Google has changed how search works, and it is costing businesses traffic. Its new AI Overviews often answer questions directly on the results page, meaning fewer people click through to your site, even if you are still ranked #1. For local businesses, from law firms to plumbers to wedding vendors, this can mean a 15 to 30 percent drop in website traffic overnight (Search Engine Journal). Carla’s Vanishing Traffic One Wednesday morning in Tyler, Texas, Carla, a personal injury lawyer who had built her practice on reputation, hard work, and a #1 Google ranking, opened her laptop. Her analytics looked like a ski slope: months of steady traffic followed by a sharp plunge in early spring. Her reviews? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Her ads? Still running. Her SEO report? Still showing her #1 for “Tyler truck accident lawyer.” So, she called her consultant. “Nothing’s broken,” he said. “You’re still number one.”
“Then where,” she asked, “did everybody go?” “Nothing’s broken,” he said. “You’re still number one.” “Then where,” she asked, “did everybody go?” When the Answer Arrives Before the Question Ends Carla’s potential clients had not stopped searching. Google had changed the way it answered them. For twenty years, search worked like this: You typed a question
Google showed “ten blue links”
You clicked a site You typed a question Google showed “ten blue links” You clicked a site Now you type, and the answer appears before you finish asking. A confident paragraph, built by Google’s generative AI, appears above the traditional results. If your business is not mentioned in that summary, your hard-earned #1 might as well be on page two. The Numbers Behind the Shift 34.5 percent drop in clicks to the top organic result when an AI Overview appears (Ahrefs)
15 to 30 percent traffic loss in local service industries like law, home services, and events 34.5 percent drop in clicks to the top organic result when an AI Overview appears (Ahrefs) 15 to 30 percent traffic loss in local service industries like law, home services, and events What This Means for Local Search Imagine searching in Longview, TX for: “Best personal injury lawyer in East Texas” “What to do after an 18-wheeler accident in Tyler” “How much is my truck accident case worth?” A year ago, those searches likely meant a click to your website. Today, they might be fully answered in the AI box, and if your business is not in that box, the customer never meets you. How to Compete in the Age of AI Overviews AI Search Optimization, also called Generative Engine Optimization, is about becoming a source Google’s AI trusts enough to cite. Here are the key actions you can take right now: 1 . Audit Your Keywords Search your main keywords (for example, “truck accident lawyer Tyler”)
If an AI Overview appears, check if you are cited
If you are not, that is your first gap to close Search your main keywords (for example, “truck accident lawyer Tyler”) If an AI Overview appears, check if you are cited If you are not, that is your first gap to close 2. Write for the Machine Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and FAQ sections
Add code that tells Google exactly what your page is about (FAQPage and LocalBusiness schema)
Create snippet-ready content: bullet lists, definitions, and location-specific answers Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and FAQ sections Add code that tells Google exactly what your page is about (FAQPage and LocalBusiness schema) Create snippet-ready content: bullet lists, definitions, and location-specific answers 3. Strengthen Local Signals Keep your Google Business Profile updated with new photos, posts, and offers


Make sure your business info matches across directories


Ask real customers to leave detailed, keyword-rich reviews


Track the Right Metrics Do not just watch keyword rankings. Track: Keep your Google Business Profile updated with new photos, posts, and offers Keep your Google Business Profile updated with new photos, posts, and offers Make sure your business info matches across directories Make sure your business info matches across directories Ask real customers to leave detailed, keyword-rich reviews Ask real customers to leave detailed, keyword-rich reviews Track the Right Metrics Do not just watch keyword rankings. Track: Track the Right Metrics Do not just watch keyword rankings. Track: 4. Track the Right Metrics Do not just watch keyword rankings. Track:

How often AI cites you
Mentions of your brand in AI summaries
Engagement from searches that start in AI Do not just watch keyword rankings. Track:

How often AI cites you
Mentions of your brand in AI summaries
Engagement from searches that start in AI Do not just watch keyword rankings. Track: How often AI cites you
Mentions of your brand in AI summaries
Engagement from searches that start in AI How often AI cites you Mentions of your brand in AI summaries Engagement from searches that start in AI Why You Should Not Wait AI Overviews are the new normal. Waiting until traffic drops 30 percent makes recovery harder. The winners will appear twice: once in the AI Overview and again in the traditional results. That means more visibility, more trust, and more opportunities to convert. Carla’s Recovery Two months after making AI-friendly content updates, adding schema, refreshing her Google Business Profile weekly, and reinforcing local signals, Carla’s analytics no longer looked like a ski slope. They looked like a climb. Key Takeaway In the age of AI Overviews, visibility is no longer just about ranking high. It is about becoming the voice the algorithm trusts enough to quote.

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The Fading Click and the Fresh Rules of Online Visibility

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