I talked to the pros \u2014 including an SEO expert at HubSpot and the senior product director of AI Overviews at Google \u2014 to answer questions about Google\u2019s AI search you didn\u2019t even know you had.<\/p>\n
Like many, I\u2019m skeptical of how fast AI seems to be overtaking every activity or task \u2014 like simple Google searches. But I also like tech and was curious to learn how the experts are thinking about the problems and opportunities in the exploding AI search landscape.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n AI Overviews<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n AI-powered search used to be the realm of tech elites, coders and engineers, maybe early adopters and tech enthusiasts.<\/p>\n Google<\/a> changed all that in May 2024, when the world\u2019s most-used search engine released AI Overviews<\/a> in the U.S.<\/p>\n At launch, AI summaries appeared at the top of the search engine results page (SERP<\/a>) of nearly 75% of all search queries. Suddenly, more than 14.2 million queries included AI-generated responses \u2014 whether the user wanted it or not.<\/p>\n As of June 4, 2024, about 15% of all search U.S.-based queries trigger AI Overviews. That still adds up to over 2 million searches a day, but it\u2019s entirely possible you haven\u2019t encountered it yet.<\/p>\n Hema Budaraju<\/a><\/strong>, Google\u2019s Senior Director of Product for AI Overviews, told me that it\u2019s more likely to show up in specific, complex searches<\/strong>, like \u201cWhat courses should I take for a specific major in my second or third semester?\u201d<\/p>\n (If you\u2019re curious about AI Overviews but haven\u2019t seen it in action, I tested out a few search queries that will trigger it if you\u2019re in the U.S.: \u201cstandard screw lengths,\u201d \u201ctypes of search intent,\u201d and \u201ctime machine where would you go.\u201d You\u2019re welcome.)<\/p>\n After initial backlash from both media and users, Liz Reid, VP, Head of Google Search, released a statement<\/a> explaining some of the more bizarre AI results (such as telling people to put glue on pizza) and promised that guardrails were already in place to prevent AI Overviews (AIO) from spreading misinformation.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Even if you haven\u2019t encountered it yet, it will still be important to know how AI Overviews affects Google Search. And if you want to optimize your website for AI search \u2014 or are just curious about how AI search engines are talking about your brand \u2014 HubSpot’s AI Search Grader<\/a> is a great resource, if we do say so.<\/p>\n A few more tips from the pros:<\/p>\n Hema Budaraju tells me, \u201cWhen I think about AI Overviews, I think about complex questions. I think about perspectives. I think about ways that I can get a jumping-off point that can lead me to the best content on the web.\u201d<\/p>\n\n She says that AIO is more efficient than traditional searches, which may have required adjustments to search terms or keywords.<\/p>\n Now, Budaraju says, \u201cyou can actually ask more naturally \u2026 and then have an easy, clear way to dive in to learn more.\u201d<\/p>\n Victor Pan<\/a>, HubSpot\u2019s Principal Marketing Manager in Product SEO, cautions, \u201cdon\u2019t take those AI summaries at face value.\u201d<\/p>\n I think of it like Wikipedia: It\u2019s a fantastic resource<\/em>, but it\u2019s not a source<\/em>. You\u2019ll still want to follow through on your research.<\/p>\n AI Overviews cites the sources it uses for its summaries, but you may have to click a \u201cshow more\u201d button to see them.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be the person in the group chat who spreads misinformation by insisting that time travel is merely \u201cvery difficult\u201d based on AI search results.<\/p>\n Yes, it\u2019s attributed to the perfectly reputable BBC, but click through before you send that text \u2014 the AIO summary includes an excerpt from an article about sci-fi TV show Doctor Who<\/em>, time travel, and real-world physics.<\/p>\n\n If you use a screen reader, be extra careful.<\/p>\n I tested a few AIO search results with the Chrome Read Aloud extension, and it read the text in the source boxes \u2014 but it didn\u2019t call them out as sources. This could make it tricky to figure out where AIO\u2019s information is coming from.<\/p>\n Emily Kosko<\/a>, CEO and founder of VentureX, says it\u2019s the most important advice she can give users.<\/p>\n\n She acknowledges that AI search can be intimidating, but says you can start small. \u201cDon\u2019t overcomplicate it. Start out by asking simple things.\u201d<\/p>\n Budaraju told me something similar when I asked for her advice for the everyday user: AI Overviews is built on the decades-old foundation of Google search, and with \u201csimilar principles and the same guardrails and the same kind of constructs.\u201d<\/p>\n With that in mind, she says to simply use it\u00a0the same way you\u2019ve always used Google search.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cMarketers: Analyze your search console traffic today! Use regular expressions to filter out question search terms and look for drops that can be explained by AI Overviews.\u201d<\/p>\n Victor Pan says that even though AI Overviews queries are integrated into Google Search Console<\/a> data, knowing your benchmarks today can help you identify problems tomorrow. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n For instance, if you usually get a certain number of search queries for \u201c<\/strong>free AI chatbot builder<\/a><\/strong>,\u201d<\/strong> and those queries suddenly plummet, it could be because AI Overviews is entering its zero-clicks era. In other words: If AIO search results give users enough info, they don\u2019t need to click through to your site.<\/p>\n Take a deep breath if you just read \u201czero clicks\u201d and panicked.<\/p>\n Pan uses Google\u2019s featured snippets<\/a> as an example of how savvy marketers are.<\/p>\n When sites lost traffic because the featured snippets pushed them down in the SERPs, \u201cWhat did SEOs do? They figured out ways to win that featured snippet so they could gain that traffic back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think something similar is going to happen with AI overviews,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Remember AMPs? They were a new format that Google introduced to decrease load time on webpages.<\/p>\n I worked in digital media when AMPs were introduced, and I recall the ambient panic about its effects on page views. And now, as Pan says, \u201cit\u2019s a dead project.\u201d<\/p>\n With respect to AI Overviews, Pan says that he \u201cwouldn’t get too nitty-gritty with the tactics and details.\u201d Instead, he says to \u201cfocus on fundamentally good optimizations or improvements to your content.\u201d<\/p>\n Budaraju says that ultimately, the qualities that make \u201cthe page and the content shine are really consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo when you think about what makes for great content, what makes for a site to be inviting and appealing \u2014 high credibility, great authoritativeness.\u201d<\/p>\n Pan says, \u201cEveryone’s trying to figure out right now what the inclusion criteria is\u201d to be a cited source in an AI Overviews summary. But don\u2019t make rash decisions based on today\u2019s news.<\/p>\n It\u2019s still up in the air as to \u201cwhether the actions you take to optimize for AI Overviews will be an enduring content upgrade or a passing fad.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n When I asked Budaraju if she had any advice for SEOs and marketers who were swallowing their panic about zero clicks, she told me, \u201cWe’re seeing that people have been visiting a greater diversity of websites for help with more complex questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n She added, \u201cthe links included in AI overviews get more clicks than if the page had appeared as a traditional web listing.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n Budaraju also assured me that Google will \u201cremain focused on sending valuable traffic to publishers and creators.\u201d<\/p>\n When people click the links from AI Overviews, she said, \u201cthe clicks are likely higher quality\u201d and \u201cpeople tend to spend more time on the site that they\u2019re visiting.\u201d<\/p>\n Pan makes an excellent point: If you\u2019re in an industry that\u2019s affected by AI-powered search, you probably feel like the AI revolution is well underway.<\/p>\n But the average user may have only encountered AI Overviews once or twice.<\/p>\n Budaraju told me to think about the kinds of complex queries that people make every day \u2014 \u201cnot as a tech reporter, not as a product manager.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKeep grounded on what real users do and position yourself to where you think they might be going,\u201d Pan says.<\/p>\n AI search anticipates what people will need. If you want to stay ahead of AI, Pan suggests \u201cfollowing people versus following these algorithms.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n And finally, to answer the big question: You can\u2019t turn AI Overviews on and off. <\/strong>(But I\u2019ll show you five ways to avoid it \u2014 keep reading.)<\/p>\n And although Google hasn\u2019t confirmed it, there\u2019s some evidence that AIO summaries appear more frequently in certain types of searches, like those that are 10 words or longer or queries about technology.<\/p>\n There are a few ways to avoid AIO, according to AIO itself:<\/p>\n AI Overviews only appear if you\u2019re signed in. To sign out of your Google account, click on your avatar in the top right corner of any Google product (Gmail, Google.com, etc.), and select Sign out.<\/p>\n\n If you don\u2019t want to sign out, use incognito mode to avoid AIO. It\u2019s simple: In Chrome, select the File dropdown menu and then New Incognito Window.<\/p>\n\n If you\u2019re seeing a lot of AIO summaries on mobile, you may have opted into Search Labs.<\/p>\n HubSpot\u2019s Amanda Sellers<\/a>, Manager of EN Blog Strategy, says that AIOs \u201cincrease significantly on mobile if Search Labs is already installed.\u201d<\/p>\n To check, open Google.com on mobile and look for the beaker icon in the upper left corner. From there, you\u2019ll see a list of experiments you can enable or disable.<\/p>\n Sellers also notes that because AI Overviews in Search Labs is an experimental version, users should be doubly cautious about its summaries.<\/p>\n\n On the left: Search results for \u201ctime machine where would you go,\u201d which triggers an AI Overview. On the right: Same search with Search Labs\u2019 AI Overview feature enabled.<\/p>\n The Search Labs AIO feature is only available in the U.S., South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, and Zimbabwe \u2014 if you\u2019re outside those countries, you won\u2019t see the beaker icon.<\/p>\n\n If you tap or click on \u201cWeb\u201d (if you don\u2019t see it, tap or click on the vertical ellipsis next to \u201cMore\u201d). This doesn\u2019t disable AI Overviews, but it does restore a more familiar interface.<\/p>\n\n This one looks more intimidating, but it only took me about a minute to follow these steps:<\/p>\n Go to Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search Anytime you want to search without AI, type your shortcut into the search bar, select it, and then search as usual.<\/p>\n This comes with a few caveats: Any third-party extension might be buggy, it might be abandoned by the developer, and you should always be careful about your online security.<\/p>\n The two I\u2019ve tested are uBlock and Bye Bye, Google AI, though there will likely be more options in the future. A reddit user<\/a> provided these instructions on using uBlock to avoid AIO:<\/p>\n Download the uBlock extension<\/a> for Chrome To use Bye Bye, Google AI:<\/p>\n
\n How to Use AI Overviews<\/a>
\n Google AI Search Tips for Marketers<\/a>
\n How to Turn AI Overviews On and Off<\/a>
\n Conclusion<\/a> <\/p>\nAI Overviews<\/h2>\n
1. Use natural language for complex, specific queries.<\/h3>\n
2. Brush up on your digital literacy.<\/h3>\n
3. Context matters.<\/h3>\n
4. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid of AI.\u201d<\/h3>\n
Google AI Search Tips for Marketers<\/h2>\n\n
1. Stay ahead of the curve.<\/h3>\n
2. Innovate.<\/h3>\n
3. Don\u2019t put all your SEO eggs in one AI-generated basket.<\/h3>\n
4. Stay calm.<\/h3>\n
5. Focus on people, not algorithms.<\/h3>\n
1. Sign out of your Google account.<\/h3>\n
2. Use incognito mode.<\/h3>\n
3. Disable Search Labs.<\/h3>\n
4. Filter your results.<\/h3>\n
\n5. <\/strong>Reconfigure your default search options.<\/h3>\n
\n Select Add next to the Site search section
\n Enter a nickname for your AI-less search in the Name section
\n Add a shortcut (this cannot contain spaces)
\n Paste this in the URL: {google:baseURL}search?q=%s&udm=14
\n Click Save or Add <\/p>\n6. Use a third-party solution.<\/h3>\n
\n Go to My filters
\n Paste this: google.com##.GcKpu
\n Select Apply Changes <\/p>\n