🔎 AI Overview on Google in 2026: What Is the Real Impact on Your SEO Traffic?

On 22 July 2026, Google launched in France AI Overviews and AI Mode, known as “Aperçus IA” and “Mode IA”. In practice, your page can now be summarised without being visited.

Our reading of the AI Overview on Google: the impact is real but variable, and the studies contradict each other. Google accounts for approximately 88.1% of queries in France (StatCounter, September 2026): ignoring it is not an option. Every figure below is dated and attributed.

Key takeaways

• Traffic declines mainly on informational queries, according to several studies that Google disputes.
• The top 10 helps to be cited without guaranteeing it: from 38% to 76% depending on the measurement.
• For Google, optimising for generative AI remains SEO.
• Diversifying (GEO, human expertise) does not mean leaving Google.

🤖 What Is Google’s AI Overview and How Does It Work?

📅 Concept Recap and Evolution Since Launch (SGE).

SGE (Search Generative Experience) is the now-obsolete name of the experience tested in Search Labs in May 2023. It became AI Overviews in the United States on 14 May 2024, then AI Mode joined it in 2025.

France waited until 22 July 2026, following the neighbouring rights fines imposed on Google (€500M in 2021, €250M in 2024). According to Google (I/O, May 2026), AI Overviews count more than 2.5 billion monthly users, AI Mode more than one billion.

Definition: an AI Overview is an AI-generated summary, displayed above the results, with links for deeper reading. Google only displays it if it is “additive” to the classic search.

🎯 How Google Selects the Sources Cited in Generative Responses.

Google relies on its index and ranking systems. Being well ranked helps, but measurements diverge: Ahrefs found 76% of pages cited in the top 10 (July 2025, United States), then approximately 38% in its 2026 update. SE Ranking records 60.46% in France (August 2026).

In France, YouTube leads as a source: 25.12% of citations according to BotRank, 14.33% according to SE Ranking. Reddit only reaches 5th position at BotRank.

Note: these French figures are less than ten weeks old. Read them as indications.

Doko’s view: we believe that the AI Overview on Google puts your SEO to the test. A well-ranked and genuinely useful page remains the best basis for being cited.

📉 Organic Traffic: Are AI Overviews Really Killing SEO?

🖱️ Le phénomène du “Zero-Click Search” (recherche sans clic).

A zero-click search ends without visiting a site. Measurements are accumulating, but they are not comparable:

1. SparkToro/Datos (July 2024): 58.5% of Google searches without a click in the United States.
2. Similarweb (2026, United States): 68%, with a caveat from Rand Fishkin on comparison with 2024.
3. Pew Research (2025): 8% clicks on a classic link when an AI summary appears, versus 15% without.

On traffic, it is better to cite study by study: Ahrefs records -58% of CTR in position 1 (correlation), Define Media -42% of traffic on 64 editorial sites (study reported by Blog du Modérateur). Google (Liz Reid) considers click volume “relatively stable”, without publishing data.

🏥 Which Sectors and Query Types Are Most Affected?

According to Ahrefs (September 2025, United States), 99.9% of trigger keywords are informational. Health and Science are around 43%, versus 3.2% for “Shopping”.

In France, SE Ranking counts 52.63% of trigger keywords (August 2026), including Business at 87% and Insurance at 74%. Semrush observes that the informational share of AI Overviews dropped from 91% to 57% in 2025: navigational queries are growing.

🌱 The Good News: Why Remaining Clicks Are Often More Qualified.

Google claims that remaining clicks are of better quality, without figures to back it up: it is a position, not proof. Semrush observes that the zero-click rate for keywords with AI Overview is not increasing (2025). In practice, measure your own pages in Search Console and GA4.

Doko’s view: our experience shows that no national figure is worth your own measurement. Compare your queries before and after 22 July, page by page.

🛠️ How to Optimise Your Site to Appear in AI Overviews in 2026?

For Google, optimising for generative search means optimising the search experience, therefore “always SEO” (Google guide, May 2026). Our stance: no shortcuts, solid foundational work.

🧭 Betting on E-E-A-T and Content Uniqueness.

According to Google, E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor: trust remains the most important signal. Bet on content that is “non-commodity”, with a perspective and first-hand experience.

🧩 Structuring Your Data and Markup (Schema.org).

No specific markup is required. Schema.org remains useful for rich results. Google specifies that the llms.txt file is ignored and that chunking text for AI is pointless.

🗣️ Answering Complex Intents Precisely (Long-Tail).

Ahrefs measures a triggering rate of 46.4% for queries of 7 words and above, versus 9.5% for a single word. The more detailed the question, the more detailed your answer must be.

Note: Google advises against creating one page per query variant, at the risk of large-scale spam.

Doko’s view: what Doko implements is a page that answers a genuine question better than the others — not ten pages that rephrase the same one.

🌐 Diversification Strategy: Broadening Acquisition Sources in the Face of AI

Google accounts for 89.94% of searches worldwide (StatCounter, September 2026): diversifying therefore does not mean leaving.

🧪 SEO Is No Longer Enough: The Importance of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

Definition: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) aims to be cited in the responses of generative engines: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or AI Overviews.

The paper by Aggarwal et al. (KDD 2024) reports up to 40% more visibility. For Google, the distinction remains an editorial framing: it is still SEO.

✍️ Capitalising on High-Value Editorial Content and Human Expertise.

Rely on what an AI cannot easily copy: proprietary data, feedback from experience, expert opinions. Search Console’s ‘Generative AI performance’ report measures impressions, not clicks.

Doko’s view: we believe human expertise is becoming the hardest asset to copy. It serves Google and generative engines equally.

❓ FAQ : Tout savoir sur AI Overview

🧐 What Is an AI Overview?

An AI-generated summary, displayed at the top of Google results, with links to sources. It only appears when Google deems it useful.

📊 Do AI Overviews Reduce Traffic for All Sites?

No. The impact depends on the query type, mainly informational. Studies diverge and Google disputes them.

🏆 How to Appear in the Sources of AI Overviews?

Be indexed, eligible for the featured snippet and useful. The top 10 helps without guaranteeing: from 38% to 76% of citations depending on measurements.

⚖️ What Is the Difference Between SEO and GEO?

SEO targets ranking, GEO targets citation in generative responses. For Google Search, it is still SEO.

🤝 How Does Doko Help You in the Face of AI Overviews?

At Doko, we audit your exposed queries, strengthen your expert content and track results in Search Console, without a quantified promise.

🚀 Conclusion: Get Ahead with Doko

The AI Overview on Google does not signal the end of SEO: it rewards useful content, measured page by page. Google Premier Partner from Lyon, with 10+ years of experience and 350+ clients supported, Doko helps you read your data and adjust your strategy.

Contact the Doko team to assess your traffic exposure to AI Overviews.

📚 Sources

Source: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide

Source: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features

Source: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content

Source: https://blog.google/products/search/ai-search-driving-more-queries-higher-quality-clicks/

Source: https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/

Source: https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-search/

Source: https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/google-deploie-ai-overviews-ai-mode-france/

Source: https://www.numerama.com/tech/2299179-apres-deux-ans-de-blocage-google-lance-les-resumes-ia-en-france-ai-overviews.html

Source: https://9to5google.com/2026/06/02/google-ai-mode-overviews-opt-out/

Source: https://www.latribune.fr/depeches/reuters/KBN2EJ0KN/l-autorite-de-la-concurrence-inflige-a-google-une-amende-de-500-millions-d-euros.html

Source: https://www.boursorama.com/bourse/actualites/france-l-autorite-de-la-concurrence-inflige-une-sanction-de-250-mlns-a-google-cf0fdb57fcd62199cec850f1e7e2a33c

Source: https://www.latribune.fr/article/tech/intelligence-artificielle/51458032168777/ai-overviews-google-repond-deja-par-ia-a-plus-d-une-recherche-sur-deux-en-france

Source: https://www.journaldunet.com/seo/1553483-top-10-des-sources-utilisees-par-les-google-ai-overviews-depuis-le-deploiement-en-france-300-000-reponses-analysees/

Source: https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/ai-overviews-etudes-fonctionnement-impact-trafic/

Source: https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overview-citations-top-10/

Source: https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overviews-reduce-clicks-update/

Source: https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overview-triggers/

Source: https://sparktoro.com/blog/2024-zero-click-search-study-for-every-1000-us-google-searches-only-374-clicks-go-to-the-open-web-in-the-eu-its-360/

Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-search-sends-23-of-queries-to-the-open-web/578724/

Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/

Source: https://www.semrush.com/blog/semrush-ai-overviews-study/

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.09735

Source: https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share

Source: https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share/all/france