Adapting to AI-Powered Search (Google’s SGE Era): How Bloggers Can Still Win

ByJohn Dawson

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), now live as AI Overviews, uses large language models to generate summaries directly in search results. In 2024, over 58% of U.S. searches ended without a click 1, and click-through rates dropped nearly 30% year over year 2. For bloggers, this means fewer easy clicks on broad informational queries.

To stay visible, bloggers need to:

  • Format posts with concise, extractable answers,
  • Build topical authority through clusters,
  • Emphasize real experience and author credibility (E-E-A-T), and
  • Diversify traffic sources (Pinterest, newsletters, social search).

These shifts are reshaping how readers discover content, and understanding them is the first step to adapting your blogging strategy.

Woman working on a desktop computer.

“A well-researched machine can make many average investors redundant, leaving behind only the really good human investors with exceptional intuition and skill.”

Stanley Druckenmiller

What Is Google’s SGE (AI Overviews)?

Why SGE Matters for Bloggers

How Google Chooses Sources

Practical Adaptation Strategies for Bloggers

Case Studies & Early Lessons

What This Means for Small Creators

Final Thought

FAQ: Blogging in the AI Search Era

What Is Google’s SGE (AI Overviews)?

Google rolled out AI Overviews in the U.S. in 2024 3. These are AI-generated summaries placed above traditional results. Instead of showing ten blue links, Google uses its Gemini model together with core ranking systems to produce an answer, then backs it with links to corroborating sources 4.

I’ve used AI Overviews countless times. From my perspective as a reader, they feel like a convenient shortcut. But as a creator, they often mean that your carefully written post gets bypassed, unless you’re one of the few links cited inside the AI box.

Why SGE Matters for Bloggers

The rise of Google’s Search Generative Experience has already reshaped user behavior. According to SparkToro, nearly 58.5% of U.S. searches in 2024 5 ended without a single click: a striking confirmation of the “zero-click” trend. Even when impressions increased, clicks did not follow. Data from BrightEdge shows that impressions jumped by 49% year over year, but click-through rates dropped by almost 30% 6.

The impact is not evenly distributed across industries. Google’s AI Overviews are far more common in information-dense fields like education and health, while e-commerce is less affected 7. For bloggers, especially in niches related to online income, the consequences are immediate: many queries now trigger AI summaries that cite multiple sites directly in the search box, reducing the likelihood that a reader will visit your blog.

How Google Chooses Sources

According to Google’s own documentation, AI Overviews are generated through a combination of the Gemini model and the company’s core ranking systems 8. The summaries are then backed up with links to high-quality pages that corroborate the information provided 9. Signals of authority and trust (what Google refers to as E-E-A-T), also play an important role. In practice, this means that concise, well-structured posts from sites with real depth and credibility stand a much better chance of being cited inside the AI box.

Screenshot of a Google search result screen showing AI overview summary.

Practical Adaptation Strategies for Bloggers

Write for humans, format for AI

The first step is to write with people in mind while formatting for AI. That means structuring your content so that it remains engaging and readable to humans, but also easy for Google’s systems to parse. Sections should often begin with a short definition or a few numbered steps, giving both readers and algorithms a clear takeaway right from the start (a format I’ve been following in most of my own articles).

Using question-style H2s (for example, “How do AI Overviews pick sources?”), makes the content more scannable and increases the chances of being pulled into an AI-generated summary. It also helps to include a “Key Takeaways” list early in the post, so that essential insights are visible upfront before readers scroll deeper.

Build topical authority

The second strategy is to build topical authority. Google and its AI Overviews tend to favor clusters of related content over isolated, one-off posts. Instead of publishing disconnected articles, it’s more effective to create a central hub page, such as “Future-Proof Blogging in 2025,” and link it to a series of supporting posts on subjects like AI, affiliate marketing, Pinterest, TikTok, and newsletters. This interconnected structure signals depth and expertise, making your content more likely to be recognized as authoritative.

Double down on E-E-A-T

A third way to adapt is to lean heavily on E-E-A-T by showing real experience and credibility. Instead of relying on generic explanations, demonstrate authority through concrete elements such as case studies, screenshots, or results from your own tests. Readers and search engines alike respond to this kind of proof. It also helps to include an author box with your credentials and links to supporting assets like your book or toolbox, which reinforces trust and expertise. Finally, make sure your posts display a clear “last updated” date. Even small updates send a freshness signal to Google and reassure readers that the content is current and reliable.

Use structured data wisely

In 2023, Google restricted the use of FAQ and HowTo rich results, reducing their visibility in search 10. However, structured data still plays a role. Schemas such as Article, Organization, and Author remain important signals that provide context about your content and help Google understand its credibility.

Diversify traffic

Another key strategy is to diversify your traffic sources rather than relying on Google alone. Social media platforms like Pinterest remain among the most powerful drivers of blog traffic (as I explain in this article), and should not be overlooked. At the same time, building a newsletter allows you to truly own your audience instead of being at the mercy of shifting algorithms. Finally, it’s worth experimenting with TikTok and Instagram search, since these platforms are where younger readers increasingly go to discover content today.

Case Studies & Early Lessons

Early evidence shows a clear pattern in how AI Overviews are reshaping traffic. One SEO agency, for example, reported that while impressions increased by nearly 49% after the rollout, clicks fell by about 30%, a sign that visibility no longer guarantees engagement 11.

At the same time, authority continues to play a decisive role. Sites organized around clear topical clusters and structured with FAQ-style formatting are more likely to be cited in AI results, even when they don’t rank in the top three positions.

Finally, experience matters. Posts that include original examples, real tests, and identifiable authors tend to perform better, underscoring Google’s emphasis on content that feels credible and grounded in real-world expertise 12.

What This Means for Small Creators

For independent creators, the takeaway is simple: don’t waste energy competing with Google on broad, generic queries like “what is blogging?” Those are precisely the kinds of questions AI is designed to answer. Instead, focus on areas where AI falls short: depth, originality, and personal perspective. These are the qualities that make human-created content stand out. And most importantly, use your posts to guide readers toward assets you control directly, such as your newsletter, book, or toolbox, where you can build a lasting relationship without relying on algorithms.

A working space with a deskptop computer set up in a home office and used for blogging.

Final Thought

Blogging isn’t dead, but it has entered a new phase. The rise of AI-powered search has raised the bar, removing the easy clicks once available through broad informational queries. Today, success comes from clarity, authority, and originality. Creators who adapt their formatting for AI, build strong topical clusters, and back up their claims with lived experience will continue to be cited and discovered, even as search evolves.

But adaptation goes beyond pleasing algorithms. The smartest bloggers are using this shift to strengthen what machines can’t replicate: human perspective, case studies rooted in real work, and communities built through direct channels like newsletters. In other words, visibility in the AI era will favor those who treat blogging not as a collection of posts, but as an interconnected system of expertise, storytelling, and trust.

The rules of search have changed, but the opportunity remains. If you can embrace depth, show your unique voice, and create assets that outlast the platforms, your blog can not only survive, it can thrive in the age of AI.

🎧

Prefer to listen? This topic is also explored in one of my podcast episodes:

FAQ: Blogging in the AI Search Era

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google search results. They use the Gemini model plus core ranking systems to provide concise answers, often backed by links. While they increase impressions, they’ve led to more zero-click searches, meaning fewer people click through to blogs and websites

BrightEdge data shows impressions are up 49% year-over-year, but click-through rates dropped nearly 30%. In other words, more people may see your content inside AI Overviews, but fewer actually visit your site.

No. Google search volume is at record highs, with searches per user at historic peaks in 2024. The challenge isn’t Google losing users, it’s how Google keeps more of them within its own ecosystem.

Focus on what AI can’t replicate: depth, originality, case studies, and personal experience. Format posts with clear definitions, bullet points, and question-style headings. Build topical authority through clusters, and diversify traffic with Pinterest, TikTok, and newsletters.

Google’s Search Essentials emphasize:

  • Helpful, people-first content,
  • E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness),
  • Proper formatting for AI extraction (concise answers, structured headings), and
  • Diversified traffic sources beyond search.

Sources:

  • Rand Fishkin, SparkToro: Zero-Click Search Study (2024)
    Found that 58.5% of U.S. Google searches ended without a click, compared to 59.7% in the EU.
  • Danny Goodwin, Search Engine Land / BrightEdge: AI Overviews CTR Impact (2024)
    Reported that Google impressions rose 49% year-over-year while click-through rates fell ~30%, with AI Overviews a key driver.
  • Google: “AI Overviews and Search Quality” PDF (2024)
    Explained that AI Overviews are powered by Gemini + core ranking systems, with answers corroborated by high-quality linked results.
  • Google Search Central: Rich Results Update (2023)
    Announced that FAQ rich results were restricted and HowTo results removed for most sites, limiting visibility of those schema types.
  • Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Land: AI Overviews Rollout (2024)
    Confirmed that AI Overviews launched officially in the U.S. after a year of testing as the Search Generative Experience (SGE).
  • Carolyn Shelby, Search Engine Journal: E-E-A-T in the AI Era (2024)
    Highlighted how experience, author bios, and unique examples strengthen a site’s chance of being cited in AI Overviews.

Footnotes:

  1. SparkToro: Zero-Click Search Study (2024) ↩︎
  2. Search Engine Land / BrightEdge: AI Overviews CTR Impact (2024) ↩︎
  3. Search Engine Land: AI Overviews Rollout (2024) ↩︎
  4. Google: “AI Overviews and Search Quality” PDF (2024) ↩︎
  5. SparkToro: Zero-Click Search Study (2024) ↩︎
  6. Search Engine Land / BrightEdge: AI Overviews CTR Impact (2024) ↩︎
  7. Search Engine Land / BrightEdge: AI Overviews CTR Impact (2024) ↩︎
  8. Search Engine Land: AI Overviews Rollout (2024) ↩︎
  9. Search Engine Land: AI Overviews Rollout (2024) ↩︎
  10. Google Search Central: Rich Results Update (2023) ↩︎
  11. Search Engine Land / BrightEdge: AI Overviews CTR Impact (2024) ↩︎
  12. Search Engine Journal: E-E-A-T in the AI Era (2024) ↩︎
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Hi, I’m John Dawson, the creator of DawsonDecoded. Whether you’re here to start a blog, explore new ways to earn online, or rethink your career path, I hope you’ll find something useful, and maybe even inspiring.

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