The Impact of AI in SEO (All about AI Overviews so Far)

Learn about the impact of AI, in specific, AI Overviews in organic search results.

Transcript

1. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO How is it Going and What to Expect Next May 2024 Edition AI OVERVIEWS CHATGPT AI CONTENT AI ORGANIZED SERPS
2. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 AI OVERVIEWS CHATGPT AI CONTENT AI ORGANIZED SERPS Welcome to the “fine” state of AI in SEO in 2024
3. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 We can blame ChatGPT and LLMs for generating the biggest revolution in search since Google
4. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
5. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://www.wired.com/story/google-search-ai-overviews-ads/ I guess they were sorting out the viability of their ads business model within AI features first
6. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/02/google-search-and-ai-content Let’s see: From their treatment of AI content that ended up generating more spam in SERPs
7. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://www.seroundtable.com/google-defends-statements-search-quality-37226.html# To trying to “balance” ads/ affiliate based content due to lack of “authenticity” with not so trustable and accurate UGC
8. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 To featuring bad information with spam and errors in their AI overviews after a year of testing
9. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 What’s appalling is that they’re not allowing users to opt-out if they want, at least at the beginning
10. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 It’s not like if we hadn’t warned about SGE suboptimal experience overall since the beginning
11. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-update-may-2024/ Unsurprisingly, they just released a statement about how they’ve taken extra steps to improve and/or stop showing AIOs in some scenarios
12. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 All this while going through continuous updates, new spam policies, ranking features leaks… the uncertainty in our sector might have never been higher
13. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 However, every change brings new possibilities. Let’s go through it and see what to do next to navigate the uncertainty
14. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
15. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
16. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
17. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-update-may-2024/ 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
18. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-update-may-2024/ It’s interesting how they compare AIO with “another” search feature: Featured Snippets
19. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 Because Google AI Overviews have been designed to be a sort of Featured Snippets on “Steroids” AI Overview Featured Snippet
20. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/ They ended up rolling out two weeks ago for scenarios where users would need a “quick answer”
21. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/ While mentioning how they had found that users would use search more and be more satisfied with them
22. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 And yes, Google enabled AI Overviews for only a sub-set of queries vs the ones in test before IN LABS LIVE
23. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-update-may-2024/ But we know how that went! We can expect AIO to be shown in fewer instances after the backlash and latest refinements and filters
24. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 I’ve been monitoring top queries featuring AIO in major sectors and there’s a wild difference in them https://ziptie.dev/
25. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://ziptie.dev/ With a very high volatility in the queries triggering AI Overviews too, changing every day
26. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://x.com/marktraphagen/status/1796182097364742342 Other SEOs monitoring the AIO inclusion per industry like Mark are also seeing something similar
27. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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 
 should change 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/
28. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 We have the duplicative AI Overview with low traffic risk, which happens with snapshots duplicating an existing search feature that works better addressing the query need
29. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024
30. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
31. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
32. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 Then we have the accelerator AI Overviews with High Traffic Risk, for commercial product queries, replicating PLPs
33. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 This also happens with branded product queries, that used to be “owned” organically by the brands’ PLPs, not anymore in AIOs!
34. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
35. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://x.com/bart_goralewicz/status/1793304992444531032 The prominence of accelerator AIO for ecommerce product queries is what makes that 80% of snapshots sources don’t rank organically in SERPs
36. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 But what about the actual traffic impact of these types of AIO snapshots so far? Are they performing as expected?
37. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
38. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 I’ve been tracking AIO inclusion as well as before/after traffic impact of top queries across clients verticals ziptie.dev + seotesting.com IDENTIFYING AIO INCLUSION FOR TOP RANKED QUERIES WITH ZIPTIE + RUNNING GROUP TESTS FOR AIO VS NON- AIO PERFORMANCE WITH SEOTESTING
39. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 Software site with “duplicative” and “summarizing” snapshots has a positive “AIO ranking” performance https://seotesting.com/
40. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 For an ecommerce, even with “accelerator” snapshots, AIO with site inclusion has positive impact too https://seotesting.com/
41. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
42. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 In most cases so far, I’ve seen how an AIO inclusion featuring a link to the site has a better performance than not showing AIO at all
43. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 But your performance is far worse if there’s an AIO in SERPs and you’re not included though
44. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/d3/2e/de/63defc51bec99a/US11769017.pdf It’s time to understand how to get included in AIO snapshots for relevant queries, let’s start with the patent
45. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 You can accelerate the analysis by leveraging 
 ChatGPT too (what a time to be alive)
46. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 It’s important to note how the links are selected after the AI Overview is generated by finding documents to back its information
47. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://richsanger.com/how-googles-ai-overview-works-for-seo/ Take a look at Rich Sanger excellent patent analysis with criteria to take into account to be included
48. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 It’s key then to pay attention to already AIO featured pages and analyze their characteristics vs yours to identify opportunities
49. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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!
50. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 Take specific look at the content featured in the carousels, their format and questions addressed, leverage those from PAA’s included in the SERP
51. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://ziptie.dev/ You can also use tools like Ziptie that will help to establish sources/patterns within the AIO content
52. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 Develop a content gap analysis using content optimization tools to accelerate the process Frase
53. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 Use keyword tools like AlsoAsked or Keyword Insights to quickly identify top questions to address Alsoasked and Keyword Insights
54. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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
55. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 It’s time to get AIO featured!
56. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 In every new challenge, there’s an opportunity!
57. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 We’re just getting AI SERP started https://www.aleydasolis.com/en/search-engine-optimization/google-ai-overviews-release/
58. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 https://hub.seofomo.co/ Stop the FOMO and don’t miss out! Subscribe to SEOFOMO
59. THE IMPACT OF AI IN SEO BY @ALEYDA FROM @ORAINTI AT #DOCONFERENCE2024 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 #DOCONFERENCE2024