Dofollow Digest #37: Why non-AI Overview keywords still matter more

Hey, it's Eric 👋

Just wrapped up reading some fascinating research from Ahrefs about AI Overviews, and there's a data point that's got me thinking about how SaaS companies should approach their SEO strategy in 2025.

The headline stat: AI Overview keywords have 8x less traffic potential than regular search results. While everyone's obsessing over optimizing for AI Overviews, they might be missing the bigger picture.

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🔍 DEEP DIVE: Why Non-AI Overview Keywords Still Matter More

Louise Linehan's analysis of 300,000 keywords reveals something interesting: while AI Overviews get all the attention, traditional search results still drive significantly more traffic.

The numbers tell a clear story. AI Overview keywords have a median traffic potential of just 2,200 monthly visits, while non-AIO keywords average 18,000. That's an 8x difference in potential reach.

But there’s a catch… and why this matters for your link building strategy.

Non-AIO keywords are significantly harder to rank for. The research shows they have a median Keyword Difficulty of 33 compared to just 12 for AI Overview keywords. To crack the top 10 for these high-traffic terms, you need an average of 41 referring domains versus only 13 for AIO keywords.

This creates an interesting strategic choice for SaaS companies. You can chase the easier AI Overview keywords with lower competition and traffic potential, or you can invest in the link building needed to compete for the high-traffic traditional results.

Most companies are taking the easy path, focusing their content efforts on long-tail, low-competition keywords that trigger AI Overviews. It makes sense – these keywords are easier to rank for and seem like the "future" of search.

But while your competitors optimize for AI summaries, there's a massive opportunity sitting in plain sight: those high-traffic, high-difficulty keywords that everyone's avoiding because they require real authority to rank.

Here's what we're seeing work:

SaaS companies that invest in quality link building can systematically target these higher-difficulty keywords that their competitors can't touch. When you have 40+ referring domains pointing to your content, you can compete for search terms with 10x the traffic potential.

The research also shows that 99.2% of AI Overview keywords are informational, while traditional results have double the commercial and transactional intent. That means non-AIO keywords aren't just higher traffic – they're higher converting traffic.

For SaaS companies, this data suggests a two-pronged approach: create great content for both types of keywords, but recognize that the biggest opportunities still require serious link building investment. While AI Overviews might be the future, traditional search results are still where the traffic lives today.

The companies winning in 2025 won't be the ones chasing every new search feature. They'll be the ones building the authority needed to compete where the real traffic and conversions happen.

🔗 LINK ROUNDUP

• I Analyzed 300K Keywords. Here's What I Learned About AI Overviews

• Evidence That Google Detects AI-Generated Content

• ChatGPT Search Creeps Closer to Google

• Using Gemini to get insight into Your E-E-A-T

• How Marketers Are Spending Their Money in 2025

Til next time,

Eric