Search engine optimization (SEO) success hinges on your position on Google and other search engines, but artificial intelligence (AI) is complicating the process. Instead of listing sponsored search results followed by the top organic hits, Google now offers AI Overviews that break down each search in detail. 

Formerly known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), Google’s AI Overviews were launched in May 2024. This feature aims to give users quick, high-level overviews in response to their searches based on keywords and intent. So, what does this mean for your SEO efforts? Let’s break it down. 

How AI Overviews Work

Powered by Google’s AI assistant Gemini, AI Overviews compile information from multiple organic search results to summarize an answer to a complex question. An AI Overview shows up in position zero atop the sponsored and organic search results.

Since AI Overviews cite their sources, your website should show up as a clickable link or in a sidebar if the bot used you as a source. 

When AI Overviews Appear

AI Overviews don’t appear in all internet searches. They’re usually triggered by complex informational and question-based searches such as “How do I fix a drain?” or “What is the best sleeping position for back pain?”

Google is still modifying AI Overviews based on users’ experiences and feedback, but it seems focused on complexity. The company highlights how Google AI Search can answer multiple questions from a single query, so you don’t have to search for two different answers.

For example, if someone wants to find “the best car dealership near me that also offers in-house financing,” Google’s AI Overviews would make a list of places that meet both these criteria. 

Impact on Search Behavior

Companies like yours have had to adapt to shifting user behavior driven by AI Overviews. The tool has led to an uptick in “zero-click” searches, or searches where the user’s question is answered without clicking on a website.

Zero-click searches can impact your organic traffic, since a user doesn’t have to visit your site to get the information they need. Even if AI Overviews cite your website and provide a link, a user probably won’t click it if they can find what they need in the AI outline. 

Implications for SEO and Content Creators

Traditional SEO techniques won’t always work as AI takes over the internet. To drive people to your website in the AI era, you need AI SEO or AIO (AI Optimization). Since AI prioritizes providing high-quality answers to a user based on their search intent, you need to level up your content. 

AIO involves creating high-value content that is relevant to specific internet searches and optimizing it so AI can find it. Your content should be authoritative and credible so that Google Gemini and other AI tools can match it to queries. 

Writing with user searches in mind also improves your chances of being cited as a source in AI Overviews. Even if a user doesn’t click on your site, your brand name still appears in their results. You also boost your reputation as an expert in your field. 

Improve your chances of being cited as a source by writing content with user intent in mind. Include frequently asked questions in your blog posts and other content so AI sees your site as a credible match to these queries. 

Optimize your content for AI by using a conversational tone and making your content easy to scan. Use clear headings, bullet points, and other features that clearly communicate structure. Start considering topics related to your expertise rather than focusing on keywords. 

Adapt Your SEO for AI Searches

As AI use increases, you need to add it to your SEO strategy. Along with traditional principles such as keyword research and authoritative content, you need to consider how an AI algorithm will find your site. 

Focus on creating authoritative, original, and relevant content that matters to your potential customers. If you’re not sure how to get started optimizing your site for AI Overviews, contact Motoza. Our SEO specialists understand AI and zero-click searches. We will work with you to develop a strategy that helps you stand out online, even in an AI-dominated landscape. Contact us today to learn more. 

Imagine a “typical” web search in 2005, 2015, or even 2020: heading straight to Google and typing simple keywords into the search bar. This produced pages of results, which users explored at their leisure.

For years, this straightforward process has represented the status quo in digital marketing. So much so that you can even call it a verb, ‘just Google it’. Algorithms changed periodically, but the basic mechanisms underscoring user searches remained consistent: a classic, text-based search, leading to classic, text-based webpages. Add a few visuals and some strategically integrated keywords, and you have an easy recipe for SEO success.

In 2025, however, search experiences look dramatically different. Today’s users aren’t content to stick with tried-and-tested text searches. They prefer convenient and engaging alternatives, such as voice search, AI-powered results, and immersive online experiences. These new search trends may become the new norm, reflecting a blend of evolving technologies and heightened consumer expectations. 

What does this mean for brands and businesses wanting to actively engage in SEO? Simply put, the strategies that paid dividends a few short years ago may fail to capture the attention of the modern user. 

The good news? Emerging web browsing trends bring exciting opportunities for connecting with consumers. We’ll explore these developments below, briefly explaining “how do people browse websites in 2025”, and how should brands adjust their digital marketing strategies?

Multi-Modal Interactions

Text-based searches once dominated the digital landscape, and still do. However, users are increasingly preferring the comparative convenience of voice- and gesture-based browsing. 

Differences between text and voice search go beyond input methods; multi-modal strategies also determine which types of keywords users select and how they follow up on search results. 

While traditional text searches favor short-tail keywords, such as a quick keyword like ‘best Austin plumber’, voice search is more conversational, with users asking full-blown questions to Google AI and other LLMs. Imagine a business owner asking an assistant to help find something, like, ‘Hey, can you find me the best plumber around town?’ While the intent remains the same, the input data differs, and sites must adapt accordingly.

Once they arrive at relevant websites, users rely on gesture-based user interfaces to navigate via tapping, dragging, or swiping. Businesses need to consider these multi-modal interactions when crafting their messaging strategy and designing their websites. Think of people ‘talking’ to their mobile devices, then swiping around with their fingers. It’s different than pointing and clicking on an old monitor. 

Attention Patterns

Fragmented attention spans spark concerns among many digital skeptics who worry that today’s users struggle to engage fully with content. Arguably brought on by social media, today’s world can sit and pay attention for more than a few seconds before swiping ahead. Short attention spans prompt endless swiping, with users rarely pausing long enough to absorb brand messaging. 

As attention becomes even more fragmented, long-form content may struggle to capture users’ attention as quickly or decisively as its punchier, shorter-form counterparts. Think of the rise of TikTok and Instagram short videos, which capture the attention of a user in seconds rather than minutes.

That being said, long-form content is far from dead, as longer videos and articles can succeed if they offer great insights that feel relevant and actionable. They just need a little extra work to get people to engage.

Marketers may yearn for the long-lost days of extended attention spans. Still, unfortunately, we have to encourage businesses to adapt to the new normal, adjusting their content to reflect users’ brief bursts of engagement. This calls for multiple engagements — content split into smaller chunks, for example, along with retargeting and frequent reminders. Think of creating ‘YouTube Shorts’, or TikTok videos, of a few seconds that ‘preview’ the longer content you’re promoting. Get them in the door, and hope they stay to watch the rest. 

On the topic of the evolving digital decision-making process, check out Google’s insights on the emerging 4S model: streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping. Today’s internet searchers face near-constant media consumption, fueling an endless search for inspiration. Intent-focused search reflects the modern consumer’s preference for focusing their limited attention spans toward concepts or brands that feel relevant to them.  

In today’s search world, it’s essential to be as targeted as possible, providing people with exactly what they need as quickly as possible. 

AI-Mediated Web Experience

Many users now bypass traditional search engines altogether and instead look for information via AI platforms like ChatGPT or Gemini. Some users even rely on AI to summarize long-form content, such as videos and articles, rather than reading it themselves. 

Google now offers AI Overviews for quick summaries and AI Mode for a deeper dive. Plus, other AI tools help filter content so you only see what really matters to you.

AI is also baked into Google’s famous algorithm, which figures out how words connect to ideas. This model, called RankBrain, helps Google truly understand what you’re looking for. It’s how they connect the dots to give you the super-relevant, personalized results you expect these days.

Answer engine optimization helps you show up in AI-powered search engines, giving users instant “zero-click” answers. Sure, this might mean less traffic, but the potential is massive: quick, easy solutions that give users exactly what they’re looking for right away. AEO continues to grow, and as the industry learns more, agencies like Motoza will continuously adapt our strategies to implement AEO into our campaigns. 

Experience Expectations 

Today’s users have high expectations. They’ve grown accustomed to seamless browsing experiences and won’t settle for less. Few are willing to wait for pages to load, with impatient users departing at the first sign of delay.

Friction-free experiences are crucial, encompassing not only speedy page loads, but also easy-to-follow navigation. Any perceived trouble will lead to a loss in conversions, and ultimately, a breakdown in hard-earned user trust.

Personalization is also a critical part of the picture. Driven in part by AI solutions, today’s personalized experiences help extend otherwise short attention spans by delivering content that allows users to connect on a deeper, more emotional level.

Immersive elements, once regarded as a fun bonus, are now expected, delivering richer online experiences. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) enhance this feeling of immersion, transforming once-simple search results into an engaging journey of discovery.  Obviously this doesn’t apply to most businesses, but the future could bring AR to the masses and affect search trends in the coming years.

Conclusion: Adapting to the New Web User

The modern web user is demanding, discerning, and digitally fluent. They know what they want, and understand the technology to find it. It’s a challenging new world but also exciting to be a part of it. As AI-powered solutions continue to evolve, search experiences will become more intuitive, immersive, and downright exciting. 

Adapting to this new normal begins with shifting your mindset, framing contemporary obstacles as opportunities to connect, and taking steps to refine your search strategy. Motoza’s SEO expertise can guide you every step of the way. Get in touch today to learn about our process and start growing your business.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is causing massive shifts in business operations, including digital marketing. While search has been king for a while, people are gradually shifting to generative AI as a primary online search tool. In 2024, about 15 million adults used AI-powered tools, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews, to search online. Answer engine optimization (AEO), also referred to as Generative Search or Artificial Intelligence Optimization (AIO), is a vital tool to adapt to changing customer preferences and improve your online visibility. 

Let’s dive in.

What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?

AEO is a strategy aimed at creating content that delivers zero-click answers to AI-powered search engine queries. What exactly does this mean? Well, Google, like many other popular web portals, is starting to integrate AI-powered answers directly on their platform, an alternative to having you click out to a search result to get your answer (hence the term ‘zero-click’). Take the following example, which would provide a user with the answer directly on Google (using sources like your own website).

While this can, and likely will, reduce the amount of traffic that ends up on sites, it opens an opportunity for businesses to create content that directly answers these search queries.

For example, if you run a plumbing company, create content that directly answers common questions such as “How to fix a clogged drain,” or “Why is my sink leaking?” Hopefully, snippets of your content will appear as answers to these questions. 

AEO also involves optimizing your content for user intent, rather than focusing on keywords. 

How Is AEO Related to Traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? 

While you could argue that AI is the ‘death of SEO,’ we believe that AEO is intended to enhance traditional SEO. Your SEO strategy still keeps you visible to the vast majority of internet users based on what they type into a search engine. AI simply is finding more streamlined ways to show ‘the most relevant answer’ which is what SEO has been about for the past several years.

AEO and SEO are also appropriate strategies for voice searches. 

For example, if a person searches via voice, “How to fix a clogged drain” using generative AI, AEO could put your answer in front of them. However, if a person asks their phone assistant to “look for plumbers near me,” SEO strategies will still help you appear prominently in search results. 

Why Does AEO Matter Now? 

As Google and other search engines have adapted to the growing popularity of generative AI for search queries, the visibility of search engine results pages (SERPs) is declining. Users prefer direct answers to their questions as well as zero-click searches, and Google is starting to show this.

Throughout the years, SERPs have evolved, with local listings (maps), common questions, rich snippets, and more. AI overviews are simply one more step in the evolution. 

Core AEO Strategies

Follow these strategies to optimize your online presence for answer-based searches. 

Question-Focused Content Development

Use keyword research and user intent research to make a list of questions your customers may be asking. In the first section of your content, answer the question concisely and bold it. Structure each piece of content so it’s easy to scan with subheadings, bullets, and numbered lists. 

Address follow-up questions in your content, and use visual aids to make your content more appealing. 

At Motoza, we have been focusing on user-intent aligned content for almost a decade. Understanding that the days of ‘SEO content’ were numbered, we feel confident our strategies are ideally suited for whatever is to come in the next phase of AEO. 

Structured Data for Answer Eligibility

Adding rich snippets, featured snippets, and other structured data gives search engines and AI algorithms a better idea of what the content on your site actually means. It also establishes your site as a valid source of answers to inquiries if you structure it correctly. 

While not guaranteed, structured data has been shown to be a potent tool in the early days of AI search.

Natural Language Optimization

Write your content using a conversational tone that matches the user’s intent, context, and sentiment. Always write clearly and concisely so your answers are more likely to pop up in search results. Just like we’ve advised forever, incorporate keywords and related phrases in a natural, organic way. 

For example, if you own an Austin-area jewelry store, incorporate words such as “artisan,” “unique,” and “craftsmanship” throughout your content to help AI put your website into context based on a user’s search intent. It doesn’t have to be exact keywords, and definitely not unnatural. Write for your audience, not Google.

Use Multiple Answer Formats

People searching for you online likely use various techniques, from voice search to text to visual search. Keep this in mind when you’re formatting your answers. Use high-quality images and videos, add descriptions in your alt text for visual searches, and target long-tail keywords for voice and text searches. 

How To Measure AEO Performance

Data privacy concerns can make it hard to directly attribute website traffic and conversions to answer-first platforms. Use a multi-touch attribution model to assign credit to snippets when you can’t access key performance indicators. For example, if you see an uptick in website traffic after reformatting your FAQs, assign partial credit to your AEO efforts. 

Assess your success with your snippet capture rate, or the percentage of searches in which you were the first snippet. Also, measure featured snippet performance and competitor benchmarking to see how you stack up in your industry. 

Measure these performance indicators as part of your overall SEO to get a holistic sense of your brand visibility. 

Answer-first environments don’t always showcase your brand in search results, even if they can drive traffic to your site. Stay on top of your SEO strategy to make sure your brand is still highly visible online to balance increased traffic with brand recognition. 

How To Implement an AEO Strategy

Start by auditing your website and existing content to see where you can provide high-value answers. Restructure your content to answer the most high-value topics. Update relevant content using the answer-first approach and keep your content updated. 

Create FAQ pages and answer common questions in a structured way. Add structured data to these pages so they are eligible to become snippets. When implementing your AEO strategy, consider how crawlers and other technologies can understand your page. 

Future of Search and Answers

As AI evolves, search and answer engines will likely work in tandem to provide direct answers and summarize information for users. You can prepare for these and other advances by choosing high-value questions and answering them with a combination of text, images, and video. 

Although AI can answer customer questions, nothing matches your learned experience. Make sure you’re always reviewing your answers for clarity and accuracy.  Prepare yourself for long-term success by answering the questions that offer the best value to your readers and consistently creating high-quality content. 

Prepare Yourself for the Future of AI 

AEO is becoming crucial for all businesses as users shift how they look for you online. Let Motoza guide you through an SEO strategy that incorporates AEO in a meaningful way. We will refine and deploy your AEO strategy to boost your online visibility and help you target valuable zero-click searches. 

Contact us now to get started.