What Is The Impact Of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Search Results?
Google is the world’s largest search engine, connecting people with the information, services, and products they need. Today, it accounts for 90% of global internet traffic. And it’s all changing!
Simply put, AI wants answers. Does your business do that better than your competitors?
Google Search Traffic
- 8.5 billion searches daily.
- An average of 3-4 searches per person for hundreds of millions of users every day.
- Limitless opportunities for your business to connect with your audience.
However, the digital landscape is evolving rapidly, with Google’s new AI Overview at the forefront of this transformation. Right now, 47% of searches are resulting in AI-generated summaries, providing users with concise, relevant answers at the top of the search results page. It’s now called ASK ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (AEO).
This shift to long tail questions – people asking their search engine for answers – is more than just a feature—it’s a game-changer for businesses.
The Role of AI Overviews in Search Intent and Visibility
Google’s AI Overview is reshaping how search results appear, particularly for informational queries. Data suggests that AI Overviews most commonly disrupt searches where users seek knowledge rather than make direct purchases. This would explain why AI Overviews are most common in industries which have a high volume of informational queries (see below). Ranking for informational queries can still have a significant impact—especially when those keywords influence business decisions and conversions.
One key factor in AI Overviews appearances is query length. Longer, more specific searches are more likely to generate AI Overviews, as Google can better determine user intent. These in-depth responses often push traditional organic results further down the page, leading to lower click-through rates (CTR) for standard SEO listings. This could limit the overall potential to drive traffic for your business, which is why it is crucial to begin ranking in AI Overview.
For businesses looking to adapt, being cited in an AI Overview is the new SEO goal. Studies suggest that AIOs typically reference 5-8 sources, making strategized, concise, authoritative answers key.
Additionally, there is a shift in the increasing presence of Youtube, Linkedin, Reddit, and other social media citations within AIOs, indicating that modern SEO strategies should expand beyond websites to include social and video content. While AI Overview behavior continues to evolve, one thing is clear: businesses must adapt to maintain visibility in an AI-driven search landscape.
How is Pineapple Digital Staying Ahead in the Age of AI?
At Pineapple Digital, we actively research and test new strategies and tactics, pivoting our methods to meet these ever-changing AI trends. We go way beyond top keyword and keyphrase strategies – we’re now engaging in top QUESTION strategies writing copy that AI can read and answer those key questions.
Since AI Overviews are shown before organic results, it’s critical to optimize content to be displayed in the AI response to relevant user queries. With the top 4 organic spots on Google SERPs getting 70% of total clicks, it is clear that AI Overviews are now capturing some of this traffic instead.
There are three main ways your website can be optimized for AI Search and we have that formula down pat.
As a result of optimized content created by our team, here are just a few wins that our clients in a wide variety of industries are experiencing with AI Overviews:
B2B SaaS
GL Solutions delivers customized regulatory software solutions which transform state government agencies. Here they are ranking for all three positions on the AI results overview for a broad-search term relevant to their business:
System Surveyor is a SaaS solution for security system integrators and technology leaders that streamlines site surveys and physical security system design. Here they are ranking first for a longer tail search term relevant to their industry from a powerful content page made by our team:
Healthcare
Metro Pediatrics provides pediatric care to families across Portland, Oregon. Here is a blog we created that led to them ranking first in the AI Overview for an important query searched by parents of newborns:
As a premier pediatric clinic in Central Oregon, COPA provides exceptional care to pediatric patients. Here COPA is ranking in an AI Overview for a high-priority, longer tail query frequently asked by parents:
Total Body Chiropractic stands out in the AI results overview, ranking alongside Healthline for a highly searched term. Their expert chiropractic care helps Bend, Oregon, residents achieve pain relief and wellness, while our strategic content boosts their online visibility:
Education
As a software reading solution for school districts and libraries, Beanstack makes tracking reading easy, encourages a lifelong love of reading, and boosts academic achievement. Our content helped them to rank for commonly searched queries related to their product:
Nonprofit
As one of Oregon’s largest nonprofits, ALSO provides disability support services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Below they rank for a query that directly impacts the people they serve:
eCommerce
Cosmedica leads the way in environmentally conscious skincare, offering high-quality products that promote sustainability and beauty. Our strategically crafted content boosted them to the top of AI search results, ranking alongside big players Healthline and L’Oréal Paris.
Golf Industry
SEO takes time and our client River’s Edge Golf Course is a prime example of that. Not only did we get them to rank higher than Statista and Golf Digest on two broad searches with blog posts that we created, we also outranked the company Toptracer on a query asking, “How does toptracer work?”:
Digital Marketing Services at Pineapple Digital
In all of the examples above, Pineapple Digital used cutting-edge SEO strategies and created relevant, unique content to help our clients rank in Google’s AI Overviews. By creating and optimizing high-quality, authoritative content for natural language processing and structuring data for AI readability, we position our clients as trusted sources in their industries that rank high in search results.
Our expertise in AI-powered search trends ensures that our clients not only gain visibility in AI Overviews, but also establish credibility and drive meaningful organic traffic. With a data-driven approach and continuous adaptation to Google’s algorithm updates, Pineapple Digital delivers measurable results, helping clients maintain a competitive advantage in the AI-driven future of search.
Interested in learning more about our digital marketing services? Contact us today for more information.