Google's AI Overviews Are Crushing Traffic: What Early-Stage Startups Should Do Now

TL;DR

• Google's AI Overviews (launched May 2024, expanded to 100+ countries in October 2024) display AI-generated summaries above search results, and industry trackers such as BrightEdge have reported lower click-through rates on informational queries where they appear.
• The shift: Informational queries (how-tos, definitions) get AI summaries; transactional queries (product research, comparisons) still show traditional results.
• Startup SEO pivot: Target bottom-of-funnel transactional keywords ("X vs Y," "best X for Y"), create comparison content, and build brand authority that Google cites in overviews.

# Google's AI Overviews Are Crushing Traffic: What Early-Stage Startups Should Do Now

On May 14, 2024, Google flipped the switch on AI Overviews (previously "Search Generative Experience") for all U.S. users. Since then, they have expanded to more countries and a growing share of queries.

For startups relying on organic traffic, this is a real problem. Informational queries that used to send steady clicks now send fewer, because Google answers the question directly, removing the need to click through.

But whilst average organic traffic is down, some startups are thriving by pivoting their SEO strategy. Here's what's working in the AI Overview era.

What Changed: The Data

AI Overview rollout timeline

• May 2024: U.S. launch (all users)
• August 2024: UK and several other countries
• October 2024: Expansion to 100+ countries
• Since then: Coverage keeps growing across queries and markets

Impact on click-through rates

The pattern industry trackers report:

• Informational queries with AI Overviews: noticeably lower CTR to organic results
• "How to" queries: among the hardest hit
• Transactional queries ("buy," "vs," "best"): much less affected (AI Overviews less common)

Why transactional holds up: Google shows AI Overviews for informational intent ("How does X work?") but still shows traditional results for commercial intent ("Best X for Y startup").

Which queries show AI Overviews?

High probability:

• "How to do X"
• "What is X?"
• "Why does X happen?"
• "When to use X?"

Lower probability:

• "Best X for Y"
• "X vs Y comparison"
• "X pricing"
• "Buy X online"

Takeaway for startups: Shift content strategy from "how-to" to "best/comparison" queries.

The SEO Pivot: 4 Strategies That Work

Strategy 1: Target transactional keywords

Old approach (pre-AI Overviews):

• Target broad "how-to" queries (e.g., "how to do cold email")
• High volume, easier to rank
• Problem: Now answered by AI Overview, users don't click

New approach (post-AI Overviews):

• Target bottom-of-funnel transactional queries (e.g., "best cold email software for startups")
• Lower volume, but higher intent + less AI Overview competition
• Benefit: Users still click to research options

Keyword research pivot:

Implementation:

1. Audit current keyword targets (check if AI Overviews appear)
2. Identify transactional alternatives (tool: Ahrefs/Semrush or manual Google search)
3. Rewrite/create content targeting transactional queries

Strategy 2: Become the source Google cites

If you can't beat AI Overviews, be cited in them.

How AI Overviews choose sources:

1. Domain authority: High-trust domains (Wikipedia, gov, edu, major publications)
2. Content quality: Comprehensive, well-cited, structured
3. Freshness: Recently published/updated content
4. Structured data: Schema markup helps

Tactics to get cited:

Tactic 1: Publish original data/research

• Google cites authoritative sources with unique data
• Example: "We surveyed 500 startups, here's how they do X"
• Result: Google cites your data in AI Overviews

Tactic 2: Create comprehensive comparison content

• "X vs Y vs Z: Complete comparison (2025)"
• Include tables, pros/cons, specific use cases
• Result: Google pulls from your comparison tables

Tactic 3: Use schema markup

• FAQ schema for "People Also Ask" questions
• HowTo schema for step-by-step guides
• Product schema for comparisons
• Result: Structured data makes it easier for Google to extract and cite

Tactic 4: Build domain authority through backlinks

• Google favours high-authority sites in AI Overviews
• Focus on earning links from industry publications
• Result: Higher likelihood of citation in overviews

Strategy 3: Double down on brand SEO

AI Overviews rarely take over navigational, branded queries.

When someone searches "[Your Brand]" or "[Your Brand] + keyword," they are usually looking for you, and your own site tends to be the result they click.

Implication: Building brand awareness becomes critical for SEO.

Tactics:

Tactic 1: Invest in brand-building content

• Publish thought leadership on X, LinkedIn
• Guest post on industry publications
• Appear on podcasts

Goal: Make people search "[Your Brand] + [category]" instead of "[category] tools"

Tactic 2: Optimise for branded queries

• Ensure you rank #1 for "[Your Brand] + [topic]"
• Create FAQs answering common brand-related questions
• Control narrative with branded content

Tactic 3: Track branded vs non-branded traffic

• Use Google Search Console to segment
• Goal: Increase % of branded traffic (less affected by AI Overviews)

Strategy 4: Pivot to alternative channels

If Google Search is less reliable, diversify:

Channel 1: YouTube (Google owns it, but different algo)

• Video content less affected by AI Overviews
• YouTube search still shows traditional results
• Tactics: Create tutorial videos, optimize for YouTube SEO

Channel 2: Community platforms (Reddit, Hacker News)

• AI Overviews don't replace community recommendations
• Users still click to read discussions
• Tactics: Engage authentically, share expertise

Channel 3: Direct channels (newsletter, social)

• Own your audience, no algorithm dependency
• Tactics: Build email list, grow X/LinkedIn following

What to Do This Week

Action 1: Audit your top landing pages

Process:

1. Export top 20 landing pages from Google Analytics (organic traffic)
2. Google each target keyword
3. Check: Does AI Overview appear?
4. If yes, flag for reoptimisation

Tool: Google Search Console → Performance → Pages

Action 2: Identify transactional keyword alternatives

For each flagged page:

1. Identify transactional alternative (e.g., "how to do X" → "best tools for X")
2. Check search volume (Ubersuggest free tier or Google Keyword Planner)
3. Check if AI Overview appears for alternative (manual search)
4. Prioritise alternatives with volume + low AI Overview presence

Action 3: Update/create transactional content

Process:

1. Rewrite top 5 pages to target transactional keywords
2. Include: Product comparisons, specific recommendations, data tables
3. Add schema markup (FAQ, Product, Comparison)

Time investment: 2–3 hours per page

Action 4: Build brand awareness

Quick wins:

1. Publish 2–3 thought leadership posts on X/LinkedIn (this week)
2. Reach out to 5 industry podcasts for guest appearances (this month)
3. Write 1 guest post for industry publication (this month)

Goal: Increase branded searches

Illustrative Scenarios

These are hypothetical examples of how the pivot might play out.

Scenario 1: Dev tool startup

• Before: Its top page targets "How to do X in JavaScript". After AI Overviews arrive, traffic to that page falls.
• Pivot: It publishes comparison content ("Best JavaScript X tools for startups") with a product comparison table and schema markup.
• Likely result: The new page picks up visitors on a query where AI Overviews are less common, partly offsetting the lost how-to traffic. Those visitors are closer to buying, so conversion improves.

Scenario 2: B2B SaaS

• Before: Its top 10 keywords are all "how-to" queries, and traffic drops once AI Overviews appear.
• Pivot: It rewrites its top posts to target "[Category] comparison" and "Best [Category] for [Use Case]", and the founder builds an audience on X.
• Likely result: Non-branded traffic recovers slowly, while branded searches grow as the founder's audience grows, making the traffic mix less exposed to AI Overviews.

The Long Game

Prediction: AI Overviews will keep expanding to more queries.

What this means:

• Informational SEO traffic will continue declining
• Transactional and branded queries will remain valuable
• Startups must diversify beyond Google organic

The new SEO strategy (2025 and beyond):

1. Focus on transactional keywords ("best," "vs," "pricing," "reviews")
2. Build brand authority (so people search "[Your Brand] + [topic]")
3. Become the cited source (original data, comprehensive comparisons)
4. Diversify channels (YouTube, newsletter, communities)

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Google's AI Overviews are reshaping SEO, but the game isn't over. Pivot from informational to transactional keywords, build brand authority so people search for you by name, and diversify beyond Google organic. Do that, and you'll thrive in the AI Overview era whilst competitors scramble.