About Google’s New AI Overviews and the New Era in Search
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is facing yet another shake-up, this time from Google’s latest AI Overviews that aim to answer questions right within search results.
You may have heard the recent buzz – some are saying, yet again, that “SEO is dead”. Yet here’s the truth: SEO is more relevant than ever; it’s simply changing. Like any tool in digital marketing, SEO is adapting to new technology, and so are we at Splice Marketing.
If you’re a health or medical clinic owners, here’s what you need to know about the latest SEO updates.
Why all the negativity about SEO?
The “SEO is dead” buzz has been around for years and often accompanies changes that shift how search results work. At Splice Marketing, we constantly keep up to date with the changing landscape of SEO, and adapt our SEO strategies to respond to and use changes to our clients’ advantage.
Right now, Google’s AI Overviews are getting attention because they put answers right in front of users, which means that there is potential for people to get the information they need in search results, without having to click through to a full website. Some businesses worry this means people will stop visiting sites altogether, resulting in plummeting organic traffic. While some people will see a reduction in organic traffic as a negative thing, in reality, it’s better to understand this as a shift in how people interact with search results.
The way people search for information will change.
How people will search for products and services will be different again. If you own a healthcare product or local healthcare business, you still need to be visible to people when they need you.
The bottom line? SEO remains an essential way to gain visibility and authority online, and as AI becomes part of the search experience, adapting to these changes will allow businesses to not only survive, but thrive.
Let’s break down the role of AI Overviews further, how they’re impacting traffic, the importance of other SEO tactics, and what it means for your healthcare business.
What are AI Overviews? What’s the big deal about them?
Google’s AI Overviews are snippets of information that show at the top of the search results page.
These AI-generated summaries provide instant answers to user queries, meaning users might find what they’re looking for without clicking through to other sites.
Unlike traditional search results, AI Overviews are curated from multiple sources, with clickable links embedded within. This shift marks an opportunity for businesses to appear within the Overview itself, capturing attention at the very top of search results (even above paid ads).
While AI Overviews take up prime space in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), they also create an opportunity for visibility if your content is helpful, informative, and structured for search.
How do we expect AI Overviews to impact organic traffic?
AI Overviews primarily serve up helpful, factual content – ideal for answering specific questions. However, because the content is displayed directly in the search result, fewer users may feel the need to click through to a website for answers.
While this might reduce click-through rates (CTR) for some informational searches, the traffic that does reach your site could be of higher quality. Users who engage with an AI Overview and then click through are often more engaged and interested in your content and services. This further highlights the importance of providing high-quality content that positions you as a trusted business.
How will AI Overviews impact Splice’s healthcare clients?
“For healthcare businesses focused on attracting patients, clients, or referrals, the impact is likely more positive than it will be for informational-only sites. “
For healthcare businesses focused on attracting patients, clients, or referrals, the impact is likely more positive than it will be for informational-only sites.
Service-based searches—think “physiotherapy near me” or “private GP consultation”—are less affected by AI Overviews because these queries generally have a commercial (rather than informational) intent. In these cases, Google’s AI is still most likely to serve traditional results and ads.
At Splice Marketing, we ensure that healthcare clients capture intent-driven traffic by optimising for both content and technical aspects that drive local SEO. This focus keeps them visible in high-impact areas and helps position them as trusted, expert resources for prospective patients.
Why it’s still essential to be seen as a ‘Subject Matter Expert’
As Google’s AI evolves, the search giant has redefined its content quality framework.
The existing framework of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is now N-E-E-A-T-T, adding new layers to what makes content valuable in the eyes of Google. Here’s what it stands for:
- Notability: Is your brand or website recognised as a credible source in its field?
- Experience: Does your content reflect real-world knowledge, showing first-hand insights rather than generic information?
- Expertise: Does your content come from specialists with proven knowledge in the subject area?
- Authoritativeness: Are you a trusted source, with other reputable sources citing or referencing your content?
- Trustworthiness: Is your information reliable, honest, and free from bias?
- Transparency: Does your content openly display the sources, qualifications, and motivations behind it?
This N-E-E-A-T-T framework is a powerful way for Google to distinguish credible, authoritative online sources from a sea of content, especially as AI-driven results take more prominent positions in search. It means that, more than ever, healthcare brands need to present themselves as reliable, expert sources.
At Splice, we build content strategies for our healthcare clients that embody N-E-E-A-T-T principles. By focusing on high-quality, experience-driven, and transparent content, we ensure your business not only ranks well but also earns the trust of potential patients.
How often should you be posting content to your website, and what type of content?
When it comes to sharing content online, consistency is key. Posting high-quality content (including blogs or web pages) regularly keeps your website fresh and signals to Google that your site is active. However, it’s not just about frequency—it’s also about purpose. Educational, “non-salesy” content performs best and aligns with the types of searches likely to surface in AI Overviews.
We suggest aiming for at least one valuable, well-researched article per month, focusing on questions patients commonly ask or topics that are relevant to your services. This not only increases your relevance in AI Overviews, but also fosters trust with potential patients.
Strong Foundations: Why technical SEO is more important than ever
With Google now dedicating a significant portion of its resources to powering AI functions, including AI Overviews, the “crawl budget” it assigns to websites has become more limited.This means that technical SEO—optimising your site for speed, accessibility, and efficient crawling—is more critical than ever to ensure Google prioritises your content. Here’s why:
- Site Speed: Faster sites not only improve user experience but also increase the likelihood of being indexed by Google. Given the high demand on Google’s resources, slow-loading sites may struggle to maintain their crawl rate.
- Efficient Structure and Navigation: Clear, well-organised site architecture helps Google navigate your content quickly and accurately. Structured data, for example, makes it easier for search engines to understand the relevance of each page.
- High-Quality, Relevant Content: Websites with basic or generic content are likely to be de-prioritised in favour of those that provide unique, experience-based insights. When combined with technical SEO, the quality of your content strengthens a site’s standing in search.
At Splice, we help our healthcare clients achieve optimal performance by enhancing site speed, implementing structured data, ensuring mobile compatibility, and maintaining secure protocols. By fine-tuning these elements, we make sure your website is well-prepared for Google’s evolving priorities and capable of maintaining a high level of visibility, even as AI reshapes the search landscape.
What does Splice specialise in?
At Splice, we’re healthcare marketing specialists, so we know what works best for our clients. We offer:
- SEO Audits: Comprehensive audits to identify strengths, weaknesses, and optimisation opportunities.
- Technical Optimisation: Fine-tuning aspects like load speed, structured data, and security.
- Local SEO: Helping you appear in local searches, which is vital for service-based businesses.
- Content Planning and Optimisation: We create, refine, and adapt your content to stay relevant in an ever-evolving search landscape.
Final word: SEO is far from dead
SEO is a long-term, evolving strategy. With tools like Google AI Overviews, we’re entering an exciting new era where businesses can stand out through quality and relevance, by emphasising high-quality, expert content and technically sound websites. Despite the latest round of doomsayers predicting the “death of SEO”, these developments present new opportunities for businesses in an evolving digital environment.
At Splice, we help you navigate changes in the SEO landscape, and build a strategy that keeps your business at the forefront. By adapting to new challenges and technologies, we stay on top of these changes to ensure our clients are well-positioned for success in every new era.
Need a strategy that adapts to the latest SEO trends? At Splice, we’re here to keep your healthcare business visible and trusted. Book a free consultation to see how we can help you grow in the new era of search.
