Google's new AI: Are you ready for it?
Not to bring a Taylor Swift lyric into a serious discussion on the new Google AI Overview, but we do need to be Ready For It. Businesses and bloggers are rightfully concerned how they are going to be noticed on an already crowded and competitive platform. If it’s true that keywords and backlinks are no longer signals of trust and authority for the AI, who or what determines what is relevant to a searcher's intent? Let us break it down for you.
What exactly is Google AI Overview?
AI Overview analyses and summarises a huge amount of website crawling data from three Google sources: Google’s Knowledge Vault, Google’s current Ranking Signals and Google’s AI platform, Gemini. It then processes the key points from websites, articles and documents and presents a summary of the most important information it thinks is useful to your search. It’s intended to make your life easier - no longer will you have to go from website to website to get all of the information you need.
Shifting the SEO goalposts
Where fair keyword and backlink strategies would once have scored your website goals, now it’s all about high-quality, well-structured content that AI algorithms can easily interpret and summarise. While content creators (and SEOs) have typically focused on audience keyword intent, it will now be crucial as AI aims to provide answers that precisely match search queries. Keyword-stuffed pages will have to be re-optimised, as content quality over quantity is now the star of the show.
Your metadata and website’s structured data (also known as schema) is now more important than ever. Google’s AI will rely on this data to understand what the content on your website is all about. A hot tip: if your website is already performing well for featured snippets you won’t need to worry when Google AI Overview is available.
Keeping it local
If your focus has been on updating your local SEO efforts this is the moment to hone in on it. As Google AI Overview is introduced, local SEO will become even more important. The key things are to make sure that your Google Business Profile and other local directories are up-to-date. For your website managers this is where your audience intent keywords will come in handy, with descriptions on what your business does and appropriate descriptions for your images. Active community engagement through reviews and local event posts will also help you win the ranking war!
Show your depth
Creating in-depth, well-researched content that positions your business as a leader in your industry will help you stand out with AI Overview. This could involve providing unique insights, sharing business success, or creating video content that motivates users to click through and explore the website further. You may need to consider restructuring your existing content to include clear headings, concise paragraphs, and relevant keywords directed to user intent. Establishing a strong brand presence and growing user loyalty can also help increase direct traffic and decrease dependence on search engine referrals.
Diversity is key
Diversifying your content could help you reach a broader audience and boost engagement. Not only will this drive traffic to your website from sources other than Google, it will also signal to Google that your content is trustworthy and authoritative, which is an important ranking signal. Think about exploring various types of content, such as blogs, videos, infographics, and podcasts. This content can then be shared on social media, email and be used for any external collaborations, reducing the potential decline in search engine traffic.
TL;DR: It’s the same game, now with an AI player
Although keyword stuffed content and low ranking backlinks won’t get you the brownie points they used to, Google AI Overview shouldn’t scare you away from what has always worked well. High-quality content, understanding user intent, structuring your website content appropriately, and optimising for local searches, should already be a part of your SEO and website strategy. Thinking beyond Google is also a safe bet, blogger outreach, social media and email marketing have been proven channels in acquiring new users and generating authority.
Not sure if you’re ready for Google AI Overview? Talk to us! At Oversite, our Independent Digital Audit can help tell you whether your strategy is ready for the changes.
