Those of you of a certain age may remember when Yahoo dominated internet searches. It started as an Internet directory that became the top navigational tool among people adopting the Web as an informational resource. There was nothing like it and, somehow, Yahoo maintained its top position right into the dot com crash around the year 2000. Then came Google, who overtook Yahoo in 2004. And ever since, many digital marketing activities have been aimed at ranking as high as possible for particular key words and search terms. However, thanks to Google’s AI Overviews, digital marketing and SEO strategies are about to turn upside down, inside out, and sideways. Unfortunately, no one is entirely sure how to deal with the change and anyone who says they are is lying because Google is saying nowt.

What is Google’s AI Overview?

Google has begun rolling out AI Overviews, a feature powered by the Gemini foundation model that presents AI-generated answers and summaries to some users’ search queries, appearing above the traditional search results to which we’ve become accustomed. Not all searches will get an AI Overview, but queries that can be presented with summarised results will be. The change has been rolled out in the USA and will be expanded to the rest of the world by the end of this year.

I have tested the AI overview to see how it works for law-related searches. I typed in “What is a Pre-Nuptial Agreement UK”. The Overview provided false information, stating that pre-nups are legally binding. According to X (formally Twitter) users, the results are stunningly inaccurate. But, let’s face facts: most of us will never scroll past the AI Overview unless we are doing actual research. After all, how often nowadays do you scroll past the first three or four search results?

Fortunately, many legal searches fall under ‘your money or your life’, similar to finance and health, which means Google is unlikely to provide an AI Overview (it is currently battling enough lawsuits) for many law-related search queries. But, I think we can safely assume that writing articles designed to rank for informational keywords (these articles often start with question words like “what,” “why,” “how,” or “where,” or contain phrases like “tips for,” “benefits of,” or “guide to) is going the way of the Dodo.

OK Nostradamus…what should we do instead?

Google is attempting to play down fears that publishers and business websites will lose traffic once AI Overview is rolled out. Still, a quick look at the claims made by competitors in the ongoing anti-trust case against the tech giant hints that trusting it would be akin to believing every word Boris Johnson has ever uttered.

After doing as much research as possible (remember, no one knows how this will pan out, and if they say they do, call BS), here are my tips for ensuring your marketing strategy works if search SEO really is in its dying days.

1. Forget chasing SEO informative keywords – instead, create deep content with thought leadership and opinions based on your expertise and long-tail keywords. Add quotes and publish interviews. AI cannot do this. Follow Google’s E-E-A-T principles – Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness and make the articles at least 800-1200 words. The premise behind this is that AI Overview will show one to three links to other sites. It has to learn its information from somewhere so make it your content. The goal is no longer to rank on the first page but in the top two to three results.
2. Spread yourself around – everybody, regardless of their industry, will have to work a lot harder to reach potential clients (why do you think I have started a newsletter). Did you know YouTube is the world’s second most popular search engine? Get yourself a presence on it, as well as on podcast platforms, Substack, and social media. Use an AI tool to chop up your YouTube videos into shorts and post them on Tik Tok and Instagram. And do not forget forums such as Reddit, Quora etc. Go to where people search for information and start engaging. And reinvigorate your newsletter.
3. Build your brand – the big brands will be the winners in this new world because they have spent decades ensuring everyone knows who they are, what they stand for, what they provide, and how to find them. They don’t need Google! If you do not have a robust brand, start creating one. Work with someone who can help you tease out things like
   1. What do you as a business have to bring to the world that no one else can?
   2. Why do customers refer you to others?
   3. What is your law firm’s identity, values, and vision?
   4. What is the experience your firm provides to its clients?

Bottom line – if you have been relying on SEO content marketing as the primary way of reaching new clients, you need to shake things up. Don’t ditch your content marketing (remember, no one knows precisely how this will pan out when the dust settles). The beauty of doing the above is that it is a win-win strategy. If AI Overviews results in visits to your website plummeting, clients can find you via other vehicles. And should the sky not fall on our heads, you have increased your reach and strengthened your brand. It’s a bit of a no-brainer.