In May 2024 Google released a new Gemini-branded version of generative AI customised for Google Search. This new model of searching uses expanded AI Overviews, together with more planning and research capabilities and AI-organised search results, to help searchers get to results faster.
Sometimes a quick answer to a search query is required, but there isn’t the time to piece together all the information that’s needed by using standard search. With AI Overviews, search will do that work.
Google has found that people like that they can get both a quick overview of a topic and links to learn more. They’ve found that with AI Overviews, people tend to search more and are more satisfied with the results.
With AI Overviews, people are visiting a greater diversity of websites for help with more complex questions. Also, the links included in AI Overviews get more clicks than if the page had appeared as a traditional web listing for that query. (As always, ads will continue to appear in dedicated slots throughout the page, with clear labeling to distinguish between organic and sponsored results).
With the custom Gemini model’s multi-step reasoning capabilities, AI Overviews will help with increasingly complex questions. Rather than breaking a question into multiple searches, it’ll be possible to ask the most complex questions
For example, when looking for a new yoga or pilates studio and you want one that’s popular with locals, conveniently located for a commute and also offers a discount for new members. Soon, with just one search, it’ll be possible to ask something like “find the best yoga or pilates studios in Sydney and show me details on their intro offers, and walking time from Sydney.”
Meal and trip planning are other examples of its use, and searching with video will be available soon.
In the near future, when you’re looking for ideas, Search will use generative AI to brainstorm with you and create an AI-organised results page that makes it easy to explore. You’ll see helpful results categorised under unique, AI-generated headlines, featuring a wide range of perspectives and content types.
Google is combining the very best of Search today with the Gemini model’s advanced capabilities. Soon, Google will do the searching, simplifying, researching, planning, brainstorming and so much more.
This development may become a good option for searchers, but from an SEO perspective, this may start to limit the visibility for website’s to appear in the search results and attract clicks, particularly for informational type searches. Google will still be taking information from online sources, but combining it into a single result, sometimes with links and references, but potentially reducing the clicks being generated from search.
Currently, AI Overviews has been launched in the U.S., with more countries coming soon. You can read more about generative AI Google Search.
If you want to know how this enhanced search capability can help you, please get in touch.