Dofollow Digest #14: How AI overviews are impacting SEO

Hey, it's Eric 👋

Just read an insightful meta-analysis of AI overviews that I think you'll find valuable. After analyzing 19 different studies, we now have clear data about how these AI-powered search results are impacting SEO.

Speaking of data, we're seeing some interesting patterns in how our SaaS clients are adapting to these changes. I'll break down what's working (and what isn't) below.

🔗 LINK ROUNDUP

• Advanced Technical SEO: A Complete Guide

• Advanced Link Building Strategies For National, International & Local

• How Can You Begin To Rank In New Markets (Local, National, International)

• Advanced SEO: How to Level Up Your Keyword Strategy

• Ask An SEO: How Should Ecommerce Stores Deal With The Arrival Of AI Overviews?

🔍 DEEP DIVE: AI Overviews aren't killing SEO (but they are changing the game)

Kevin Indig (also a buddy of mine and someone I look up to re: all things SEO) just published a comprehensive analysis of 19 different studies on AI Overviews, and the findings are fascinating – especially for SaaS companies.

Here's what stands out: According to the latest data, AI Overviews appear in only 4.5-6.7% of searches. That's actually lower than the 12.5-42% we saw when they first launched.

But here's where it gets interesting for SaaS companies:

The impact varies dramatically by industry. Technology-related searches show AI Overviews 17-23% of the time, while some YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) categories like health see them up to 67% of the time. This creates a unique opportunity for software companies that can effectively target commercial intent.

The data shows that commercial and transactional keywords rarely trigger AI Overviews (only about 3% of the time). Instead, these summaries primarily appear for informational queries – especially long-tail questions that historically drove top-of-funnel traffic.

What this means for SaaS companies:

1. Bottom-of-funnel content is safe. If you're creating content targeting purchase-intent keywords (like "best CRM software" or "marketing automation tools"), AI Overviews aren't likely to impact your visibility.

2. Citation is the new ranking. When AI Overviews do appear, being cited within them can actually increase your click-through rate from 0.74% to 1.02%. Google typically includes 5-8 citations per overview, creating a new optimization opportunity.

3. The format matters more than ever. The data shows that 61% of AI Overviews are unordered lists, with an average length of 90-170 words. This suggests that clear, concise, list-based content might be cited better.

Our Take:

We see AI Overviews as an opportunity to focus on what consistently delivers results: creating high-quality, authoritative content that serves real user needs. The key is being strategic about where you focus your efforts.

For our SaaS clients, we're now recommending a two-track approach:

• Optimize commercial content for traditional search rankings

• Structure informational content for AI Overview citations

This shift actually plays to the strengths of SaaS companies, who typically have deep technical expertise and unique data to share. The key is packaging that knowledge so that Google's AI can easily reference and cite.

📣 February availability update

We have 2 spots opening up for February. If you'd like to learn more about how we can help your SaaS company adapt to these changes, book a call here.

Til next time,

Eric