SEO has always been in a state of flux. The way you optimize and strategize for maximum online visibility constantly needs to be refined and adapted to account for changes in search engine algorithms and user behaviour. But today, another element has turned the world of search engine optimization on its head: zero-click searches.

The Rise of Zero-Click Searches

Over the years, SEOs have become highly accustomed to adjusting and fine-tuning their strategies in response to more competition, changes in how search algorithms rank content, and even the ways people search. Still, the ultimate goal has always been to gain organic search traffic. However, this time, all that might be changing.

In Google’s unrelenting effort to deliver more value and a seamless user experience, it has begun rolling out various new features that provide immediate answers to search queries, often without the user ever needing to visit an actual website. Today, you can often get all the information you need right from the search results page in the form of featured snippets, knowledge panels, local packs, and "People Also Ask" boxes.

SEOs reworked their strategies once again to focus on optimizing content and structuring websites in a way that allowed them to embrace rather than fight against these types of zero-click results. If you can’t land higher than a featured result, the next best thing is to be the featured result.

Then came Google’s AI Overview.

What is Google’s AI Overview?

Google’s AI Overview is the newest addition to on-page search results. These concise summaries appear at the top of the search page and cover key information and insights and provide links related to your query drawn from multiple online sources. Combined, featured snippets and AI Overviews dominate SERP real estate, taking up as much as 76% of the screen on mobile devices and 67% on desktop, pushing organic results further down

Already, Google’s AI Overview feature is having a significant impact on organic search traffic. Stats show AI Overviews are appearing for over 47% of online searches, and roughly 60% of online searches now end without a single click. If you rely on organic search rankings to drive traffic to your website, these types of results are throwing a major wrench in your plans.

But it's not all bad news for website owners looking for a competitive edge. While AI Overviews and zero-click searches have certainly changed the game, you can still optimize your content in a way that will help increase visibility and drive traffic.

SEO Strategies for 2025

AI Overviews and featured search results may be taking over the top of SERPs, but this information is still coming from online sources. What’s more, web links to sources are prominently featured right next to the AI summary, which makes your SEO more important than ever.

Recent research shows three-quarters of AI Overview content is coming from the top 12 ranking result pages. So, while you may be drawing in less organic traffic from traditional searches, if you want to potentially be featured in an AI Overview, it’s still crucial for your content to rank, and for that, you’ll need SEO.

As of yet, there are no specific guidelines on how to increase your odds of being featured. Google rarely shares much about the inner workings of its search algorithms. However, they have emphasized that content creators should continue to follow SEO best practices covered in Google Search Essentials, which is what we’ll cover next.

Make Your Pages Easy to Understand

If you want a chance at being featured or just ranking higher on SERPs in general, you need to make it as easy as possible for search engines to crawl and index your pages. First, make sure there are no technical issues preventing bots from crawling your pages. This includes robots.txt files that may be blocking access to specific pages, noindex tags, and 404 (not found) and 403 (forbidden) error codes.

How your website is structured will also factor heavily into the crawlability of your site. Poor architecture makes it difficult for crawlers to understand your site’s hierarchy and properly index your pages. Implementing a strong internal linking strategy and using schema markup for better categorization helps crawlers get the information they need from your pages.

Target Long-Tail Keywords

Google’s AI Overview is designed to give concise answers to complex search queries. These types of questions are generally longer (more than four words) and more specific. However, very few exact keyword matches are appearing in the Overviews. Rather, Google focuses on context over exact phrasing. So while tailoring your content around long-form keywords could improve your odds of landing in AI Overviews, you also need to make sure your content answers the intent behind the query in a natural, informative way.

Write Quality Content

Google has gotten good at separating low-value, keyword-heavy content from genuinely valuable material. And because AI Overview will continue to prioritize quality over keyword stuffing or surface-level information, it’s more important than ever to ensure your content gives users what they are looking for and is original, impactful, and authoritative.

The more high-quality content you produce, the greater your chances are of appearing in an AI Overview or featured snippet, not to mention the fact that quality content is better for user engagement, rankings, and long-term SEO success.

Deliver an Exceptional User Experience

Given that user experience is a pillar of Google’s ranking algorithm, it makes sense that providing users exactly what they want in a seamless overall experience could impact your odds of appearing in the AI Overview section and delivering overall better visibility.

There are four key areas to optimize here: site speed, mobile-friendliness, security protocols, and intuitive navigation. Your content should load within a few seconds (under 2 is best) and be as responsive and easy to navigate on a mobile device as it is on a desktop.

SEO is Not Dead in the Age of AI, It’s Just Changing

One thing that never changes about SEO is that things never stay the same. While zero-click searches and AI Overviews are reshaping SERPs, SEO remains as crucial as ever. The key is to adapt without losing sight of SEO fundamentals. Focusing on high-quality, user-centric content, optimizing for long-tail queries, and delivering a seamless user experience is the best way to position your website for success in the age of AI.