For years, SEO has been the backbone of digital visibility. Optimizing for keywords, building backlinks, and climbing the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) were foundational to a strong marketing strategy. But with Google’s rollout of AI Overviews, also known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), marketers are asking a hard question: is SEO dead? The short answer? No. The long answer? SEO is evolving, fast, and if your strategy doesn’t evolve with it, you might get left behind.
What Exactly is SGE?
Google’s Search Generative Experience is an AI-powered feature that sits at the top of the search results page. Instead of showing a list of blue links, Google’s AI delivers a concise, conversational summary pulled from multiple sources across the web. These AI snapshots often answer a user’s question without requiring a click.
Sounds efficient, right? It is for the user. But for marketers, it introduces a major concern: zero-click searches.
A study by the Pew Research Center, based on nearly 69,000 Google searches from March 2025, brings an alarming perspective to the table. When an AI Overview appears, users click on standard search result links only 8% of the time, down from 15% when the summary isn’t present, a nearly 50% drop in CTR. Even worse: just 1% of users click the source links within the AI summary itself. Even more troubling, 26% of users end their browsing session entirely after seeing an AI summary, compared to 16% when no summary is shown.
The Rise of Zero-Click Searches
Here’s the situation. If a user types in “What is SGE?” and gets a direct, accurate summary from Google’s AI, there’s no reason to click through to your site, even if your page is the source.
That means fewer clicks. Less organic traffic. And a shrinking window of opportunity to guide users into your sales funnel.
For businesses and marketers who rely heavily on content marketing and SEO to drive awareness, this shift is seismic. The more Google becomes a destination for answers rather than a portal to websites, the harder it is to earn traffic the traditional way
Is SEO Really Dead?
Despite all the concern, SEO is not dead. But it is no longer just about getting clicks. The goal of SEO now has to evolve from “driving traffic” to “earning trust and relevance.” Your content must be designed not only to serve the reader, but to serve as a reference point for the AI that’s now interpreting and delivering the results.
That means structure and clarity are more important than ever. AI needs to easily parse your headings, summaries, and key points. Long-winded intros, vague formatting, and fluffy paragraphs will no longer cut it. Content has to be optimized not just for human readers, but for machines scanning and synthesizing it at high speed.
What’s also changing is the importance of topical authority. Google’s AI wants answers from sources that have demonstrated depth and consistency in a subject area. Instead of writing one-off posts on a dozen different topics, marketers should focus on building comprehensive content around core themes, demonstrating true expertise over time.
Quality Content Still Wins
There is a silver lining to all of this. While AI may be reducing overall traffic, it’s also filtering out casual browsers. The people who do click through from an AI overview tend to be more engaged and ready to explore your offerings. In other words, the quality of your traffic may improve, even if the quantity drops.
What’s more, marketers can still create content that AI finds worth citing, especially if it is well-written, unique, and offers something beyond basic definitions. Human insight, brand voice, storytelling, visuals, and multimedia, these are the assets AI cannot fully replicate. They’re also the qualities that set your content apart, making it not just rankable but reference-worthy.
SEO Isn’t Dying—Lazy SEO Is
Google’s AI Overviews haven’t killed SEO. What they’ve killed is the lazy, formulaic approach that once worked. If your strategy relied on keyword stuffing, surface-level blog posts, or shallow content, those days are over. But if you’re committed to creating useful, in-depth, and human-centered content, there’s still a huge opportunity.
This is not the end of search, it’s the beginning of a smarter, more selective version of it. And if you’re ready to reimagine how your brand shows up in this new landscape, Big Red Dog Marketing is ready to help. From content strategy and SEO audits to optimizing for AI visibility, we help businesses thrive where others fall behind.
Get the Help You Need
At Big Red Dog Marketing, we know that marketing can be a daunting task for small and medium-sized businesses. That’s why we’re here to help! Our team of experts can work with you to define your business goals, develop a tailored strategy, execute campaigns and provide ongoing support to ensure your marketing efforts are always on track.
We believe that every business deserves to succeed, and we’re passionate about helping our clients achieve their marketing goals. So if you’re looking for a partner to help take your marketing to the next level, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help your business thrive.
Want to learn more about our team and how we can help your business? Feel free to give us a call at 919-926-8727 or email us at hello@bigreddog.marketing.
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