How AI is changing Google search (and what that means for your SEO strategy in 2025)

If you’ve recently searched for something on Google, you’ll have noticed a full paragraph of AI-written text at the top. These are called AI Overviews, and they’re shaking up the world of search. But before you panic about your website becoming invisible overnight, here’s the good news: Google’s AI overviews mostly show up for general, informational searches, not commercial or buying-intent phrases. That’s one of the key findings from a recent SEMrush study that analysed over 100,000 search results where AI Overviews appear.  

 

 

Let’s break down what this means in plain English and how you should adjust your SEO strategy for 2025. 

What the SEMrush study found 

According to SEMrush’s May 2025 research that looked at 10M+ keywords and defined the percentage of all queries that are currently triggering an AI Overview, AI overviews are rapidly increasing in 2025:  

• AI Overviews were triggered for 6.49% of queries in January… 

• That climbed to 7.64% in February (an 18% increase)… 

• And then up to 13.14% by March (72% growth from the previous month)

 

 

On the face of it, that looks scary. But when we dig deeper, relief is in site. 

AI summaries are mainly showing for informational searches on Google.  

If you’ve worked with an SEO agency before, you might have heard terms like navigational, informational, or commercial intent. Here’s a quick reminder: 

1. Informational Searches These queries seek general knowledge and education. Examples include “how do solar panels work” or “what is search engine optimisation.” According to the SEMrush study, 86% of AI Overviews appear for these search types.
   
   
2. Commercial Investigation Searches These queries indicate users researching providers or comparing options. Examples include “best heat pump brands NZ” or “top digital marketing agencies Christchurch.” AI Overviews appear significantly less frequently for these searches.
   
   
3. Navigational Searches These queries target specific websites or brands (they’ve already done their research). Examples include “Alexanders Digital Marketing” or “Trade Me login.” AI Overviews rarely interfere with these brand-specific searches.
   
   
4. Transactional Searches These queries demonstrate immediate purchase intent. Examples include “buy totem conifers nz”, “heat pump installation Ashburton” or “SEO audit Christchurch.” The SEMrush study shows almost no AI Overviews appear for these high-intent searches, preserving opportunities for businesses and paid advertising.

 

86% of AI Overviews appeared for informational searches. This resulted in what’s called a “zero click search” i.e. the AI answer delivered the answer without the need to click through to a search result. 

 

 

AI overviews were far less likely to show up when someone searched with a commercial intent, like comparing products or looking for services. In fact, AI results barely appeared for transactional phrases, which makes sense; Google doesn’t want to mess with the ads that generate its revenue.  

The vast majority of AI Overviews are focused on low-CPC, informational queries. That means commercially valuable keywords – especially those with CPC above $2 and Keyword Difficulty below 30% – are still largely untouched. 

Monetising AI reviews 

In the USA recently, Google has started rolling out ads shopping ads and search ads are next to some reviews. Let’s see what kind of AI reviews will show with ads (yes this will push organic results further down).  

 

Types of keywords that trigger AI reviews. 

Here’s a key extract from the SEM Rush study: 

“Keywords that trigger AI Overviews tend to be slightly longer in word count, and more likely to include clarifications, comparisons, or definitions—classic informational query shapes. 

• Definitions: “what is intermittent fasting” 

• Comparisons: “difference between debit and credit” 

• Clarifications: “can dogs eat grapes” 

AI Overviews are showing up most often on low-CPC, low-volume queries, with nearly 60% of keywords having under 100 monthly searches. 

95% of keywords with AI Overviews either have no ads or extremely low CPC. 

That means Google is deploying AI Overviews primarily on queries that are difficult to monetize, deliberately avoiding disruption to its ad revenue model. 

 

Do AI Reviews reduce clicks?
 

AI reviews don’t always reduce clicks.  Between January and March 2025, zero-click behaviour among these queries with AI overviews actually declined slightly: 

Translation for business owners: If your customers are searching with buying intent, you still have strong opportunities to rank, especially with well-structured service pages, strong local SEO, and trustworthy brand signals. 

 

 

Which industries are most impacted? 

Science – great when it summarises complex research papers. 

Health, law & government. Great to see summary of symptoms, aggregating content and saving time trawling through multiple sites and technical research studies. 

Not being used much in news and sports. 

 

Strategic Recommendations for 2025 

Visibility means earning a spot in the answer itself. 

Get indexed in listicles “The 10 best web design agencies in Christchurch”. A lot of people will be getting answers directly inside Open AI’s Chat GPT and not using Google, so Open AI will deliver AI answers that do include important commercial keywords. But they will draw their answers from listicles. 

Utilise Zero-click strategies to show in results 

SEM Rush suggests focusing on keywords that trigger the Map Pack, people also ask and featured snippets.  

Use short sentences, bullets and dot points 

Implement schema markup. 

Target High-Intent Commercial Keywords 

Focus your SEO efforts on search terms used by prospects actively comparing providers or ready to purchase. Rather than competing with AI for broad educational queries, concentrate on specific, location-based, and service-oriented keywords that demonstrate buying intent. 

Instead of targeting: 

• “How do aluminium windows work?” 
  
  

Optimize for: 

• “Aluminium window replacement Christchurch” 

• “Double glazing installer near me” 
  
  

Strategic Approach: 

• Prioritize local service searches 

• Target comparison-based queries 

• Focus on solution-specific terms 
  
  

Evolve your content strategy

Educational blog content remains valuable for building authority and creating fresh link opportunities to your core commercial pages, which helps maintain search rankings. However, with AI Overviews claiming top positions for informational searches, this content is less likely to drive organic traffic directly. 

Strategic content approach: 

• Promote informational content through email marketing and social media rather than relying solely on organic search 

• Convert high-value educational pieces into lead magnets 

• Use informational content to build topical authority and create natural linking opportunities to your commercial pages 

• Develop relationships for quality backlink opportunities that strengthen your overall domain authority 
  
  

Strengthen trust signals and local authority

Google’s AI systems prioritize established, trustworthy businesses. Strengthen your digital presence through: 

• Consistent review management across Google and industry platforms 

• Comprehensive About pages that cover what you stand for – not so much a mission statement as language that clearly shows your proposition, in a way that readers can resonate with. 

• Original, expert-driven content that demonstrates industry knowledge but also addressing triggers, fears and motivations. 

• Local SEO optimization for geographic relevance. 
  
  

Optimize for conversion

With fewer users entering through educational content, website visitors are more likely to be sales-ready. Ensure your website capitalizes on this opportunity: 

• Implement clear, compelling calls-to-action 

• Display social proof and trust indicators – at least two types of credibility. 

• Optimize site speed and mobile experience 

• Create logical user journeys that guide prospects toward conversion
  
  

Leverage AI as a strategic tool

Artificial intelligence can enhance your marketing efforts when used appropriately. Use AI to support content creation, research, and analysis while maintaining your unique brand voice and industry expertise. Remember that authentic, expert-driven content remains irreplaceable for building trust and authority. 

The Business case for SEO in 2025 

Search engine optimization remains highly effective for commercial and transactional queries in Google. With AI handling informational searches, businesses have clearer opportunities to capture high-intent prospects through strategic SEO and paid advertising efforts. 

The key is focusing your resources on the search behaviors that directly impact your revenue rather than competing with AI for educational traffic that rarely converts to business results. 

Next Steps 

If your current SEO strategy hasn’t been reviewed recently, now is an optimal time to assess and adjust your approach. The businesses that adapt their strategies to focus on commercial intent while maintaining strong trust signals will be best positioned for sustainable growth. 

Professional SEO remains essential for: 

• Commercial comparison searches 

• Local service queries 

• Transactional purchase intent 

• Building long-term digital authority

Ready to optimize your SEO strategy for 2025’s search landscape? 

At Alexanders Digital Marketing, we help businesses in Christchurch, Ashburton, Auckland and nationwide develop data-driven SEO strategies that focus on revenue-generating search behaviour. Our approach combines technical expertise with market knowledge to deliver measurable growth results. 

Schedule a Strategic Consultation