The Impact of AI in SEO - AI Overviews June 2024 Edition

THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI
AT #MNSEARCH THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #MNSEARCH THE IMPACT   OF AI IN SEO AI OVERVIEWS JUNE 2024 EDITION

AT #MNSEARCH AI OVERVIEWS CHATGPT AI CONTENT AI ORGANIZED SERPS Welcome to the “fine” state of AI in SEO in 2024 THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #MNSEARCH

AT #MNSEARCH We can blame ChatGPT and LLMs for generating the biggest revolution in search since Google

AT #MNSEARCH And the way Google has “panic” reacted with suboptimal AI treatment and projects to avoid being left out https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-projects-panic-440629

AT #MNSEARCH I guess they were sorting out the viability of their ads business model within AI features first https://www.wired.com/story/google-search-ai-overviews-ads/

AT #MNSEARCH Let’s see: From their treatment of AI content that ended up generating more spam in SERPs https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/02/google-search-and-ai-content

AT #MNSEARCH To trying to “balance” ads/ affiliate based content due to lack of “authenticity” with not so trustable and accurate UGC https://www.seroundtable.com/google-defends-statements-search-quality-37226.html

AT #MNSEARCH To featuring bad information with spam and errors in their AI overviews after a year of testing

AT #MNSEARCH What’s appalling is that they’re not allowing users to opt-out if they want, at least at the beginning

AT #MNSEARCH It’s not like if we hadn’t warned about SGE suboptimal experience overall from the start

AT #MNSEARCH Two weeks after launching they ended up releasing a statement about how they took extra steps to improve & stop showing AIOs in some scenarios https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-update-may-2024/

AT #MNSEARCH All this while going through continuous updates, new spam policies, ranking features leaks… the uncertainty in our sector might have never been higher THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #MNSEARCH

AT #MNSEARCH However, every change brings new possibilities. Let’s go through it and see what to do next to navigate the uncertainty THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #MNSEARCH

AT #MNSEARCH AI OVERVIEWS I’ll focus on the AI Overviews since it’s the AI feature that has been launched with the highest visibility & potential traffic impact in SERPs THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #MNSEARCH

AT #MNSEARCH Google started their SGE test a year ago specifying they took LLMs limitations into account https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en/search/howsearchworks/google-about-SGE.pdf

AT #MNSEARCH Snapshots were meant to give a synthesis supporting users journeys, providing links for more https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en/search/howsearchworks/google-about-SGE.pdf

AT #MNSEARCH In fact, in Google’s latest AIO update post, they explain how they differentiate from other LLMs due to their integration with search results, and links referring to them https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-update-may-2024/

AT #MNSEARCH It’s interesting how they compare AIO with “another” search feature: Featured Snippets https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-update-may-2024/

AT #MNSEARCH Because Google AI Overviews have been designed to be a sort of Featured Snippets on “Steroids” AI Overview Featured Snippet

AT #MNSEARCH https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/ They ended up rolling out AI Overviews a month ago for scenarios where users would need a “quick answer”

AT #MNSEARCH While mentioning how they had found that users would use search more and be more satisfied with them https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/

AT #MNSEARCH And yes, Google initially released AI Overviews for only a sub-set of queries vs the ones in test before IN LABS LIVE

AT #MNSEARCH But we know how that went! Two weeks later they had to update and filter AIO further after the backlash https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-update-may-2024/

AT #MNSEARCH I’ve been monitoring top queries with AIO in major sectors, and there’s a big difference across them… https://ziptie.dev/

AT #MNSEARCH https://ziptie.dev/ … and a huge drop in many sectors since   the AIO “refresh” two weeks ago, although starting to slowly increase again

AT #MNSEARCH SEO tools monitoring the AIO inclusion are also seeing a similar drop https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-visibility-drops-15-percent-queries-442850

AT #MNSEARCH DUPLICATIVE AI Overview duplicating or with high overlay with current organic search results or features SUMMARIZING / COMPLEMENTARY AI Overview summarizing and / or complementing current organic search results or features ACCELERATOR AI Overview directly featuring next step of search journey information LOW SATISFACTION / RISK MEDIUM SATISFACTION / RISK HIGH SATISFACTION / RISK The satisfaction & related traffic impact also   changes based on the type of AIO too https://www.aleydasolis.com/en/search-engine-optimization/the-impact-of-googles-sge-what-to-do-about-it-with-sge-traffic-risk-assessment-sheet/

AT #MNSEARCH We have the duplicative AIO with low traffic risk, which happens with snapshots duplicating an existing search feature that works better addressing the query need

AT #MNSEARCH

AT #MNSEARCH We have the summarizing and complementary AI Overview with Low- Medium traffic risk, for which you still need to go to the source and click to fulfill need

AT #MNSEARCH Note that many of these are informational but complex queries or have a commercial/ transactional nature, for which the AIO UI is not the most useful one

AT #MNSEARCH Then we have the accelerator AI Overviews with High Traffic Risk, for commercial product queries, replicating PLPs

AT #MNSEARCH Yes, Google has become an ecommerce marketplace for retail product related queries and accelerator AI Overviews take this a step further Navigation Product Listing Product Details

AT #MNSEARCH This also happens with branded product queries, that used to be “owned” organically by the brands’ PLPs, not anymore in AIOs!

AT #MNSEARCH Something similar can be seen with broader product queries too, that feature a “hub” navigation in the AIO to refer the user to the PLP like snapshot

AT #MNSEARCH The prominence of accelerator AIO for ecommerce product queries is what makes that 80% of snapshots sources don’t rank organically in SERPs https://x.com/bart_goralewicz/status/1793304992444531032

AT #MNSEARCH It’s then interesting to see how these queries are the ones with the highest decrease after the AIO Update two weeks ago

AT #MNSEARCH But what about the actual traffic impact of these types of AIO snapshots so far? Are they performing as expected?

AT #MNSEARCH The lack of data within the Google Search Console is not going to stop us! Although it would be great if Google provides it soon

AT #MNSEARCH I’ve been tracking AIO inclusion as well as before/after traffic impact of top queries across clients verticals IDENTIFYING AIO INCLUSION FOR TOP RANKED QUERIES WITH ZIPTIE + RUNNING GROUP TESTS FOR AIO VS NON-AIO CLICKS WITH SEOTESTING ziptie.dev and seotesting.com

AT #MNSEARCH It’s important to note that this is a bit challenging to to track due to the high volatility of queries triggering AIOs https://ziptie.dev/

AT #MNSEARCH Traffic grew during the couple of weeks that G showed accelerator AIOs for ecommerce & site was included https://seotesting.com/

AT #MNSEARCH But for a SW site with “summarizing” AIOs the performance is now better when they’re not shown https://seotesting.com/

AT #MNSEARCH Here’s a free AI Overview assessment sheet to help   you do this with your own queries manually too https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xQzAA81dWyY6BPxPOrLbo5nBxLEjQYhsvmqJZIUTsRo/edit#gid=0

AT #MNSEARCH In most cases so far, I’ve seen how an AIO inclusion featuring a link to the site tends to have a better performance than not showing AIO at all

AT #MNSEARCH But your performance is consistently far worse if there’s an AIO in SERPs and you’re not included though

AT #MNSEARCH It’s time to understand how to get included in AIO snapshots for relevant queries, let’s start with the patent https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/d3/2e/de/63defc51bec99a/US11769017.pdf

AT #MNSEARCH You can accelerate the analysis by leveraging   ChatGPT too (what a time to be alive)

AT #MNSEARCH It’s important to note how the links are selected after the AI Overview is generated by finding documents to back its information

AT #MNSEARCH Take a look at Rich Sanger excellent patent analysis with criteria to take into account to be included https://richsanger.com/how-googles-ai-overview-works-for-seo/

AT #MNSEARCH It’s key then to pay attention to already AIO featured pages and analyze their characteristics vs yours to identify opportunities

AT #MNSEARCH If you’re already ranking and not yet featured in AIO: what content type, insights, formats are those included that help to fulfill the search need that you’re not? Identify and close that gap!

AT #MNSEARCH Take specific look at the content featured in the carousels, their format and questions addressed, leverage those from PAA’s included in the SERP

AT #MNSEARCH You can also use tools like Ziptie that will help to establish sources/patterns within the AIO content https://ziptie.dev/

AT #MNSEARCH Develop a content gap analysis using content optimization tools to accelerate the process Frase

AT #MNSEARCH Use keyword tools like AlsoAsked or Keyword Insights to quickly identify top questions to address Alsoasked and Keyword Insights

AT #MNSEARCH Descriptive metadata Unique description Product structured data High-quality images Reviews Q&As FAQs Merchant Center Feeds Internally linked XML sitemaps inclusion Inventory reliant indexability PDPs For ecommerce sites, remember this might mean to double down on your PDPs or informational content, rather than PLPs

AT #MNSEARCH Of course, establishing a brand, becoming an entity, with a high number of mentions, can only help… even if it’s from LinkedIn

AT #MNSEARCH Even if you’re not included, it’s time to make your core information more fulfilling, comprehensive and useful than anything that is shown in the AIO, make it easy for users to choose you!

AT #MNSEARCH In every new challenge, there’s an opportunity! THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #MNSEARCH

AT #MNSEARCH We’re just getting AI SERP started! https://www.aleydasolis.com/en/search-engine-optimization/google-ai-overviews-release/

AT #MNSEARCH Stop the FOMO and don’t miss out! Subscribe to SEOFOMO https://hub.seofomo.co/

AT #MNSEARCH I’m Aleyda Solis * SEO Consultant & Founder at Orainti * SEO Speaker at +100 Events in +20 countries * Author “SEO. Las Claves Esenciales.” * Crawling Mondays Video & Podcast Series Host * #SEOFOMO & #MarketingFOMO Newsletters Author * Maker LearningSEO.io * European Search Personality of the Year in 2018 * remoters.net Co-Founder Thanks! Questions? THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #MNSEARCH

The Impact of AI in SEO - AI Overviews June 2024 Edition

The Impact of AI in SEO - AI Overviews June 2024 Edition

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