AI Overviews

AI Overviews: Functioning, Impact, and Developments in 2025

Introduction to AI Overviews

AI Overviews is a feature introduced by Google in its Search engine, designed to provide users with AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. Launched in 2024 and expanded significantly in 2025, it aims to help users quickly understand complex topics by offering concise overviews drawn from web content.

This feature has transformed how people interact with search, shifting from traditional link-based results to more intelligent, summarized information.

How AI Overviews Work

AI Overviews leverages advanced AI models, such as Google's Gemini, to generate responses. The process begins with a "query fan-out" technique, where the AI breaks down the user's query into multiple subtopics and issues simultaneous searches across various data sources.

It then synthesizes information from indexed web pages to create a summary, including links to supporting sites for further exploration. The feature appears only when it adds value beyond standard search results, particularly for intricate or multi-faceted queries.

Content must be indexed by Googlebot and meet standard SEO requirements to be eligible for inclusion, with no additional technical setups needed beyond basic crawlability and helpful content guidelines.

Related to this is AI Mode, an enhanced experience that allows for deeper reasoning, multimodal inputs (like images and text), and follow-up questions. It uses similar techniques but is tailored for exploratory searches, enabling users to ask nuanced questions that might otherwise require multiple separate searches.

Impact on Users

For users, AI Overviews offers significant benefits by providing faster access to information. It has led to a 10% increase in search usage for queries where it appears, with higher satisfaction for complex, longer, and multimodal questions.

Users can grasp key points without clicking through multiple links, saving time on research and decision-making. However, it may reduce the need to visit original sites, as users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary is present.

Impact on Publishers, SEO, and Businesses

The rollout of AI Overviews has had a profound negative impact on website traffic. Studies indicate a median click-through rate (CTR) drop of 37% and an average of 40% for queries featuring AI summaries.

Organic results are pushed lower on the page, with the first link often requiring over 140% more scrolling on desktop and multiple screens on mobile. This has been particularly devastating for publishers, with reductions in visibility for news, entertainment, and travel sectors.

Non-branded terms see CTR declines of up to 19.98%, while industries like tech, SaaS, finance, and travel are hit hardest.

On the positive side, sites cited directly in AI Overviews may experience higher-quality traffic, with users spending more time on pages. Branded queries can even see CTR increases of up to 18.7%.

For SEO, the focus has shifted to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), emphasizing AI-digestible content like structured data, FAQ sections, and comprehensive coverage of subtopics to increase citation chances.

Businesses face reduced organic traffic, with drops of 15-35%, but adapting strategies such as updating Merchant Center details and ensuring people-first content can mitigate losses.

Developments and Updates in 2025

In 2025, Google expanded AI Overviews to over 200 countries and integrated Gemini 2.5 for improved response quality in the U.S.

AI Mode was rolled out widely without requiring Labs access, introducing features like Deep Search for expert-level reports, Live Capabilities for real-time camera interactions, and Agentic Capabilities for tasks like booking tickets.

Additional enhancements include AI Shopping Partner for virtual try-ons, personal context integration with Google apps, and custom charts for data-heavy queries.

These updates, announced at Google I/O 2025, aim to make search more intelligent and user-centric, with over one billion people adopting AI features by mid-year.

Future Implications

Looking ahead, AI Overviews and AI Mode signal a shift toward AI-driven search ecosystems, potentially further reducing traditional web traffic while opening opportunities for diverse content creators.

Site owners are advised to monitor tools like Google Search Console and Analytics for impacts, adhere to SEO best practices, and experiment with multimodal content to stay relevant.

As AI evolves, balancing user convenience with publisher sustainability will be key, with ongoing debates about fair use of web content in AI generations.