changes how we can connect with them.
AI Overviews synthesise insights from across the web and surface them at the very top of the results page, often removing the need for users to click through. Importantly, authority, clarity, and content quality now outrank mere keyword placement. Instead of simply channelling traffic, Google now provides answers . And the numbers prove it: search volume is up 20%, yet traditional click-through rates have plummeted by as much as 70%.
Moreover, search behaviour is changing faster than many people realise. According to a study by BrightEdge, Google search impressions increased by 49% year over year, yet actual click-through rates dropped by 30% (New Google AI Overviews data: Search clicks fell 30% in last year). In fact, the drop can be even steeper when Google’s AI Overview is triggered. Research from Adapting Social shows that when these AI summaries appear, organic click-through rates can fall by as much as 70%. (Is AI Decreasing Site Traffic from Search?)
For conscious business owners who pour time, care and strategy into their content, this can feel like shouting into the void. You’re showing up, but no one is engaging.
At Umuthi, we see this as a call to rethink, not panic. Visibility without connection is not the goal. Instead, what matters now is building content that answers real questions, reflects real insight, and stays relevant even as algorithms shift. That means leading with clarity, anchoring your expertise in structure, and letting your digital ecosystem do the heavy lifting, sustainably.
This isn’t about chasing traffic. Rather, it is about earning trust, one meaningful click at a time.
In this guide, you’ll discover:
- How AI Overviews function and what makes them different from traditional results;
- Which SEO signals matter mostin this AI‑driven landscape;
- Actionable strategies to improve your content’s visibility in AI‑powered search;
- Ways to adapt your brand and content to maintain relevance and reach.
The truth is, traffic may be lighter than it used to be, but well-structured, trustworthy content still carries weight especially when it speaks to both humans and AI. In the sections below, we’ll walk you through what’s shifting in search, why it matters for conscious brands, and how to respond with clarity and intention.
If you’re ready to structure your blog so it shows up in AI summaries and stays genuinely useful for real readers, download our AI‑Optimised Blog Structure Checklist for practical tips you can apply straight away.
Table of Contents
What Are Google AI Overviews and Why They Matter
Major transformation in the way search works
Google’s AI Overviews, part of the Search Generative Experience (SGE), mark a major transformation in the way search works. Instead of presenting a list of blue links, Google now provides dynamic, AI-generated summaries at the top of the search results page.
These summaries are created by synthesising information from multiple sources – blogs, forums, structured data, and even video transcripts – to form a conversational, multi-perspective answer to the user’s query.
Anticipating follow-up needs
What sets AI Overviews apart is their ability not only to answer direct questions, but also to anticipate follow-up needs and related topics, offering users a far more efficient search experience.
Often, users receive the answers they are looking for without ever clicking through to a website. This shift is powered by Gemini, Google’s multimodal AI model that processes information from text, images, audio, and video.
Self-contained information provider
As a result, Google is becoming less of a portal to other web pages and more of a self-contained information provider. Consequently, this evolution has significant consequences for digital marketing, content strategy, and brand visibility.
The shift is already measurable. Businesses that once thrived on organic traffic are seeing drops of up to 70% in click-through rates (CTR), despite a 20% increase in overall search activity. These AI Overviews dominate the visual space and user attention, especially on mobile devices, leaving less room for traditional search listings.
BrightEdge’s research paints a clear picture of the shift underway. Since Google introduced AI Overviews, more people are seeing content in search but fewer are clicking through. While impressions have surged, click-through rates have steadily declined, falling by nearly 30% since May 2024 (Search Impressions Soar with Google’s AI Overview, Even as Website Clicks Decline)
To be cited in these AI-generated responses, your content needs more than just keyword optimisation. It must be:
- Deeply informative and aligned with user intent
- Structured with logical hierarchy and clear subheadings
- Supported by semantic richness and authoritative branding
Google’s AI isn’t just scanning content anymore. It is paying attention to the full picture by looking at what is being said, how trustworthy it feels, and whether it offers real value. Research shows that the content it highlights tends to be longer, more in-depth, and structured in a way that makes it easy to understand and share.
Umuthi insight: The brands cited most often speak with unmistakable clarity and purpose. Their messaging reads consistently across every platform, making it easy for AI to recognise and reuse. In short, Google is prioritising answers over links.
Being seen is no longer the benchmark. In today’s AI-first search landscape, what truly matters is creating content that machines can clearly interpret and people can genuinely trust.
The content that stands out is the kind that teaches, guides, and supports at the exact moment it’s needed, whether someone is reading, watching, or speaking their query aloud.
Now that you understand how Google’s AI Overviews work and what they’re prioritising, it’s a good time to pause and reflect:
Designed for purpose-led founders, content teams, and conscious brands, our AI Visibility Scorecard helps you assess how your blog performs through the same lens AI systems use to decide what gets shown.
Visibility isn’t something to chase. It’s something you earn by building trust, using clear structure, and creating content that resonates with both humans and machines.
The State of Search in Mid-2025: From Clicks to Answers
AIOs are growing and they are here to stay.
AI Overviews grew so quickly in 2025. This growth was also very strategic. Early in the year, AIOs saw a 100% jump in one quarter. One study reports that their presence surged from 6.49% to 13.14% between January and March (Semrush, 2025). Another study shows AIOs now appear in about 30% of US search results (SE Ranking, 2025).
Google’s rollout strategy has been aggressive. AIOs are now in over 200 countries and 40 languages (SE Ranking, 2025). This is a rapid global expansion. A major shift happened in March. This is when Google targeted new industries. They began showing AIOs in entertainment, restaurants, and travel. A study found that AIOs for restaurant queries spiked by 387% during this period. This is not just organic growth. This is a deliberate push by Google.
The March update was not solely about quality adjustments. It was a mechanism to integrate AIOs into new, high-value areas. This fundamentally altered the competitive landscape for businesses in those sectors.
The impact on traffic is real. The zero-click reality is here.
AI Overviews have a direct impact on website traffic. They provide a synthesised answer right on the search page. This reduces the need for people to click on a website. Multiple studies show that AIOs cause more zero-click behaviour. The result has been a significant reduction in referral traffic for many publishers. A survey conducted between May and June 2025 (Digiday, 2025) found that many publishers experienced a median 25% drop in Google Search referral traffic. They directly attribute this loss to AIOs.
This trend appears to contradict Google’s own narrative that AIOs are a success. The company reports that its new feature has led to an over 10% increase in search activity for queries where AIOs are available (Google, n.d.). This seemingly contradictory data is central to understanding the new search dynamic. Google’s business model is based on keeping users on its platform to serve ads. By providing a direct, comprehensive answer, AIOs successfully accomplish this. They do it even at the expense of third-party websites. The new value proposition for a business is no longer a click. It is being chosen as a source by the AI. This is a powerful new brand signal. It is a measure of authority. The “great cannibalisation” of top-of-funnel informational traffic is a direct by-product of a search experience that is now designed to deliver immediate answers, not a list of links.
The following provides a clear overview of the rapid and significant changes to the search landscape over the past year:
AI Overview Prevalence (US)
Status (Pre-2025) – Limited, experimental rollout (~7%)
Status (Mid-2025) – Surged to 30% in US SERPs
Key Changes & Implications – Non-linear growth indicates a deliberate, strategic push by Google. AIOs are no longer a test but a core feature of search.
Global Rollout
Status (Pre-2025) – Limited to a few countries
Status (Mid-2025) – Over 200 countries and 40 languages
Key Changes & Implications – Global competition for visibility in AIOs is now a reality. Global competition for visibility in AIOs is now a reality. SEO strategies are most effective when they are language- and region-agnostic.
Top-Affected Industries
Status (Pre-2025) – Informational (Health, Science, Law)
Status (Mid-2025) – Expanded to Entertainment, Restaurants, Travel
Key Changes & Implications – Businesses in newly affected sectors now find it a priority to adapt. AIOs are no longer limited to “safe” topics; they are now in commercially driven verticals.
Change in Query Type
Status (Pre-2025) – Mostly informational, long-tail
Status (Mid-2025) – Doubling of navigational and transactional AIOs
Key Changes & Implications – Even branded traffic and bottom-of-funnel queries are now at risk of zero-click behaviour.
Impact on Traffic
Status (Pre-2025) – High zero-click rates, but not widespread
Status (Mid-2025) – Median 25% drop in publisher traffic
Key Changes & Implications – The new reality for many is a “Great Cannibalisation” of top-of-funnel traffic, forcing a re-evaluation of content ROI.
How Google Decides What Appears in AI Overviews
To understand how content is selected for Google’s AI Overviews, we need to explore the three major signal categories that influence visibility. These signals interact dynamically, meaning no single factor guarantees inclusion, but each plays a critical role in determining whether your content is seen and cited.
- Query-dependent signals focus on how directly your content matches the user’s search query. This includes not just exact keyword matches, but also related phrases, semantic proximity, and how comprehensively your content addresses the query. As a result, high-ranking pages with clear structure, keyword-rich headings, and concise summaries have a better chance of being pulled into AI summaries.
- Query-independent signal speak to the overall quality and reliability of your content. These include factors such as freshness, depth, originality, and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Specifically, Google aims to cite sources that are both current and credible. Updating older content with new data, citing reputable sources, and clearly stating your expertise can enhance your authority in the eyes of AI.
- User-dependent signals account for personalisation. Based on a user’s previous search behaviour, location, and preferences, Google may adjust the AI Overview to reflect content it deems more useful or engaging for that individual. Therefore, your content strategy needs to account for both broad relevance and niche personalisation.
Not all signals carry the same weight for every search. When someone is looking to buy, trust and clarity often matter most. When they are searching for information, depth and detail tend to count more. Thus, the more your content can meet different types of needs, the better its chances of being picked up and cited by AI.
Umuthi insight: Overlaying all three is brand coherence. If your story shifts from LinkedIn to your blog to your YouTube description, Gemini hesitates. However, when every touchpoint echoes the same values the algorithm leans in.
Fact-Checking Our SEO Claims
Claim: “AI Overviews are not a death sentence for SEO.”
Assessment: This is true but lacks urgency. Our blog’s core idea holds up. AIOs filter information to surface what is useful. They do not replace websites. This shift is an opportunity for those who can meet new quality and authority standards. However, to call AIOs anything less than a direct threat is to misunderstand the data. The “death” is not for SEO itself. It is for content that is generic, unoriginal, or lacks a clear purpose. Content that relies on high search volume is especially vulnerable.
Claim: “Focus on expertise, value, and clarity.”
Assessment: This is accurate. It is also more critical than ever. E-E-A-T principles are central to success in the AI era. Google’s algorithms, powered by Gemini, are better at finding genuine, firsthand knowledge. The new “Experience” signal is crucial. Google looks for signals that a creator has lived the topic. They look for things like a personal story about using a product. Generic content is everywhere. This makes unique, well-researched content more valuable. Our goal is for our content to “deserve to be quoted” by the AI (Prisham, 2025).
Claim: “Use clear, question-based headers and direct answers.”
Assessment: This is highly accurate. This is one of the most practical ways to optimise for AIOs. The goal is to make content “AI-citable.” We do this by structuring it so Google’s LLM can easily find key facts. Using concise answers to questions, and proper HTML headings, is essential. This extends to schema markup. It is a direct input that helps the AI understand our content. Implementing schema for FAQ and HowTo pages is no longer a best practice. It is vital for visibility (Digi Solutions, 2025).
Claim: “Own your industry knowledge.”
Assessment: This is accurate. It requires a strategic update. Topical authority is a core pillar of modern SEO. The new approach is to build comprehensive content clusters. Building exhaustive content hubs is a good strategy. Focusing on fragmented, one-page-per-keyword models is not the preferred approach. This strategy signals the breadth and depth of our expertise to the AI. External signals, like backlinks and brand mentions, are also crucial. AI models consider them when they decide which sources to cite.
The Role of Brand Authority and Consistency
While technical signals are foundational, your brand’s perceived authority and clarity across the web can be a deciding factor. AI systems treat your brand as an entity, and they form their understanding based on:
- How often your brand appears in high-quality sources
- Whether your messaging is consistent across platforms
- Whether your content aligns with what users expect from your brand based on past interactions
- Ensure brand message consistency across your website, social channels, media appearances, and public profiles. A clear, unified message strengthens semantic associations.
- Use tools such as Google Search Console, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to assess which topics and queries Google associates with your brand – and adjust your content accordingly.
- Create cross-platform credibility. Publish articles on LinkedIn, Medium, or niche publications within your industry. Participate in expert roundups and industry forums. Mentions, even without backlinks, help build topical relevance.
The stronger and clearer your brand appears across the digital ecosystem, the more likely Google’s AI is to trust your content as a reliable source.
The clearer and more consistent your brand looks across the digital space, the more likely it is that Google’s AI will treat your content as trustworthy.
What this really means is that AI SEO is not just about fine-tuning individual pages. Instead, it is about shaping your entire digital presence. Every piece of content adds up. And when your brand shows up with purpose and clarity again and again, your chances of being cited by AI grow stronger.
Optimising Your Content for Google AI Search
Structure Content for AI Parsing
Just as seedlings need the right soil structure, your ideas need the right formatting to flourish in AI search. Google’s AI does not read content like a human, it parses, evaluates, and extracts structured information with purpose. Unlike human readers who scan for headlines and images, AI models break content into parts, prioritise relevance, and assess clarity. That is why formatting your content for AI parsing is foundational to SEO in this new landscape.
Ready to go deeper?
You’ve seen the foundations. Now, access the full blueprint our team uses to optimise for AI Overviews, semantic depth, and structured trust signals.
Have a look at Umuthi’s AI SEO Playbook: 20 Proven Techniques for 2025
This companion guide offers practical, step-by-step strategies with schema examples and intent-mapping frameworks, all gathered into one accessible resource.
To optimise effectively:
- Use short paragraphs (2–4 lines) to reduce cognitive load and improve comprehension across different screen sizes.
- Use conversational, question-based subheadingsthat mirror user search queries (e.g., “What is schema markup?” instead of “Understanding schema”).
- Front-load primary keywordsin the title, H2s, and opening sentences to help AI quickly determine relevance.
- Use semantic HTML elementssuch as ordered/unordered lists, tags, and tags to help search engines parse your structure.
- Implement schema markup (e.g., FAQPage, HowTo, Article, VideoObject) using JSON-LD to give AI clearer context about what each section or page represents.
- Highlight key insightsusing bold text or block quotes. These visual signals also help AI identify summarised content.
- For long-form content, include a clickable table of contents that improves internal linking and enhances skimmability.
Pro Tip: Use the Rich Results Test and Google’s Schema Markup Validator: if the output looks patchy, your structure needs pruning.
The Next-Generation SEO Playbook: Strategies for Visibility
Content Strategy: From Keywords to Authority
With AI Overviews (AIOs) now answering top-of-funnel questions, the new goal is to be the definitive authority on a topic.
- The strategic shift is away from the “one page, one keyword” model.
- The new strategy is to build comprehensive content clusters and exhaustive content hubs.
- This approach uses a network of interconnected articles to signal that your site is the definitive source of information, improving the likelihood of being cited by an AI.
- E-E-A-T is more critical than ever, with a heightened focus on the “Experience” signal.
- Content that showcases genuine, first-hand knowledge through prominent author bios and original insights is a priority.
- The power of original research and first-party data is invaluable for creating unique, non-commodity content that AI cannot replicate.
- This can be achieved by:
- Mining customer support tickets.
- Conducting customer interviews.
- Running community surveys to find the questions users are truly asking and providing answers they won’t find anywhere else.
Technical Optimisation for AI-First Search
- Make content machine-readable: The primary goal of technical SEO for AI is to structure your content so AI models can easily parse and understand it.
- Leverage structured data: Use schema markup for elements like authors, organisations, articles, FAQs, and How-To guides. This is a direct input for the AI, acting as a shortcut to help it choose your content as a source.
- Structure for citability:
- Use clear and concise summaries at the beginning of sections.
- Use bullet points and numbered lists to present information clearly.
- Ensure proper HTML heading tags (H1-H6) are used to create a logical hierarchy.
These formatting conventions are crucial for helping the AI extract information and present it in a well-structured response.
Measuring Success & Evolving Your Approach
- New Metrics are Essential: Traditional metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR) are no longer sufficient for measuring success, as AI Overviews (AIOs) can provide answers without a click.
- Track New KPIs: A new framework for success is needed, which includes tracking metrics such as:
- AI Overview Impressions in Google Search Console.
- A lift in branded search queries.
- An increase in direct traffic that may result from users seeing your brand cited in an AI Overview.
- Integrate Teams:
Marketing teams benefit from breaking down silos. Collaboration between SEO, paid media, and brand strategy works well to effectively leverage the new search behaviours created by AI Overviews.
- Adapt Your Strategy: Businesses can mitigate the loss of top-of-funnel traffic to an AIO by capitalizing on the resulting spike in branded search queries through targeted paid campaigns and on-site conversion rate optimisation.
Expand Content to Cover User Intent
There are four primary types of search intent:
Ways to align with and expand upon intent:
- Include contextual answers to implied and follow-up questions.
- Use keyword tools like AlsoAsked, AnswerThePublic, and Google’s “People Also Ask” to surface related queries.
- Address intent variationsthroughout your post (e.g., blending definitions with how-to guides and product comparisons).
- Add semantic keyword clusters to improve AI’s understanding of your topical authority.
- Incorporate internal linksto deep-dive pages, so your pillar content acts as a gateway for broader exploration.
- Use real-world examples, analogies, and comparisonsto simplify and clarify complex ideas.
When you focus on intent, you are not just helping AI understand your content. You are also making the experience better for real people. It becomes easier to stay relevant and useful across many different types of searches.
Umuthi Insight: The best-ranking content anticipates questions and then answers them. Intent alignment isn’t a checkbox; it’s an act of service.
Embracing multimodal storytelling
Our African heritage teaches that wisdom is shared not only through words but through song, imagery, and gathering around the fire. Gemini behaves similarly: it learns best when we present knowledge in multiple formats.
Multimodal inputs allow AI to answer queries more naturally and completely.
Here’s how to integrate a multimodal strategy:
Create explainer videos
On YouTube or Loom to accompany blog posts, especially for tutorials, definitions, or product demonstrations.
Add alt text and captions
To every image or embed for accessibility and context clarity.
Convert to audio
Transform key articles into audio summaries or podcast segments and distribute them through platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or embedded HTML5 players.
Use visual elements
Charts, infographics, annotated screenshots, and visual step-by-steps to enhance text-based content.
Host or embed webinars and training sessions
that directly support your written materials.
Apply VideoObject schema
and provide transcripts to aid AI parsing of your video content.
Umuthi Insight: Every additional medium is another root strengthening your topical authority.
The main takeaway is simple. Content that brings together text, video, audio, and visuals in a natural way is much more likely to be trusted and cited by AI. In other words, you are not just putting words on a page. You are creating a rich, accessible experience that helps people learn and engage in the way that suits them best.
Real-World Implications of Google’s AI Overviews
20%
Search Volume Increase
Users are searching more than ever
70%
CTR Decline
Maximum drop in click-through rates
While search volume continues to rise, click-through rates (CTR) are steadily falling, by as much as 70% in some industries.
According to Press Gazette, Mail Online has seen click-through rates drop by as much as 56% when Google’s AI Overview shows up for one of its keywords (Google AI Overviews leads to dramatic reduction in clickthroughs for Mail Online)
This kind of drop is not just a media story. Rather, it is a signal to every business that relies on organic search. When AI summaries answer the question before someone even reaches your site, your content needs to work harder to earn the click. At Umuthi, we see this as a reason to get intentional. It is no longer just about what you say, but how clearly and meaningfully you say it.
This shift means that traditional SEO strategies focused solely on rankings and clicks are no longer sufficient. You may still be ranking well in search results, but if your content is not cited or surfaced within the AI Overview, you risk becoming invisible where it matters most.
Why This Matters
- SERP presence no longer guarantees traffic. AI Overviews draw user attention away from organic results and concentrate engagement within a summarised answer box.
- Authority is multidimensional. AI models assess the consistency of your brand voice, the frequency of brand mentions, and the structural quality of your content, not just the strength of your backlink profile.
- User behaviour is evolving. Increasingly, users are satisfied with top-level summaries and do not feel the need to delve deeper unless prompted by gaps or specific curiosities.
Strategic Response to AI Overviews
Prioritise comprehensive content
That thoroughly addresses user queries and anticipated follow-up questions. In particular, layer insights, examples, and structured takeaways throughout.
Optimise for semantic variety
Use diverse but thematically related terms to build a rich network of contextual signals that AI models can easily parse.
Strengthen brand recognition
By maintaining consistent messaging across your website, social media channels, and media placements. Familiar brands are more readily trusted by AI systems.
Design for readability and extraction
Structure your posts to be easily scannable by both humans and machines. Use schema markup, clear subheadings, and modular content blocks to enhance parseability.
Here’s a thoughtful presentation from Exposure Ninja that explores how AI is transforming the future of SEO and explains what this means for purpose-led brands.
Umuthi Insight: When you optimise for genuine relevance, you’ll notice deeper engagement even if raw traffic dips.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with AI SEO
As AI continues to reshape the search landscape, it is easy to cling to outdated strategies that no longer serve your goals. Below are some of the most common missteps brands and content creators still make and more importantly what, to do instead.
Focusing Only on Clicks
Clicks are no longer the single source of truth. AI Overviews can drive visibility without traditional click-throughs.
Therefore, to measure real impact, you should also track:
- Search impressions:High impressions but low clicks could still indicate strong AI presence.
- Brand mentions: These signal authority even if they do not link back to your site.
- Conversions and engagement:Align your success metrics with the actual value AI visibility brings.
Keyword Stuffing Instead of Semantic Depth
Repeating the same phrase will not fool AI models.
Instead, AI prioritises content that uses:
- Natural language, synonyms, and related concepts
- Answers to common questions phrased in varied ways
- In-depth exploration of subtopics and follow-up issues
Inconsistent Messaging Across Platforms
If your brand voice, offerings, or positioning vary from page to page, or between your site and social media, AI will struggle to understand who you are.
To fix this:
- Audit your messagingacross your website, social media, listings, and external publications.
- Use consistent descriptions and value propositions in bios, metadata, and headings.
- Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity to describe your brand and identify any gaps or inconsistencies.
Ignoring Multimodal Formats
AI Overviews do not only pull from blogs.
If your content is not also available in:
- YouTube videos
- Podcasts or audio explainers
- Infographics or visual guides
… you are leaving valuable opportunities on the table. Every content format is now a potential signal to AI models.
Keep Your Strategy Grounded and Clear
You’ve just seen where many brands stumble. Now take the next step with clarity.
Download our AI SEO Mistakes Cheatsheet: 10 Pitfalls to Avoid in 2025
This is a clear, practical guide designed to keep your content aligned with what matters most: structure, trust, and lasting visibility.
Pro Tip: Prompt AI tools to describe your brand. If the output does not reflect your desired positioning, it is time to refine your messaging and digital footprint.
Do not build your strategy around what used to work. Focus instead on how AI systems actually read and surface content now. That means leading with clarity, offering context that adds real value, and showing up consistently across every platform where your audience spends time.
The Trust Deficit: Navigating AI's Ethical Challengest
The Hallucination Problem
AI Overviews are designed for accuracy. They are not always correct.
The underlying technology, large language models, is prone to “hallucinations.” These are incorrect or misleading results.
The internet has documented many of these errors. Examples include the now-infamous “glue on pizza” recipe. Another is the bizarre “What year is it?” bug from late May 2025. It incorrectly stated the year was 2024 (AutoGPT, 2025).
These are not minor bugs. They are a fundamental limitation of the technology. The AI predicts what to say based on patterns. It can often be very confident in a false statement.
Acknowledged Limitations & The Ethical Imperative
Google acknowledges that AI responses may include mistakes. It encourages users to verify information through multiple sources.
This creates a credibility gap. The burden of fact-checking is on the user. They are essentially being told to “trust but verify.”
This unreliability of AI creates a unique opportunity. It is a market for human-led, authoritative brands. The world is increasingly polluted by generic “AI slop.” A brand that shows verifiable, human-backed expertise and transparency becomes a beacon of trust.
It is beneficial to be the credible authority that people turn to when they doubt the AI’s answer, rather than just a data point for the AI.
This is the ultimate “People-first content” strategy. It is a powerful way to build enduring credibility in a world where trust is at a premium.
Umuthi Insight: The future of SEO is a blend of traditional fundamentals. It has a new focus on authority, structure, and brand trust. The shift from optimising for clicks to optimising for citations is the most profound change of 2025. Businesses that can demonstrate genuine expertise, create unique and verifiable content, and measure success through new, holistic metrics will not only survive but thrive.
FAQ's
1. What is Google SGE and how does it affect SEO?
Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is an AI-powered upgrade to traditional search. It generates synthesised answers to queries directly at the top of the results page, reducing the need for users to click through to websites. As a result, this changes SEO in two key ways: it prioritises content that is structured and semantically rich, and it shifts the focus from ranking to being cited in summaries. SGE demands that content creators optimise for clarity, credibility, and contextual alignment – not just keywords and backlinks.
2. How can I get my content featured in AI Overviews?
To earn placement in AI Overviews, your content must be highly accessible to both users and machines:
- Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and structured subtopics.
- Implement schema markup – especially FAQPage, HowTo, and VideoObject.
- Address related queries, follow-up questions, and implied search intent.
- Use tools like AlsoAsked, QuestionsDB, and Google’s “People Also Ask” to uncover related angles.
Provide expertise-backed, comprehensive insights that offer genuine value.
3. What does Google prioritise for AI citation?
AI citation is driven by a combination of factors:
- Content trustworthiness (source credibility, data-backed claims, author bios)
- Semantic coverage (depth of related topic coverage, use of varied vocabulary)
- Structural clarity (well-labelled sections, markup, and scannability)
- Topical authority (how often your brand or page is associated with that topic across the web)
- Content freshness (timely updates and relevance to current user interests)
Google aims to cite content it can rely upon to represent a topic comprehensively, clearly, and accurately.
4. Are backlinks still important for AI visibility?
Backlinks remain important as signals of authority, but they are no longer sufficient on their own. Google’s AI considers a broader range of indicators, including:
- Brand mentions, even without direct links
- Reputation in niche publications
- Engagement metrics (such as time on page, bounce rate, and social shares)
- Topical alignment across your content ecosystem
A modern SEO strategy should aim to diversify authority signals beyond backlinks alone.
5. Is video content necessary for AI SEO?
Absolutely. AI models like Gemini are multimodal, meaning they understand video, audio, and images alongside text. YouTube is already a key content source for AI Overviews.
To maximise visibility:
- Create how-to, explainer, and demonstration videos based on your key articles.
- Include captions, transcripts, and alt text to make videos machine-readable.
- Add schema such as VideoObject to support AI parsing.
- Cross-link videos with related blog content to reinforce thematic relevance.
Video is no longer just helpful – it is becoming essential in a search experience increasingly driven by voice, visuals, and multi-format data.
Our Final Thoughts
Google’s AI Overviews are not just another feature. Instead, they mark a shift in how people find and interact with information. In this AI-first world, the usual measures of SEO success, like rankings or click-through rates, no longer tell the full story. What matters now is whether your content is showing up in context, being cited by AI, and helping people find real answers when they need them.
- AI Overviews are reshaping user behaviour,reducing the need to click whilst rewarding content that provides clear, multi-layered answers at a glance.
- Content structure, brand authority, and semantic richnessare the new cornerstones of visibility, not merely keyword density or backlinks.
- Multimodal content (video, audio, visuals) broadens your reach across AI systems trained to parse diverse media types.
- AI search optimisation is strategic and human-centred and is about building connections, solving real questions, and showing up with clear intention.
Semrush’s research shows that 88.1% of searches triggering AI Overviews are informational in nature (Semrush AI Overviews Study: What 2025 SEO Data Tells Us About Google’s Search Shift) This tells us something important. People are asking deeper questions, and search engines are working harder to provide clear, immediate, and well-rounded responses.
At Umuthi, this shift simply confirms what we have believed all along. When your content is built with clarity and purpose, it has a better chance of rising above the noise. It connects with real people and aligns with how intelligent systems interpret and share information.
Today, we are communicating in two directions at once. On one side, you are speaking to people. On the other, you are speaking to AI. It is not enough to be visible. Your content needs to be structured in a way that builds trust and signals relevance, across every platform where your audience lives.
This is the time to design with intention, speak with precision, and show up consistently. That is how you stay visible in a world where both humans and machines are searching for meaning.
Umuthi Final Insight:
Like any healthy tree, sustainable growth starts underground with values, story, and consistent nourishment. Therefore, plant those foundations now, and your content will continue to bear fruit long after algorithm updates have come and gone.
Next Steps
- Conduct a 360° content audit: Check for clarity, coverage of anticipated questions, structure, schema markup, and opportunities to repurpose content into multiple formats.
- Build a semantic content map: Organise your posts into clusters around core topics, linking between them to demonstrate authority and thematic coherence.
- Expand your brand consistency audit: Ensure bios, metadata, product descriptions, and mission statements all reinforce a unified, recognisable message.
- Produce a video companion series for your key content:Start with FAQs and how-to guides, then syndicate through YouTube, Shorts, and Reels.
- Simulate your AI presence: Prompt Gemini, Perplexity, and ChatGPT to describe your brand and content, then identify and address any perception gaps.
Need a guide?
Umuthi’s RootScan offers a practical, self‑help roadmap grounded in the same principles that shaped our own journey from restless agency life to rooted impact.
References:
- BrightEdge. (2025, May 14). One Year Into Google AI Overviews, BrightEdge Data Reveals Google Search Usage. Retrieved from https://www.brightedge.com/news/press-releases/one-year-google-ai-overviews-brightedge-data-reveals-google-search-usageBrightEdge+1Yahoo Finance+1
- Basis Technologies. (2025, May). How Advertisers Can Adapt to Google’s AI Overviews. Retrieved from https://basis.com/blog/how-advertisers-can-adapt-to-googles-ai-overviewsBasis Technologies
- Press Gazette. (2025, May 13). Google AI Overviews leads to dramatic reduction in clickthroughs for Mail Online. Retrieved from https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/digital-journalism/google-ai-overviews-leads-to-dramatic-reduction-in-click-throughs-for-mail-online/Press Gazette
- Search Engine Land. (2025, May 13). Google AI Overviews now show on 13% of searches: Study. Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-13-searches-455057Search Engine Land
- Seer Interactive. (2024, October 17). How AI Overviews Are Impacting CTR: 5 Initial Takeaways. Retrieved from https://www.seerinteractive.com/insights/how-ai-overviews-are-impacting-ctr-5-initial-takeawaysSeer Interactive
- Semrush. (2025, May). New Semrush Study: How AI Overviews Are Shifting Traffic, Visibility & Behavior. Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/SEMrush/comments/1kg68vn/new_semrush_study_how_ai_overviews_are_shifting/Reddit
- Search Engine Land. (2025, May 13). Shocking 56% CTR drop: AI Overviews gut MailOnline’s search traffic. Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-mail-online-ctr-drop-455393Search Engine Land
- The Letter Two. (2025, May 14). Google AI Overview Drives Views, Lowers Clicks: BrightEdge. Retrieved from https://thelettertwo.com/2025/05/14/google-ai-overview-impressions-clicks-study/Ken Yeung
- Mark Williams-Cook. (2025, February 10). AI Overviews can reduce CTR…. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/posts/markseo_seo-updates-you-need-to-know-10-feb-activity-7294644837549506560-RNbvLinkedIn
- AutoGPT. (2025, June 13). Google AI Glitch Confuses 2025 for 2024. Retrieved from https://autogpt.net/google-ai-glitch-confuses-2025-for-2024/
- B9 Solutions. (n.d.). Master Google’s AI Overviews: Essential SEO Strategies for 2025!. Retrieved from https://b9solution.com/how-to-survive-google-s-ai-overviews-seo-strategies-for-2025/
- Digi Solutions. (2025, July 28). AI Overviews Optimizations: SERP Success Strategies in 2025. Retrieved from https://digi-solutions.com/4-advanced-strategies-for-leading-serp-success-in-2025/
- Digiday. (2025, August 15). Google AI Overviews linked to 25% drop in publisher referral traffic, new data shows. Retrieved from https://digiday.com/media/google-ai-overviews-linked-to-25-drop-in-publisher-referral-traffic-new-data-shows/
- Dot Com Infoway. (n.d.). Google’s Official Guidelines for Optimizing AI Overviews and AI Mode. Retrieved from https://www.dotcominfoway.com/blog/googles-official-guidelines-for-optimizing-ai-overviews-and-ai-mode/
- Exploding Topics. (2025, August 18). AI & SEO: How to Prepare in 2025. Retrieved from https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ai-in-seo
- Futurism. (n.d.). Tests Show That Top AI Models Are Making Disastrous Errors When Used for Journalism. Retrieved from https://futurism.com/ai-models-disastrous-errors-journalism
- Get The Clicks. (2025, August 12). How Google Search Has Shifted from 10 Blue Links to AI Overviews. Retrieved from https://gettheclicks.com/artificial-intelligence/how-google-search-has-shifted-from-10-blue-links-to-ai-overviews/
- Google. (n.d.). Find information in faster & easier ways with AI Overviews in Google Search. Retrieved from https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/14901683?hl=en
- Mashable. (n.d.). Google AI overviews in 2025: Confidently wrong, impossible to avoid. Retrieved from https://mashable.com/article/google-ai-overviews-impacting-link-clicks-pew-study
- Mavlers. (2025, August 5). The Future of SEO, Google AI Overviews. Retrieved from https://www.mavlers.com/blog/google-ai-overviews-future-of-seo/
- Milestone Blog. (2024, July 11). How to Optimize for AI Overviews and AI Powered Search. Retrieved from https://blog.milestoneinternet.com/search-experience-optimization/how-to-optimize-for-ai-overviews-and-ai-powered-search/
- Prisham. (2025, August 18). Google AI Overviews & SEO in 2025: What Every Business Must Know. Retrieved from https://www.prisham.com/google-ai-overview-seo-2025/
- SAN. (2025, April 25). Users catch Google AI Overviews inventing fake facts. Retrieved from https://san.com/cc/users-catch-google-ai-overviews-inventing-fake-facts/
- Search Engine Land. (2025, April 2). Google AI Overviews spiked during March 2025 core update. Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-spike-march-2025-core-update-453841
- SE Ranking. (2025, July 28). Google AI Overviews explained: Updates and changes from SGE to now. Retrieved from https://seranking.com/blog/ai-overviews/
- SE Ranking. (n.d.). How to optimize for AI Overviews: 7 best practices to follow. Retrieved from https://seranking.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-ai-overviews/
- Semrush. (2025, July 22). Semrush AI Overviews Study: What 2025 SEO Data Tells Us About Google’s Search Shift. Retrieved from https://www.semrush.com/blog/semrush-ai-overviews-study/
- SEO Sherpa. (2025, July 22). Google AI Search Guidelines (2025): What They Mean for SEO. Retrieved from https://seosherpa.com/google-ai-search-guidelines/
