How Google's AI Overviews are Shaping Search — and What SMB-Serving Orgs Can Do About It

Yext

Jan 31, 2025

5 min
Overview:

AI Overviews are here to stay. Organizations that serve SMBs can help their clients adjust by prioritizing structured data, helping them create localized content, and making sure they follow evolving SEO best practices.

AI Overviews introduced questions

Back in May 2024, Google introduced AI Overviews to its search engine results page (SERP). For those in the SEO space, this felt like a significant shift — one that might have raised a lot of questions. How would this impact organic traffic? Could it derail traditional SEO tactics, and if so, how should marketers adjust their strategies to make sure clients don't get left behind?

Now, months later, one thing is clear: AI Overviews are here to stay, and they're not just about Google showcasing its AI capabilities. They're about meeting the needs of users who want faster, more relevant answers. But what does this mean for SMBs, and how can you help them navigate these changes?

What are Google’s AI Overviews?

To put it simply, AI Overviews deliver a curated snapshot of the most relevant search information directly at the top of the SERP. These AI-generated answers save users time by providing bite-sized, highly relevant responses that reduce the need for endless clicks.

For marketing agencies and tech companies, this means the search landscape has evolved: users are increasingly trusting the AI-generated answers at the top of the page. In fact, recent studies show that nearly 49% of users trust AI tools for quick, accurate information.

For SMBs, this presents both challenges and opportunities. As AI Overviews continue to shape search results, businesses need to rethink how they show up on the SERP — and SMBs will rely on you to help them adapt.

How Google’s AI Overviews impact SMBs: what you need to know

AI Overviews are a game changer for SMBs looking to drive traffic from Google search. But how does this shift affect traditional SEO tactics — and how can you help your clients adjust?

Insight #1: Structured data Is key for visibility

SMBs that thrive in the age of AI are those with well-organized, structured data. Google's AI doesn't just randomly pick businesses to highlight — it relies on clear, structured information. If a business's data is inconsistent or disorganized, it's at risk of being overlooked in favor of competitors with better data hygiene.

What SMB-serving organizations can do:

  • Audit Listings: Keep your SMB clients' business information accurate and up-to-date across all online platforms. Discrepancies can confuse AI and prevent your client from showing up in those high-visibility AI Overviews.

  • Encourage Consistency: Advise clients to maintain uniform data across their website, local listings, and social profiles. Google values consistency and uses it to rank businesses more effectively.

  • Content Refresh: Regularly updated content signals to AI that a business is active and relevant. Help your clients stay ahead by encouraging consistent updates to their site's content.

Did You Know? Brands leveraging structured data can see up to a 25% increase in click-through rates (CTR) from Google search, not just from AI Overviews, but across all search results.

Insight #2: Local search is more critical than ever

Many Google searches have local intent. For SMBs, this is an opportunity to make sure they appear in AI Overviews when users are searching for nearby options. Google's AI is increasingly pulling in local details like customer reviews, store locations, and specific services.

What SMB-serving organizations can do:

  • Create localized content: Help your clients develop localized pages for each of their physical locations. These pages should highlight location-specific information like services, menus, or events, helping AI feature the business in relevant searches.

  • Manage reviews: AI Overviews often display customer reviews, so it's crucial for SMBs to actively manage and respond to reviews. This boosts credibility and makes businesses more likely to appear in AI Overviews for "near me" searches.

  • Prioritize hyper-local content: Advise clients to develop content that resonates with their specific local audience. The more hyper-relevant their content, the more likely AI will pull it for localized search queries.

Did You Know? When Google's AI shows a "Map Pack" in an AI Overview for local searches, it often includes related content like local reviews and business details. Your clients' search strategy should now be intertwined with their review and social strategies.

Insight #3: Traditional SEO is still crucial

Despite the rise of AI Overviews, traditional SEO is far from obsolete. Keywords, schema markup, and interlinking strategies still matter. What's changed is how AI interprets SEO efforts — it's no longer about keyword stuffing but focusing on context, user intent, and structure.

What SMB-serving organizations can do:

  • Invest in schema markup: Schema helps Google's AI understand the context behind a business's content, making it easier to feature in AI-driven overviews. Encourage clients to add schema markup across their website to improve their chances of appearing in AI Overviews.

  • Optimize for intent: AI Overviews are driven by user intent. Help your clients target long-tail, question-based keywords that align with what users are likely searching for when looking for specific answers.

  • Keep content fresh: As AI increasingly favors timely, relevant content, advise clients to regularly update their site with fresh content. Regular updates signal to Google that the business is active and engaged with its audience.

Did You Know? During beta testing, AI Overviews were featured in over 90% of healthcare queries, and that trend is growing across many industries. SMBs can benefit from a robust content strategy that addresses these specific user needs.

What’s next for SMBs in the AI-driven SERP?

AI Overviews are not a passing trend — they're shaping the future of search. For those who work with SMBs, the next step is to help clients audit their digital presence so they're ready for this new reality. Regularly review their business listings, content, and reviews to make sure they're not missing opportunities.

If your clients are seeing success with local pages or positive review management, double down on these strategies. AI rewards those who provide accurate, relevant, and timely information.

Want to dive deeper into how AI Overviews are transforming search? Reach out to one of our experts to explore how your SMB clients can optimize their digital presence for AI-driven search results.

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