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  • Dofollow Digest #25: AI overview study + webinar w/Kevin Indig

Dofollow Digest #25: AI overview study + webinar w/Kevin Indig

Author

Eric Carrell
May 09, 2025

Hey, it's Eric đź‘‹

The transformation of search continues — AI Overviews are now fully live in Google Search, and they're changing how users interact with results. I've been analyzing what this means specifically for SaaS companies and their link building strategies.

The short version? When Google answers queries directly at the top of search results, visibility depends less on rankings and more on whether your content gets cited as a trusted source. I'll explore what this means for your strategy below, including some tactical shifts we're implementing with our clients.

📣 Webinar: How Google’s AI Overviews Are Rewriting the Rules of Visibility w/Kevin Indig

Zero-click is the new default—and we’ve got the real user data to prove it. Google’s AI Overviews are changing the SERP game fast. To understand the true impact, Kevin Indig and Eric Van Buskir tracked 70+ users across 400+ searches—monitoring scrolls, clicks, dwell time, and even emotional reactions (!). The findings are game-changing.

This is the first-ever usability study on AI Overviews. Join us for a fast-paced, insight-packed 45-minute session with a deep dive on:

  • Real data on click loss from Google’s AI Overviews

  • How to get seen in the “skim zone”

  • Why Share of Voice matters more than CTR

  • The new role of Reddit, YouTube & forums

  • What to track when clicks disappear

Wed, May 14 | 11am ET / 5pm CEST - Save your spot → https://lu.ma/7u92t5fd

🔍 DEEP DIVE: Adapting SaaS Link Building for AI Overviews

Google's AI Overviews have evolved from an experiment into a central feature of search. Unlike the early versions that were often confusing, today's AI Overviews provide clear answers directly in search results — often eliminating the need for users to click through to websites.

What this means for visibility: When Google answers queries directly at the top of search results, the traditional SEO goal of "ranking #1" becomes less valuable. Instead, what matters is whether your content gets cited as a source in these AI-generated answers.

This shift has particular implications for SaaS companies, who often rely heavily on educational content to drive top-of-funnel traffic. Here's how we're adapting our approach:

1. Prioritizing authority over volume

AI Overviews prioritize trusted, high-authority sources with strong E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness). For SaaS companies, this means:

  • Building topical authority is now more important than targeting isolated keywords

  • Expert-authored content carries more weight than generic marketing copy

  • Backlinks from reputable industry sources matter more than ever

We're seeing this play out with our clients already. One SaaS platform in the HR space saw their content cited in AI Overviews 3x more frequently after we helped them secure guest posts from recognized industry experts on high-authority industry publications.

2. Shifting content strategy from "what" to "why" and "how"

Simple informational queries (the "what" questions) are prime targets for AI Overviews to answer directly. However, deeper analysis and expert perspectives (the "why" and "how" content) still drive clicks.

For SaaS companies, this means:

  • Basic how-to content is increasingly likely to be summarized by AI without clicks

  • Complex problem-solving content that requires nuance and depth still drives traffic

  • Original research and data become powerful differentiators that AI will cite

We're advising our SaaS clients to focus less on basic definitional content and more on complex, multi-faceted topics where their unique expertise shines through.

3. Link building for AI visibility

The foundations of good link building haven't changed, but the emphasis has shifted:

  • Relevance trumps domain authority — links from highly relevant industry sources now carry more weight for AI Overview inclusion

  • Expert bylines matter more — content from recognized experts in your industry is more likely to be cited

  • Link diversity is crucial — varied, natural link profiles signal real authority to AI systems

What SaaS companies should do now:

  1. Audit your content for topics likely to be answered directly by AI Overviews — these may need to be repurposed or expanded

  2. Build genuine expertise signals by connecting with industry thought leaders for collaboration

  3. Focus link building efforts on securing placements in publications that Google already cites frequently in AI Overviews

  4. Enhance your on-site content with structured data, clear headings, and question-based formats that make it easy for AI to read and reference

The opportunity hidden in the challenge

While AI Overviews may reduce some direct traffic, they also create a new opportunity for SaaS companies. Being cited as a source in AI-generated answers is essentially a new form of visibility — one that signals authority to users who may click through for deeper insights.

For SaaS companies that can establish themselves as the authoritative source in their niche, AI Overviews may actually amplify their reach rather than diminish it. The key is shifting from quantity-focused SEO to authority-building strategies that align with how AI selects and presents information.

This is why we're doubling down on helping our SaaS clients build genuine authority through strategic content placements on high-quality, relevant sites. In a world where AI decides which sources to trust, authentic expertise and quality backlinks matter more than ever.

đź”— LINK ROUNDUP

Til next time,

Eric