Google’s AI Overviews (AIO)—the generative summaries sometimes appearing at the top of search results—are creating new opportunities and challenges for SEO. They provide quick, synthesised answers, often citing multiple organic pages. For marketers, AIOs can potentially reduce clicks on traditional organic links while also spotlighting the websites Google trusts most.

As we cover in our analysis of the top issues facing digital marketing in 2025, we believe AIOs will cause substantial disruption to search marketing in the months and years to come.

To understand how AIOs work “in the wild,” our team analysed 4,000 search queries (2,000 each from the US and the UK). These queries covered awareness, consideration, and conversion keywords as well as question vs. non-question formats and short-tail, medium-tail, and long-tail variants. The analysis was carried out on 23rd January 2025.

Below, we share our 10 biggest takeaways.

Note: For those who want to dive into statistical significance tests (e.g., Kruskal-Wallis, Z-statistics, McNemar’s test), check out the Detailed Methodology & Stats at the end.

1. AIOs Appear for Almost Half of Searches

Across the full range of search terms, 47% triggered an AI Overview while 53% did not. In other words, you’ve got nearly a 50-50 chance of seeing an AI Overview for a given query.

As Google refines its generative approach, this rate may well increase—making it crucial to understand how (and why) AIOs surface.

2. Minimal Geographic Differences: US vs. UK

Breaking down the same dataset by location, we see a 46.63% incidence for the UK and 47.76% for the US. Given how closely these figures align, it appears that Google’s AIO rollout is similarly advanced in both markets.

If you’re ranking for queries in either region, anticipate a comparable chance of generating an AI Overview.

3. Question-Based Queries Are Far More Likely to Yield AIOs

One of the standout findings involves query intent:

Question-format keywords: ~85% show an AIO

Non-question keywords: ~43% show an AIO

If your audience tends to type “How do I…?” or “What is…?”, these types of queries are extremely likely to trigger an AIO.

4. Funnel Stage Influences AIO Appearance

We classified each query as awareness, consideration, or conversion. Here’s how often each stage displayed an AI Overview:

• Awareness: ~56% AIO incidence
• Consideration: ~23%
• Conversion: ~42%

5. Long-Tail Keywords Trigger AIOs Most Frequently

Next, we grouped queries into short-tail, medium-tail, and long-tail:

• Long-tail: ~65% include an AIO
• Medium-tail: ~49%
• Short-tail: ~34%

Specific, more detailed queries tend to invite more thorough AI Overviews—likely because Google sees a stronger need to synthesize multiple sources for these narrower topics.

6. The Nuanced Story of AIO Length

We also looked at the word count of AI Overviews based on funnel stage, keyword length, and whether it was a question or not.

Although these differences are statistically significant, the real-world impact may be relatively small. For example, consideration queries produce slightly longer overviews, but this could also be due to the complexity of the topic rather than the funnel stage itself.

In other words, AIO length is not driven exclusively by these factors—they’re just part of the picture. Content complexity and Google’s available data likely play a bigger role in shaping final word counts.

7. Nearly All AIOs Cite the Top 10 Organic Results

If you’re wondering whether organic rankings still matter when an AI is rewriting the SERP, the answer is a resounding yes. We found:

• 97.3% of AIOs cited at least one result from the top 10 organic listings.
• Only 2.7% didn’t cite any top 10 result.

8. The Two-Tier Citation Pattern: Positions 1–7 vs. 8–10

Digging deeper, we discovered a sharp divide in citation rates:

• Positions 1–7: ~83–85% citation rate
• Positions 8–10: ~56% citation rate

Our statistical tests show no meaningful difference between the top 3 positions and positions 4-7.

However, there’s a highly significant drop from positions 1–7 to positions 8–10. If you want to influence the AI Overview, aim to be within the top 7. After that point, citation rates plummet.

9. Number of Citations: More About Availability than Keyword Type

We also measured how many sources are typically cited in an AIO.

While the averages for awareness, consideration, conversion, and different keyword lengths varied (e.g., ~5–6 citations), the data suggests these slight differences don’t strongly correlate with the funnel stage or keyword type.

Instead, the number of citations appears to be driven by how much topically relevant content Google deems credible and already ranks highly. In other words, Google’s AI pulls from however many high-ranking pages it believes best serve the user query—so the richer the existing pool of quality and relevant content, the more citations you’ll see.

10 . Why Top Organic Results Are the Bedrock of AIO

One of our most compelling discoveries is also the most logical: AI Overviews essentially stand on the shoulders of Google’s ranking algorithms. Consider the following:

1. World-Class Relevance: Google has spent decades perfecting how to rank content. It’s far more efficient for them to build AI Overviews using the top-ranked pages than to re-invent the relevance engine from scratch.
2. Consistency vs. Contradiction: The AI Overview typically aligns with the consensus of top results. If an AIO were to contradict the highest-ranked sources, it would raise questions about whether the AI is incorrect or Google’s rankings are flawed. Either scenario undermines user trust.

For brands, this means SEO fundamentals still matter—perhaps more than ever. If you can get into (and stay in) the top 7 organic positions, you stand a much higher chance of:

• Being front and centre when an AI Overview appears.
• Shaping the narrative around a topic

Conclusions & Next Steps

The bottom line is that AI Overviews rely on the top organic results for both content and credibility. While AIOs may feel like a shortcut for users, relevance and authority remain rooted in Google’s ranking algorithms. With nearly half of all queries we examined triggering an AIO, your best strategy is to:

• Continue optimizing for Page 1, especially the top 7 positions.
• Craft comprehensive, relevant content that serves user intent (particularly for question-based queries)
• Monitor funnel-stage performance and adapt content strategy for awareness vs. consideration vs. conversion.

Generative AI may shift how users consume information on the SERP, but it doesn’t replace the fundamental importance of ranking highly for competitive keywords.

Detailed Methodology & Stats

1. Data Collection & Sample
   • 4,000 queries total: 2,000 each in the US and UK. Selected as indicative of client behaviour modelled over buying funnel.
   • Queries were classified by funnel stage, keyword length, and question vs. non-question.
2. AIO Incidence & Word Count
   • We recorded whether an AIO appeared and measured its word count if it did.
   • Sub-analyses split results by region, funnel stage, question format, and keyword length.
3. Citations
   • For each AIO, we noted whether it cited organic positions 1–10, and how many total sources it included.
4. Statistical Tests
   • We employed Kruskal-Wallis for comparing median word counts across multiple groups.
   • We used Z-statistics and McNemar’s tests to compare proportions (e.g., top 3 vs. positions 4–7, 1–7 vs. 8–10).
   • Significant differences suggest we can be confident the patterns (e.g., citation rates) are not due to random chance.

The post 10 Essential Insights From Our Google AI Overviews Study appeared first on Cressive DX.

Cressive DX is at the forefront of digital marketing and 2025 brings a new wave of challenges that businesses must tackle. 2024 was a year dominated by the rise of consumer AI tools and their promise to impact all walks of life. Many of our clients have questioned how these disruptive technologies will impact their marketing functions. 

From evolving customer journeys to technological shifts, we believe staying competitive requires a strategic shift. In this article, we’re sharing the top five issues facing digital marketers in 2025 and how we’re helping our clients prepare for them.

1. The Impact of Google AI Overviews on Search

The Challenge

AI Overview (AIO) on Google has shifted how users interact with search results by providing immediate answers at the top of the SERP. While Google had a rocky start with AI Overviews, continuous optimisation has meant that AIOs are now more accurate, especially with factual answers.

This can reduce top-of-funnel or awareness clicks to websites. Businesses that drive traffic to their websites through awareness based content such as guides, how-tos, recipes, etc. would likely see a reduction in response to queries like “What’s trending in fall fashion?” for a fashion retailer or “How to make pour-over coffee” for a nice coffee roaster.

We present key insights from a 4,000 keyword experiment we conducted on AIOs here.

Why It Matters

• Altered Funnel Performance: AIO can highlight your site mid-funnel but you may have to work harder (and invest more) to attract top-of-funnel prospects. This impacts your marketing ROI and revenue growth.
• Reduced Organic Traffic and Leads: AIO may overshadow your traditional listings, leading to fewer awareness-stage clicks and potentially reducing your sales pipeline.
• Lost Visibility at Critical Stages: If your site isn’t cited by AIO, you risk being absent from early consideration. This can lower brand awareness and limit future conversions.

How you can adapt to AI Overviews

• Refine content strategy: Write comprehensive, machine-readable explanations. Structure text like Q&A formats or step-by-step guides so AIO can easily parse and cite.
• Optimize for AIO: Similar to Featured Snippet optimization, use concise, highlight-ready segments alongside schema markup.
• Track AIO performance: Monitor how often your content surfaces in AI Overviews, adapting content and SEO tactics accordingly. Governance precedes performance here.
• Assess multi-stage funnel: Measure where users come from (AIO vs. organic listing vs. other channels) and how they move down the funnel.

A tool like DX Spotlight will help you keep track of your organic and overall search performance as well as your ownership of AI Overviews with respect to competitors.

2. Attribution in a Non-Linear Funnel

The Challenge

Modern buyer journeys zigzag across multiple platforms—Reddit, Spotify, social media, and more—making it difficult to isolate which channel truly drives conversions. Not understanding the ‘Place’ component of the marketing mix is a key fundamental issue to address.

This challenge is especially pronounced for B2C brands, where consumers might see an influencer’s Instagram reel, hear a mention on a podcast, and finally run a branded Google search before buying. Without robust cross-channel tracking, it’s easy to attribute the sale solely to organic search, ignoring the earlier touchpoints.

Why It Matters

• Inconsistent Brand Management: Fragmented insights make it harder to ensure consistent branding and messaging, which dilute brand equity and weaken customer trust.
• Inefficient Budget Allocation: Incomplete attribution can lead to overspending on underperforming channels or neglecting high-impact ones, directly affecting marketing ROI.
• Missed Revenue Opportunities: When conversion paths remain hidden, you risk underinvesting in key platforms where customers actually convert, leading to lost sales.

How you can manage the non-linearity

• Cross-platform tracking: Tag all campaigns, set up platform pixels (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest), and centralize data to see cohesive user journeys.
• Adjust KPIs: Create metrics aligned to each platform’s user intent and funnel stage.
• Automate data capture: Use AI-driven analytics and workflow tools to gather, analyse, and visualize data from multiple sources.
• Channel-specific content: Tailor content for each channel (e.g., short Q&As for Reddit, audio-friendly content for podcasts, etc.).

3. The Bot Crisis in Analytics

The Challenge

Bot traffic is growing ever more sophisticated, often accounting for a significant amount of traffic. Cressive’s own research matches this report by Thales, putting bot traffic close to to 50%.

Brand and presence websites can encounter large spikes in traffic metrics as well as behavioural events such as scrolls and pageviews. Some sectors are particularly susceptible. Ecommerce, travel, hospitality sector businesses may see bots testing booking engines or filling forms, distorting performance metrics across various geographic domains.  

In both scenarios, analytics become skewed, ROI calculations suffer, and marketing decisions risk being guided by false signals.

Why it Matters

• Inaccurate KPIs and Poor Decision-Making: Contaminated data can misdirect marketing strategies, causing wasted spend on irrelevant audiences.
  
• Unclear ROI: Bot-driven conversions inflate results, masking the true performance of campaigns and causing you to over- or underspend in certain channels.
  
• Potential Security Risks: Malicious bots may exploit vulnerabilities, risking brand damage, revenue loss, or additional mitigation costs.

How you can ‘Rehumanize’ Web Analytics

• Firewalls and filters: First-line defences (bot-blocking, IP filtering) offer partial solutions but can’t block all advanced bots. They can be expensive and ineffective.
  
• Enhanced GA4 filtering: Implement custom segments, IP exclusions, and detect suspicious patterns (e.g., unusual bounce rates, improbable geolocation clusters). It’s time consuming and ineffective playing whack-a-mole with exclusions.
  
• AI-based detection: Tools like DX Spotlight which uses AI to identify non-human activity on your websites, effectively ‘rehumanizing’ analytics to enable confident decision-making. We cover humanize in detail in our detailed blog article.

See DX Spotlight Humanize in action below:

4. Cookie Consent Compliance

The Challenge

Stringent data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) require explicit user consent for tracking, leading many visitors to opt out. Striking a balance between legal compliance and retaining actionable analytics is an ongoing struggle for digital marketers of all sizes. 

For instance, an e-commerce site, which relies heavily on a single website for all sales and marketing, might lose visibility into half of its user base when those visitors decline cookies.

However, the problem is far more complex for many of our clients, which are multi-site organizations operating across multiple regions. Due to different compliance requirements across regions, these organizations have to implement several variations of consent banners, resulting in a fragmented compliance picture with inconsistent data outcomes.

Why it Matters

• Reduced Data for Analysis: If a significant number of users opt out, your analytics may provide an incomplete picture, leading to suboptimal campaign strategies and wasted budget.
  
• Hindered User Experience: Poorly managed consent banners can frustrate visitors, causing them to abandon your site, directly affecting sales and customer loyalty.
  
• Legal and Financial Exposure: Fines can reach up to 4% of global revenue for serious compliance breaches, which can cripple marketing budgets and harm your reputation.

Possible Solutions

• First-party data strategies: Encourage logins (e.g., membership, loyalty programs), so users willingly share data for personalized experiences.
  
• Enhanced analytics for opted-in users: Focus on higher-quality data subsets. Expand understanding with server logs or name server data.
  
• User-centric design: Make cookie pop-ups transparent and user-friendly, explaining the benefits of consenting to non-essential cookies (e.g., better product recommendations)
  
• Automated compliance governance: A tool like DX Spotlight helps monitor consent management, ensuring you stay compliant while gathering relevant insights.

5 Migration/site changes such as CMS change

The Challenge

Overhauling a website—whether merging domains for a global manufacturing conglomerate or switching the CMS for a boutique travel agency—carries high risk. Migrations that overlook SEO best practices can trigger indexing issues, broken redirects, and duplicate content. 

Even for a single-site business, minor missteps in URL structures or metadata can result in immediate visibility loss, jeopardizing revenue until SEO and technical fixes are implemented.

In a larger organization with multiple sites, the complexity multiplies thereby increasing risk. It’s therefore more likely to miss critical details that cause traffic drops across entire regions.

Why It Matters

• Immediate Traffic and Revenue Loss: A poorly planned migration can lead to a steep drop in organic visibility, directly impacting e-commerce sales or lead generation.
  
• Extended Recovery Period: If rankings plummet, it can take months to reclaim your position, leading to prolonged dips in revenue and higher make-good costs.
  
• Stifled Future Growth: Choosing the wrong platform or neglecting SEO considerations can hamper your ability to scale, wasting ongoing marketing spend and undermining long-term business objectives.

How to Migrate Better

• Integrate SEO from Day One:
  • DO involve SEO teams early to map old URLs, plan redirects, and avoid “SEO afterthought” scenarios.
  • DO NOT assume a new CMS is fully optimized out of the box.
    
• Adopt a Marketing- and Customer-Centric Approach: DO recognize that migrations affect user experience, brand perception, and revenue—not just back-end systems.
  
• Establish a Comprehensive Data Baseline: DO benchmark key metrics (rankings, traffic, conversions) before making changes so you can accurately measure post-migration results.
  
• Plan for Ongoing Measurement and Auditing: DO automate rank tracking and on-page audits before, during, and after launch to quickly catch and address any issues.
  
• Contact Cressive DX and discuss your options: info@cressive.com

Detailed Methodology & Stats

1. Data Collection & Sample
   • 4,000 queries total: 2,000 each in the US and UK.
   • Queries were classified by funnel stage, keyword length, and question vs. non-question.
2. AIO Incidence & Word Count
   • We recorded whether an AIO appeared and measured its word count if it did.
   • Sub-analyses split results by region, funnel stage, question format, and keyword length.
3. Citations
   • For each AIO, we noted whether it cited organic positions 1–10, and how many total sources it included.
4. Statistical Tests
   • We employed Kruskal-Wallis for comparing median word counts across multiple groups.
   • We used Z-statistics and McNemar’s tests to compare proportions (e.g., top 3 vs. positions 4–7, 1–7 vs. 8–10).
   • Significant differences suggest we can be confident the patterns (e.g., citation rates) are not due to random chance.

The post 5 Top Issues Facing Digital Marketing and SEO in 2025 appeared first on Cressive DX.