Google AI Overviews and SEO: What Small Business Owners Need to Know

Almost a year after Google rolled out AI Overviews (AIO) in Search, many predicted it would kill organic SEO. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened. Organic SEO remains a key factor for online visibility, according to fresh research from Datos and Spark Toro.

AIOs primarily trigger for problem-solving or direct questions, which is about 30% of Google’s 14 billion daily queries. As you’d expect, medical inquiries are a common example since they’re typically question-based.

While AIOs have reduced direct clicks for some sites, the good news is that more people are researching longer and exploring beyond an AIO. For industries and search types that don’t trigger an AIO (about 70% of Google queries), organic search results are still driving direct clicks to websites.

AIOs Aren't the Whole Story

AIOs contribute to the rise in zero-click searches, but they’re not the whole story. Direct answers, Google properties (like Maps and YouTube), and featured snippets have been reducing direct website clicks for years. AIOs have simply accelerated the zero-click trend.

AIOs are mainly affecting information-based and problem-solving queries, which aren’t necessarily the bread and butter for most small businesses. That’s why organic SEO is still holding strong, especially for small to mid-sized businesses, including us at La Mejor Website.

Since many product and service-based searches don’t generate an AIO, that means businesses that follow effective SEO practices are still attracting direct traffic from organic search results.

Google’s Growth Is Strong

Despite competition from YouTube, ChatGPT, TikTok, and Reddit, Google’s usage is up 20% in 2024, so it’s still the dominant search platform.

Organic SEO Still Works

At La Mejor Website, we’ve grown our sales throughout 2024 and into 2025 by sticking to the same tried-and-true organic SEO strategies we recommend to clients.

Here’s the formula that works:

1. Provide an attractive website design with a terrific user experience.

2. Ensure content is rich with original, helpful information and provides value to visitors.

3. Use landing pages strategically, ensuring points 1 and 2.

4. Add Q&A-style content to increase the odds of being referenced in an AIO.

Why This Matters for Your Business

If you’re wondering, "is organic SEO still worth it?", the answer is yes. The search landscape is evolving, but search intent hasn’t changed. People still turn to Google to find solutions and services, especially for local and product-based queries that typically don’t trigger AIOs.

If you’re ready to strengthen your online presence with proven organic SEO strategies, let’s talk.

No contracts. No gimmicks.

Contact us for a free website analysis and consultation. We’ll provide honest, actionable recommendations based on 15+ years of experience and insights from our 160+ Five-Star Google reviews.

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