TL;DR

• Google's AI Overviews (launched May 2024, expanded globally Sept 2024) display AI-generated summaries above search results -reducing click-through rates by 18–40% for informational queries (BrightEdge study, Sept 2024).
• 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. By September 2024, AI Overviews appeared in 15% of all searches globally -and that number is accelerating.

For startups relying on organic traffic, this is a crisis. Queries that used to drive 500–1,000 clicks/month now drive 300–600 clicks because Google answers the question directly, eliminating 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)
• July 2024: UK, Canada, Australia
• September 2024: Global expansion (100+ countries)
• Current: ~15% of searches show AI Overviews (growing to est. 40–50% by end of 2025)

Impact on click-through rates

BrightEdge study (Sept 2024):

• Informational queries with AI Overviews: -34% CTR to organic results
• "How to" queries with AI Overviews: -42% CTR
• Transactional queries ("buy," "vs," "best"): -8% CTR (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 (60–80% of time):

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

Low probability (5–15% of time):

• "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 don't appear for branded queries.

When someone searches "[Your Brand]" or "[Your Brand] + keyword," they see traditional results (no AI summary).

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

Case Studies

Case Study 1: Dev tool startup

Before AI Overviews (Jan–April 2024):

• Top keyword: "How to do X in JavaScript" (5K monthly visitors)
• AI Overview impact (May 2024): Traffic dropped to 2.8K (-44%)

Pivot (June–Aug 2024):

• Created comparison content: "Best JavaScript X tools for startups 2024"
• Target keyword: "JavaScript X tools comparison"
• Added product comparison table with schema markup

Result:

• New keyword: 3.2K monthly visitors (no AI Overview)
• Combined with reduced "how-to" traffic: Total traffic recovered to 4.5K
• Bonus: Higher conversion rate (transactional intent vs informational)

Case Study 2: B2B SaaS

Before AI Overviews:

• Top 10 keywords: All "how-to" queries
• Total monthly visitors: 45K

AI Overview impact:

• Traffic dropped to 28K (-38%)

Pivot:

• Rewrote top 10 posts targeting "[Category] comparison," "Best [Category] for [Use Case]"
• Built brand through founder-led X content (grew from 2K to 18K followers)
• Increased % branded traffic from 12% to 31%

Result (6 months post-pivot):

• Non-branded traffic: 32K (still below peak, but recovering)
• Branded traffic: 14K (up from 5.4K)
• Total: 46K (above pre-AI Overview levels)

The Long Game

Prediction: AI Overviews will expand to 40–50% of searches by end of 2025.

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)

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.