AI Overviews Are Killing Clicks – How Smart Brands Win

ai-overview-optimization-the-new-frontier-of-seo-and-how-were-winning-it

Introduction:

According to a recent report, features like Google Gemini-driven “AI Overview” results now reduce clicks to websites by 34.5%.
AI Overviews cover around 42% of the screen on desktop and 48% on mobile when they appear, pushing traditional organic links further down.
According to McKinsey predictions, by 2028, up to $750 billion in U.S. consumer spend could be influenced via AI-powered search and “new front door” experiences, meaning brands must rethink how they show up.

The search landscape is changing fast. If your brand only focuses on classic SEO (rankings, backlinks, content), you may be missing how the engine of discovery is shifting toward AI-powered summarisation and answer-delivery.

So if you’re ready to ask:

What does this new frontier of AI-oriented SEO look like?
How are brands getting cited in AI answers?
And most importantly, how can you be one of them?

You’re in the right place.

What is an “AI Overview” in search?

An AI Overview is a summary box or answer-card produced by large language models (LLMs) or retrieval-augmented generation systems inside search engines (for instance, ChatGPT-powered tools or Google’s SGE/Gemini features). These overviews aim to provide users with a comprehensive answer without needing to click further.

What does AEO / GEO mean?

AEO = “Answer Engine Optimisation” – the practice of structuring content so it can be correctly pulled and referenced by AI answer systems.
GEO = “Generative Engine Optimisation” – the broader discipline of optimising for brand visibility when content is pulled into AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini, not just traditional search engines.

Why should U.S.-based businesses care?

Because the data shows U.S. consumers are already gravitating toward AI-augmented search and discovery experiences. The “old way” of SEO (climb to #1 in Google, hope for clicks) is being disrupted. If your brand doesn’t show up where the answers are being built, you risk invisibility. And with over a third of clicks being diverted or lost due to AI overviews, the stakes are real.

Why our digital marketing company is positioned to win this

We treat this shift not as a threat, but as a strategic opportunity for our clients. Here’s our differentiator:

We don’t just optimise content for keyword rankings. We design content for AI-consumption – meaning: highly scannable sections, clearly answered questions, authoritative citations, schema markup, and clean structure.
We proactively monitor “appearance-in-AI answers” (citations, mentions, summary inclusion) – so it’s not just about organic ranking, but also about being used as a source by AI.
We customise for the U.S. market because the user behaviour in the United States is distinctive, and many platforms detect regional signals.

Also Read: Is SEO Still Relevant? – What is AEO & GEO?

Real Client Wins

Here are the real-world results of our clients

For our client, Hi Tech Termite Control, we targeted the query “How to tell if a drywall has termite infestation” using a blog for promotion. Within 4 weeks, the article ranked on page 1, and more importantly, was referenced by a generative answer engine as part of its summary of recommended strategies.

Generative answer Sample

For Dr. Sandra Kamiak, our goal was to rank the website at the top of the SERPs for the keyword “homeopathic treatment specialist in Saratoga”. We achieved a top-3 organic ranking, and their content was cited in an AI-Overview answer box for the query.

Sample of AI Overview

When clients see their brand name used as a source in an AI-generated answer, the psychological and strategic value is huge: it positions them as an authority in the machine-driven discovery chain.

Key Takeaways for U.S. Readers

The search “landscape” is no longer just about lists of links. It’s increasingly about answers built by AI.
Being visible isn’t just about ranking – it’s about being used as a source by AI (so your brand becomes part of the answer).
Your content must be built for machine readability: clear structure, question headings, useful answers, authoritative citations, and U.S.-relevant data.
External signals like guest posts, earned mentions, and backlinks still matter, especially because AI engines lean on third-party credibility.
Monitoring changes in query types, AI-feature appearances (overviews, zero-clicks) is essential – this is dynamic, not static.

Why we’re uniquely able to help your U.S.-based brand dominate

- We specialise in U.S. market-specific digital marketing (so we know the vernacular, consumer mindset, and search behaviours typical in the United States).
- We’ve proven results: not just “rankings” but AI-citations.

We handle content creation, structural optimisation, guest-post strategy, monitoring, and analytics – full service.
We proactively adapt to the evolving AI-search environment – we don’t just implement “SEO 2020”, we implement AEO/GEO 2025-onward.
We provide transparent proof: screenshots, analytics, ranking reports, citation evidence, so you see exactly where the value lies.

LBN Tech Solutions

When AI-search surfaces a question, you want to be the brand the answer points to. If you’re serious about ensuring your U.S.-based business doesn’t just get found but gets cited in the age of AI-powered discovery, contact us and let’s talk strategy. Let’s build your next-generation content, position you for the “AI answer box”, and make your brand one of the trusted sources large language models draw upon. Visit our site here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does traditional SEO still matter?

A: Yes, foundational SEO remains important (site speed, mobile-friendliness, good content, UX). But traditional SEO alone is no longer sufficient. Because of AI overviews, your visibility isn’t just about ranking #1; it’s about being used and cited by AI systems. If you ignore that, you risk being invisible even at rank 1.

Q: What kinds of queries are most likely to trigger an AI Overview?

A: Queries that are informational in nature and longer in phrasing. Research shows many AI Overviews appear on question-style queries, rather than simple brand lookups or very transactional searches.

Q: How do I know if my content is being cited by an AI Overview or a generative engine?

A: You can monitor your SERP appearances using tools that track “AI answer box” visibility, check if your brand/page is referenced in answer snippets, watch for a drop in click-through but increase in brand-mention exposure, and inspect search results manually for summary boxes. Also track backlink signals, guest-post mentions, citation paths.

Q: What’s the typical timeline for seeing results with this AI optimisation?

A: It varies – ranking improvements may be seen in 3-6 months; being cited in AI answer boxes might happen sooner if the content is structured well and promoted effectively. With our clients, we’ve seen visible “answer-box citations” within 2-3 weeks when the process is followed.

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AI Overview Optimisation: The New Frontier of SEO (and How We’re Winning It)