How Google’s AI Overview Could Hurt Your SEO

WSI Digital Path

Google has introduced a new type of traffic to Search Console, AI Overview traffic, giving digital marketers and business owners fresh insight into how their content performs in AI-driven search experiences. As Google evolves toward more generative results, this update is more than a reporting feature, it’s a signal that search behavior is changing fast.

If you work with a digital marketing agency or manage your marketing in-house, here’s what you need to know about AI Overview traffic and how it can impact your SEO strategy in 2025.

What Is Google's AI Overview Traffic?

AI Overview traffic refers to visits to your site that originate from Google’s AI-generated summaries—those quick, highlighted answers shown at the top of some search results. These summaries pull information directly from webpages to create an instant response without requiring users to click through.

Google now tracks this traffic separately in Google Search Console. This helps marketers and SEO specialists understand how often their content appears in AI overviews and more importantly, whether those appearances lead to clicks.

If you’re investing in digital marketing services, this metric gives your agency new ways to measure visibility in the AI-driven SERP landscape.

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Why This Matters for Your SEO Strategy

The introduction of AI Overview traffic means traditional search rankings are no longer the only visibility metric that matters.

Here’s why:

  • Some users may get answers directly from the AI without clicking. 
  • Others may click through only if your content is cited in the summary. 
  • The competition is no longer just with other websites—but also with Google’s AI itself. 

A modern digital marketing agency will need to adapt strategies to account for this. That includes rethinking how we structure content, where we place key information, and how we build authority across the web.

How a Digital Marketing Agency Can Help You Stay Visible

If you want to remain competitive in 2025, optimizing for AI Overview traffic is essential. The best digital marketing agencies are already shifting their SEO approach to match this change.

Here’s what they’re doing:

  • Optimizing for Featured Snippets and AI Summaries: Short, direct answers high on the page are more likely to be pulled by Google’s AI. 
  • Building Topical Authority: Agencies are focusing on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) to ensure content is cited by AI. 
  • Using Structured Data: Schema markup can help AI understand and feature your content accurately. 

By working with a marketing agency that stays ahead of trends, your business benefits from SEO strategies designed for how people search now, not just how they searched last year

What You Should Do Now

If you already partner with a digital marketing team, this is the time to align your strategy with what’s changing.

  • Ask your agency how they’re tracking AI Overview traffic in Search Console and what it means for your current campaigns. 
  • Review which of your pages are being featured in AI-generated results and whether they’re converting. 
  • Collaborate on a content strategy that reflects this shift focusing on clarity, authority, and search intent. 

The right digital marketing agency won’t just keep up with the changes, they’ll guide your business through them with data-driven decisions.

Conclusion

AI is changing the way people interact with search engines and how they reach your website. As Google continues to roll out AI features across its platform, keeping up isn’t just smart, it’s necessary.

Partnering with a digital marketing agency that understands this shift ensures your strategy evolves with the tools that shape it.

Need help optimizing for AI-driven search? Let’s talk about how our SEO and content strategies can help you stay ahead. Contact WSI Digital Path today

FAQS about AI Overview

What is AI Overview traffic in Google Search Console?

AI Overview traffic refers to visitors who land on your website after interacting with Google’s AI-generated summaries in search results. It’s a new traffic type tracked in Search Console starting in 2025.

This traffic shows how often your content is featured in AI summaries—key real estate in search results. Tracking it helps digital marketing agencies adjust content strategies to stay visible and competitive.

You can view AI Overview traffic in the performance report within Google Search Console. If you work with a digital marketing agency, they should be monitoring this for you.

About the Author

Tali is a results-driven digital marketer with a track record of growing her clients’ businesses and driving revenue.

As the business owner at WSI Digital Path, Vaughan, she takes great pride in delivering powerful but cost-effective solutions for her clients.

Innovative and revolutionary digital marketing trends set the pace for the digital marketing industry. Don’t make the mistake of falling behind! Contact WSI Digital Path today and trust your digital marketing to the industry’s leading professionals.

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