Welcome back to The Engaging Marketeer podcast. I’m Darren Jamieson, and in today’s episode, I’m diving into a major change in the digital landscape that’s affecting countless businesses and website owners. If you’ve noticed a sudden drop in your website traffic over the past year, you’re not alone—and there’s a very specific reason why. We’re talking about Google’s shift from featured snippets to AI Overviews, what that means for your SEO strategy, and most importantly, what you can do to stay visible online in this new era.
So let’s rewind to mid-to-early 2024. Around that time, Google began experimenting with something called AI Overviews—automated responses in search results that essentially replace the traditional featured snippets.
Previously, when you searched for something in Google, you’d often see a featured snippet at the top of the page. This was a boxed summary with a link to the most comprehensive and relevant webpage for that query. It appeared above paid ads, above the top organic result—right at the very top.
What made featured snippets so valuable was that any website could get them. It didn’t matter how big or small your business was, or whether you were spending on Google Ads. If your page had the best, most relevant answer, Google would reward you with that prime real estate. At Engage Web, we secured a lot of featured snippets for ourselves and for clients—some driving tens of thousands of visits each year from just one piece of content.
That’s a massive amount of traffic, especially when it’s so targeted. Those visitors were potential clients, leads, followers, or just more eyes on your brand.
But now…
All of that is changing
Google has started phasing out featured snippets in favor of AI Overviews—AI-generated summaries pulled from multiple sources. When you search a question now, chances are you’ll see one of these overviews instead of the traditional snippet.
The problem? Many of these AI summaries are… let’s be honest—rubbish. I’ve seen some terrible advice being given, where the AI just doesn’t understand the nuance of the question. It’s pulling data from who knows where, combining it into something that often makes little sense.
But the bigger issue for businesses is this: traffic that once came through those featured snippets has dropped off a cliff. We’re seeing client websites—and even our own—down 30%, 40% year-on-year in organic traffic. Pages that used to get 50,000 visits annually are now only getting a few hundred. Not because the content is worse—but because Google has stopped showcasing it.
So what can you do?
The answer is:
Aim to be part of the AI Overview itself
The way to do that is similar to how you’d try to earn a featured snippet—by creating comprehensive content around the specific questions your target audience is asking. Search your target questions, look at the AI Overviews that show up, and study them.
What sources is the overview referencing? What’s missing? What can you add that offers more value or depth?
That’s where your opportunity lies
If you create content that fills those gaps, Google is more likely to use your site as a source. Being referenced in an AI Overview gives you credibility and visibility—even if it’s not the same traffic volume as before.
Will you get the same level of traffic you did from featured snippets? Unfortunately, no. Those days are likely gone. But you can still win visibility and leads by becoming one of the trusted sources that Google pulls into its summaries.
One more big tip…
Google isn’t currently generating AI Overviews in video format. That means videos are still a wide-open opportunity.
If you create high-quality video content around the questions that show up in AI Overviews, Google may embed your video at the bottom of that overview. For instance, I’ve created videos on how to give an effective 10-minute presentation at a networking meeting. My video appears embedded in the AI Overview for related searches—because it matches the topic, adds value, and, importantly, it’s hosted on YouTube (which Google owns, of course).
To boost your chances:
- Publish your video on YouTube.
- Embed it in a blog post on your website.
- Include a full transcript and a blog version of the content.
- Link between your blog and your video in both directions.
This cohesive approach increases your visibility and authority—and positions you to benefit from these AI Overviews.
To wrap up—if you’ve noticed your website traffic has dropped dramatically since 2023 or 2024, this shift from featured snippets to AI Overviews is likely the culprit. Google has changed the game, but there are still ways to adapt. Focus on creating high-value content, analyze what’s already showing in AI Overviews, and produce video content where possible.
If you’ve experienced this drop firsthand, let me know in the comments or reach out with your questions. I’m always happy to discuss and might even cover your question in a future episode. And of course, if you found this episode helpful, please leave a review—I really appreciate it.
Catch you on the next one!
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/
Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com
Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk
