How Google’s Latest AIO Updates Impact SEO

Google has been steadily updating its AIO (AI Overview) rankings, resulting in an increased presence of shopping-related panels and ads. These updates have caused organic search results to be pushed lower down the page, which has raised concerns among search marketers. However, there is some good news: AIO volatility in shopping queries is now stabilising, with AIO rankings increasingly aligning with sites that typically perform well in organic search.

One of the most significant changes is the inclusion of advertising within AI Overviews. This addition has contributed to the displacement of organic search results, making it more challenging for businesses to maintain their previous visibility. Furthermore, citations to websites within AIO for general queries have surged by over 300% since August, with the most notable growth occurring in September, where the increase was around 200%.

To track these developments, BrightEdge has been monitoring a consistent set of search queries representing billions of searches across nine industries. Since November 1, 2023, they have used their unique technology, the BrightEdge Generative Parser™, to track these queries. This tool specifically detects and tracks AIO formats, providing detailed insights into AIO search results and daily trends, which is crucial for businesses to stay informed about shifts in the search landscape.

 

AIO & Top Ranked Organic Increasingly Match Since September

BrightEdge observed a trend starting in September where AI Overviews began to increasingly display links to websites that were aligned with the organic search results. This shift suggests that traditional ranking factors, which typically determine a website’s position in organic search, may now be influencing citations within AIO as well.

In other words, websites that are performing well in organic search are more likely to be cited in AI Overviews. This highlights the importance of maintaining strong SEO practices, as they not only help improve organic rankings but also enhance visibility within AI-generated search results.

 

AIO Stability Continues To Improve

The BrightEdge data revealed an 8% improvement in the day-to-day stability of AIO search results, with less than 1% fluctuation in the pixel size of AIO Panels. This indicates that AIO search results have become less volatile, offering more dependable and consistent results for users.

Additionally, volatility in shopping-related search queries decreased significantly, from 37% in early August to 26% by late September. This reduction in fluctuation suggests that rankings will be more stable moving forward, which is a promising trend as it may carry over into the busy holiday shopping season that starts in November.

 

More Precise AI Overview Results

The stability of AIO search results was accompanied by a 15% reduction in the number of keywords featuring an AIO, which indicates a greater precision in how search queries match web page topics. This could also reflect a growing trend of users employing more natural language in their queries.

BrightEdge highlighted that as ads are integrated, Google has become more precise in determining where AIOs are most useful. This move towards more targeted and concise AIOs began in August and continued through September. By the end of September, Google AIO was collapsing unordered lists by an additional 14.6% compared to the previous month. These collapsed lists show a concise answer upfront, with further details available if users click to see more. The trend persisted in October, with the percentage of collapsed unordered lists growing by an additional 20%.

Perhaps the most dramatic change noted was the 300% increase in the number of times the AIO Product Carousel was triggered since it was first rolled out. This significant rise in AIO features suggests that shopping-related AIO results, especially those containing ads, may increasingly displace organic content.

BrightEdge pointed out that as Google incorporated ads into AIOs in October, two key features saw considerable growth, particularly the product carousels. These features provide direct opportunities for advertisers, but their increased prominence suggests they could replace organic listings if this trend continues. All of these trends indicate that AI will play a larger role in the upcoming holiday shopping season, but perhaps not in the way we initially anticipated.

 

YouTube Citations Increased In AIO

E-commerce-related YouTube citations within AIO increased by 121% through September, highlighting a growing trend where users appear to prefer watching videos while researching products. This shift underscores the importance of video content in influencing consumer decisions.

As video becomes a key part of the research process, businesses should consider incorporating video influencers into their strategies. A multimodal approach that combines video content with traditional text-based information can be particularly effective for shopping-related topics, where the user’s intent aligns with visual and informational content.

In September, the trend of growth in AIO for shopping was not without its exceptions. Certain topics experienced a decline in the frequency of AI Overviews triggered by user queries. 

The following categories saw less AIO results:  

– Queries for specific products dropped by 7.2%  

– Furniture and home décor-related searches fell by 2.7%  

– Clothing and fashion queries decreased by 2.2%  

– Searches containing the word ‘best’ saw a reduction of 1.7%  

– How-to and instructional shopping searches decreased by 1.6%  

These decreases suggest that not all shopping-related queries are benefiting equally from the increasing prominence of AI Overviews in search results.

 

Early Stage Research Intent

In October, another key AIO trend emerged: an increase in research-phase search queries and intent. This shift suggests that publishers who rely heavily on search traffic should monitor any potential drops, as these may correlate with a rise in AIO results tied to research-phase queries.

According to the October eCommerce AIO trends, a significant portion of AIO results were focused on providing broad knowledge-sharing content. In fact, 81.1% of the results were geared towards delivering general information, while only 1.4% provided step-by-step guidance. This demonstrates that AIOs tend to prioritise educational content over specific how-to instructions.

Additionally, AIOs in October showed a strong preference for early-journey content structures. Nearly 40% of AIOs used list formats, which are easier to scan, aligning with the trend of providing broad explanations. This reflects a growing emphasis on content that is organised for information gathering, ensuring users can gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

 

Takeaways

BrightEdge’s research provides valuable insights into the types of content that Google’s AI Overviews are prioritising, particularly as the holiday shopping season, starting with Black Friday, approaches. Changes in traffic patterns may be linked to updates in the types of queries triggering AIO results, coupled with a rise in advertising. The increase in the size of AIO panels could also be pushing organic results further down the page.

It’s important to note that organic results have not been the primary focus for over a decade now. In fact, thinking solely in terms of the traditional “ten blue links” is increasingly outdated. This is why BrightEdge’s data is particularly significant—it reveals what is actually happening in the search results and how the landscape is evolving.