Have you noticed that your Google Ads seem to be underperforming lately? That your hard-earned organic position isn’t generating as many clicks as it used to? You’re not alone. The culprit has a name: AI Overviews.

Ever since Google rolled out its AI-generated summaries at the top of results pages, the SEO landscape has been turned upside down. These boxes that synthesize information directly in the SERPs mechanically push everything else down – including your valuable paid ads and organic results.

At DS Overseas, we keep a close eye on these developments, which have a direct impact on our customers’ visibility. Here are the keys to ensuring you don’t lose your place at the top.

🎯 Key points to remember

• AI Overviews take up considerable space at the top of Google results, pushing ads and organic results further down the page.
• The impact is even greater on mobile, where display space is limited.
• Click-through rates drop by 50% when an AI Overview is displayed, even for sites cited as sources.
• Complex informational queries more often trigger these AI insights, while transactional queries remain relatively unaffected.
• Adapting your SEO/SEA strategy is essential: long tail, device bidding and AEO-optimized content are your new weapons.

What exactly are AI Overviews?

AI Overviews (formerly known as SGE for Search Generative Experience) are summaries automatically generated by Google’s artificial intelligence. In concrete terms, when you type in a complex query such as “how to optimize my SEO strategy in 2026”, Google no longer simply displays a list of links.

Instead, a box appears at the top of the page with a synthesized answer, compiled from several web sources. Convenient for the user, but a real headache for advertisers and SEO specialists.

These AI Overviews are mainly triggered by informational queries – those starting with “how”, “why”, “what”. By contrast, simple transactional queries (“buy iPhone 16”, “book Tunis hotel”) continue to favor traditional results and Shopping ads.

The real impact on the position of your ads

Let’s talk numbers, because that’s where it hurts. According to the latest industry studies, click-through rates drop by 50% when an AI Overview is displayed on a query. Yes, you read that right: half the potential clicks disappear.

Why should we? Three main reasons:

1. The user gets the answer without clicking – that’s what these summaries are all about: providing information directly in Google.
2. Your ads are pushed below the waterline – On desktop, this is already problematic. On mobile, it’s catastrophic.
3. Trust in AI – Users perceive these summaries as a reliable source, reducing their need to explore other results.

The special case of cell phones

On mobile, display space is limited. An AI Overview can easily occupy the entire visible screen, forcing the user to scroll to see your first ad. And we know that every additional scroll results in lost conversions.

For Google Ads campaigns, this means that even a “1” position no longer guarantees the immediate visibility you’re paying for. Your CPC remains the same, but your actual visibility decreases.

How can you adapt your ATS strategy to AI Overviews?

No need to panic. There are concrete ways to maintain – and even improve – your advertising performance in this new context.

1. Focus on transactional queries and the long tail

AI Overviews mainly target informational queries. If you focus your bids on keywords with clear purchase intent and very specific long-tail expressions, you avoid much of the competition with AI.

For example, instead of targeting “digital marketing agency”, choose “B2B digital marketing agency Tunisia” or ” Google Ads campaign quote “.

2. Tailor your bids by device

Since the impact is greater on mobile, adjust your bid modifiers accordingly. Test more aggressive bidding on desktop, where your ads remain more visible, and optimize your mobile budget differently.

3. Make your ads irresistible

In the face of an AI summary that already gives “the answer”, your ad must offer something more:

• A unique value proposition (special offer, warranty, expertise)
• Rich ad extensions (additional links, site extracts, calls)
• Emotional copywriting that goes beyond mere factual information

AI can summarize facts. It can’t create desire.

AEO: your new SEO priority

We talk a lot about SEO, but have you ever heard ofAEO? Answer Engine Optimization is the art of optimizing your content to be selected as a source by answer engines – including AI Overviews.

Grounding links: your new Holy Grail

AI Overviews include “grounding links” – links to the sources used to generate the answer. Being quoted in these overviews means potentially recovering some of the lost traffic.

How to optimize for AEO?

1. Create content that effectively synthesizes information – Google favors sources that respond clearly and in a structured way.
2. Use appropriate formats – bulleted lists, comparative tables, structured FAQs. These formats are more easily “digestible” by AI.
3. Work on your thematic authority – The more your site is recognized as an expert on a subject, the more likely it is to be selected as a source.
4. Optimize for specific questions – Identify the questions your audience is asking and answer them directly in your content.

At DS Overseas, we now integrateAEO into all our content strategies. It’s become a must.

Should we be worried about the future of the ATS?

Let’s be honest: AI Overviews aren’t going away. Google is investing heavily inAI, and this trend is set to continue. But that doesn’t mean the end of paid search.

What’s new :

• The battle for attention gets more intense
• Success metrics are evolving (raw CTR is no longer sufficient)
• Quality of targeting takes precedence over volume

Which remains true:

• Queries with strong commercial intent remain profitable
• Audiences actively looking to buy always click on ads
• A differentiating message always makes a difference

DS Overseas: your partner for navigating this new landscape

Faced with these changes, improvisation is not an option. At DS Overseas, our team monitors changes in Google algorithms on a daily basis, and adapts our customers’ strategies accordingly.

What we can do for you :

• AI Overviews visibility audit – Identify which queries in your industry trigger AI overviews
• Customized SEA Optimization – Restructuring your campaigns to maximize ROI despite AI Overviews
• Customized AEO strategy – Creating optimized content to be cited as a source by Google
• Ongoing monitoring and adjustments – Because the landscape changes every month

Conclusion: adapt or disappear

AI Overviews represent a major change in the way Google displays information. For companies that depend on search engine optimization – whether paid or organic – ignoring this development would be a strategic mistake.

The good news? Those who adapt now will get a head start on their competitors. By combining a refined SEA strategy, a solid AEO approach and quality content, you can not only maintain your visibility, but also take advantage of it to stand out from the crowd.

Ready to adapt your digital strategy to the new rules of the game? Contact the DS Overseas team – that’s what we’re here for. 🚀