How AI Overviews changed the click economy
The biggest shift since 2024 has been the spread of Google's AI Overviews across informational queries. When an AI-generated answer sits above the results, independent click studies have consistently found organic click-through rates fall, sometimes steeply, because the answer is consumed on the page itself. That does not mean SEO is finished; it means the value of any given ranking now depends heavily on which features surround it and whether the query still leads to a click at all.
The practical question for a small business is no longer 'can we rank?' but 'which features on the results page still pass clicks to websites, and which absorb them?' The answer varies sharply by intent: informational queries leak the most clicks to Google itself, while local, transactional and visual queries still send users somewhere.
Still valuable: the local pack, video and product results
The local pack
For any business serving a geography, the map pack remains the single most valuable feature on the page. It drives calls, direction requests and website visits directly, sits above most organic results, and its content comes from Google Business Profile rather than being paraphrased into an AI answer. If you are a dentist, plumber, salon or solicitor, local pack optimisation should outrank every other SEO priority.
Video results
Video carousels and key moments still produce genuine engagement because the results page cannot substitute for watching. A well-optimised YouTube video can appear in both Google and YouTube search, which is effectively two listings for one asset.
Shopping and product grids
For ecommerce, free product listings via Google Merchant Center remain a strong click source. A complete feed with accurate prices, availability and review ratings earns visibility that plain blue links no longer get for product queries.
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A mixed picture: featured snippets and People Also Ask
Featured snippets used to be the crown jewel. In 2026 they are frequently displaced or absorbed by AI Overviews on informational queries, and the click they deliver has weakened because the answer is visible in the snippet itself. They are still worth winning for two reasons: they remain a common source that AI Overviews cite and link to, and on commercial-adjacent queries where AI Overviews appear less often, a snippet still takes the top of the page.
People Also Ask boxes expand within the results page, so they mostly deepen the session on Google rather than sending traffic anywhere. Treat PAA as a free research tool: the questions tell you exactly which subtopics your page should cover, even if the box itself sends few visitors.
Discussions, forums and the Reddit effect
Google's discussions and forums feature, and the broader boost given to Reddit and community content, sends clicks to threads rather than to business websites. You cannot capture this with a blog post dressed up to imitate a forum. What works instead is genuine participation: helpful, honestly disclosed answers in relevant subreddits and niche UK forums, and community content on your own site only if you can sustain real activity. For most small firms this feature is a branding and reputation channel, not a traffic channel, and it should be resourced accordingly.
Optimisation priorities by business type
Local service businesses
- First: Google Business Profile completeness, review velocity and fresh photos, all of which feed the local pack.
- Second: location and service pages targeting 'near me' and 'town plus trade' queries.
- Third: short video answers to common customer questions, which can surface in video features.
Ecommerce
- First: Merchant Center feed quality and review ratings for the product grids.
- Second: product page structured data so prices and stock appear in rich results.
- Third: buying-guide content aimed at queries where AI Overviews are rare, such as comparisons of specific models.
B2B and professional services
- First: featured snippet and AI Overview citations, earned through clearly structured, quotable answers.
- Second: video explainers for dual YouTube and Google visibility.
- Third: brand demand; being the name people type in directly is the one result no SERP feature can take from you.
Key Takeaway
Stop optimising for the results page of 2020. In 2026 the local pack, video results and product grids still send real clicks, featured snippets earn AI Overview citations, and People Also Ask is a research tool rather than a traffic source. Compare CTR against position in Search Console for your top queries to see which rankings have been hollowed out by features, then shift effort to the features that still pass clicks for your business type.
Measure your own SERP, not industry averages
Averages hide everything useful. In Search Console, compare CTR against position for your top 50 queries: a page ranking third with a one per cent CTR is being suffocated by features, while one ranking sixth with a healthy CTR sits on a clean results page. Search your money keywords manually in a private window and note what occupies the screen before the first organic result. Tools such as Semrush and Ahrefs now flag which of your keywords trigger AI Overviews, which helps you spot where informational content is no longer worth the effort.
Redirect that effort towards the features that still pay: the local pack, video, product results and your own brand demand. If you want help auditing which SERP features are taking your clicks, our team can run that analysis with you.