What Is AI Overview? A Deep Dive on Google’s AI Overviews and Paid Search
Ben Darling
What is AI Overview? It is Google’s innovative feature that uses artificial intelligence to provide quick, clear summaries right at the top of search results. Instead of scrolling through organic links, users get concise answers drawn from multiple trusted sources, making information easier and faster to access.
By changing how results are presented, AI Overview builds on the trend of zero-click searches, shifting the focus from link-clicking to providing immediate answers. This evolution alters user behavior and creates new considerations for advertisers navigating paid search in an AI-driven search landscape.
Google AI Overview and Paid Ads: Key Points
- How AI Overview Works: AI generates quick, clear answers at the top of search results by working alongside Google’s standard crawling, indexing, and ranking systems.
- AI Overview vs Generative Engines: AI Overview adds concise summaries to Google Search results, while generative engines create conversational answers that provide an interactive experience with dynamic follow-up questions.
- AI Overview Impact on Paid Ads: Search ads face fewer clicks, more competition, and require updated keyword strategies.
- The Future of Google Ads: AI Overviews is set to incorporate ads, delivering targeted placements alongside concise summaries, while AI Mode offers interactive, context-driven ad engagement with users.
- Paid Search Strategies to stay ahead of AI Overview: Focus on intent-driven keywords, compelling creatives, and dynamic bidding.
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How Google AI Overview works
Google AI Overview uses generative AI to scan its search index and compile concise, conversational answers directly at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). Instead of the usual list of blue links, it analyzes relevant web pages, structured data, and other sources, then synthesizes the information into a summary.
By changing the way information is presented, AI Overview has reshaped how people interact with Google Search itself. Unlike traditional SERP features, which typically highlight information from a single source, AI Overview is designed to understand the context of the search query and compile insights from multiple high-quality sources. It combines key points from those sources into a single, clear, and readable response. Users can expand the AI Overview to see source links and explore related follow-up questions without having to start a new search.
Is Google AI Overview a generative search engine?
Not exactly! Google AI Overview is a generative search feature, not a full generative search engine.
A generative search engine is built from the ground up to use AI models for retrieving and creating responses. The entire search process, from query understanding to result delivery, is driven by generative AI that uses its proprietary large language model (LLMs) to deliver an interactive, conversational experience with dynamic follow-ups that encourage further exploration. Google’s AI Mode (distinct from AI Overview) offers a similar interactive experience, powered by Google’s Gemini LLM, providing AI-generated answers and follow-up questions while integrating seamlessly with traditional search infrastructure.
Google AI Overview, on the other hand, is layered on top of Google’s traditional search engine. It still relies on Google’s standard crawling, indexing, and ranking systems, but then uses generative AI to create a synthesized answer from multiple high-quality sources. In other words, it is still traditional search, but with an AI-generated presentation of the results. Google’s AI Mode further extends this experience, offering users an interactive interface to explore AI-powered answers and follow-up questions seamlessly within the search environment.
Google AI Overview VS Generative Search Engines
| Google AI Overview | Generative Search Engines | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Technology | Google search + AI summary layer | Fully AI-powered search and answer generation |
| Response Generation | AI summarizes from indexed web content | AI creates answers directly using LLMs |
| Query Understanding | Keyword + intent analysis | Deep natural language understanding |
| Result Format | AI-generated summary + links | Conversational AI answers without traditional links |
| User Experience | Quick glance summaries with option to explore sources | Interactive, conversational experience with dynamic follow-ups |
AI Overviews and the Impact on Paid Search
Before AI Overview, paid and organic search worked together, targeting the same keywords to boost visibility. Now, AI Overview shifts focus to user intent by delivering faster, more complete answers directly in search results. Ads within AI Overviews are currently available in English in the U.S. on both mobile and desktop devices, with plans to expand to select English-speaking countries soon.
Since its launch, AI Overview has been linked to a significant decline in search traffic for many publisher and brand websites. According to a survey conducted by consulting firm Bain & Co., 80% of consumers now resolve approximately 40% of their searches directly on the search results page without clicking through to other sites. This behavior reduces opportunities for ads to attract clicks, making it harder for advertisers to capture attention and drive conversions.
As more users turn to AI Overview for quick answers, paid search faces new challenges in staying visible and driving traffic:
- Reduced Click-Through Rates: With answers summarized at the top of the page, fewer users click on paid ads below.
- Increased Competition for Attention: Ads must compete not just with other ads but with AI-generated summaries that directly match user intent.
- Shifting Keyword Strategies: Traditional keyword targeting may become less effective, as AI understands intent beyond exact matches, necessitating more nuanced approaches.
The Future of Paid Ads and Google AI Overviews
It comes as no surprise that Google has moved quickly to incorporate paid ads into its AI features. Paid search, primarily driven by Google Ads, remains the company’s largest revenue stream, accounting for nearly 75% of its total income. This significant reliance on advertising revenue underscores why Google is eager to blend ads seamlessly into new AI-powered search experiences.
In May 2025, Google broadened the rollout of Search and Shopping ads within AI Overviews, making these ads more widely available across search queries. Ads can appear both before and after the AI Overview, giving advertisers multiple opportunities to reach users.
Additionally, Google began testing ads integrated into AI Mode for desktop users in the United States, aiming to explore new ways advertisers can reach users engaging with generative AI-powered results. This strategic expansion reflects Google’s commitment to maintaining its advertising dominance while adapting to evolving search behaviors shaped by artificial intelligence.
Paid Search Strategy in the Age of Google AI Overview
As AI Overview transforms the search experience, paid search ads must adapt to remain competitive. Advertisers now need to prioritize deeper audience insights, craft creative messaging that cuts through AI-generated summaries, and adopt flexible bidding tactics that respond to evolving user behaviors and intent signals.
Below are three key strategies businesses should focus on to succeed in this new AI-driven search environment.
- Intent-Driven Keyword Targeting: Shift from exact-match keywords to broader, intent-focused phrases that align with how AI interprets user queries. Invest in richer market analysis and audience insights to understand evolving search intents and adapt targeting accordingly.
- Enhanced Ad Creative: Craft compelling, value-packed messaging and visuals that differentiate your message and encourage clicks beyond the AI summary. Sharper messaging that delivers quick relevance is key to standing out in a conversational, intent-driven environment.
- Dynamic Bidding and Budgeting: Use real-time data and automation to adjust bids based on performance signals and changing user engagement patterns influenced by AI results. Staying agile with bidding and targeting will help businesses respond effectively to this new AI-powered search landscape.
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EBQ: Paid ads experts for an evolving search landscape
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About the Author:
Ben is a Business Consultant at EBQ with over 13 years of experience in Demand Generation. He has played an active role in hundreds of projects consulting companies across different industries, maturities, and tech stacks to increase brand visibility.