An analysis by Bartosz Góralewicz of 25,000 ecommerce queries reveals significant insights into the impact of Google’s AI overviews on search visibility for online retailers:
- 16% of eCommerce queries now return an AI overview in search results, accounting for 13% of total search volume in this sector.
- 80% of the sources listed in these AI overviews do not rank organically for the original query.
- Ranking positions #1-3 only provide an 8% chance of being a source in AI overviews.
Shift Toward “Accelerated” Product Experiences
International SEO consultant Aleyda Solis highlights the shift from traditional organic ranking to an “accelerated” approach in AI overviews. Google now prioritizes showcasing what users would get next rather than summarizing currently ranked pages. This means:
- Google bypasses traditional category pages, reviews, and buying guides with AI overviews.
- 80% of AI overview sources do not rank organically for the query.
Assessing AI Overview Traffic Impact
Solis has shared a spreadsheet to help retailers evaluate their exposure to AI overviews, which includes:
- Assessing the before/after AI overview CTR/traffic gap.
- Identifying the types of results/pages featured in AI overviews.
- Prioritizing content optimization actions accordingly.
Future Implications
Góralewicz speculates that Google may expand AI overviews for high-cost queries when enabling ads. An in-depth report across ecommerce and publishing is expected soon, providing additional insights into this search trend.
Why SEJ Cares
AI overviews represent a shift in how search visibility is achieved for ecommerce websites. With most overviews pulling product data from non-ranking sources, traditional connections between organic rankings and search traffic are disrupted. Retailers may need to adapt their SEO strategies for this new search environment.
Benefits for Retailers
AI overviews create new opportunities for retailers to gain visibility without competing for the most commercially valuable keywords. Ecommerce sites can potentially circumvent traditional ranking barriers by optimizing product data and detail pages for Google’s “accelerated” product displays.
Practical Steps for Retailers
Retailers can take several practical steps to improve their search visibility:
- Utilize the spreadsheet provided by Aleyda Solis to assess the potential traffic impact of AI overviews.
- Optimize product and detail pages to align with the data and presentation style preferred by AI overviews.
- Continuously monitor changes and updates to AI overviews, adapting strategies based on new data and trends.
These steps can help retailers navigate the impact of AI overviews and maintain or improve their search visibility.
