Google’s AI Overviews, formerly known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), launched on May 14, 2024, reshaping search results and negatively impacting organic traffic, conversions, and revenue for businesses, including dealerships.

Now, Google has introduced AI Mode, a new experimental AI-driven search feature. While access is currently limited to U.S. users over 18 who opt in via Labs, it has the potential to impact search rankings and visibility.

About AI Overviews

AI Overviews leverage generative artificial intelligence to deliver quick, interactive responses, improving user experience but diminishing the visibility of traditional organic search results. Here’s how AI Overviews might be impacting your dealership’s SEO:

• Declining Organic Traffic: AI-generated summaries appear above organic search results, potentially reducing the number of visitors to your website.
• Lower Search Rankings: Even top-ranked dealership pages are pushed further down as Google prioritizes AI Overviews and paid ads.
• Rising Advertising Costs: With Google monetizing AI Overviews through new paid ad placements, competition for visibility increases, making it more challenging—and costly—to outrank competitors.

Adweek.com states “Google launched its artificial intelligence-powered search engine, Search Generative Experience, in beta last May, sending publishers scrambling to prepare for a significant disruption in organic search traffic, with potential declines ranging from 20% to 60%, according to media executives and search engine optimization experts interviewed for this story.” This highlights the significant potential decline in organic traffic that websites may experience due to AI Overviews.

About Google’s New AI Mode

Unlike AI Overviews, AI Mode applies to all search queries, offering broader AI-powered insights. With an interactive chat interface, users can refine their searches and ask follow-up questions—similar to ChatGPT and other AI chatbots. AI Mode is powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.0, Google’s latest AI model.

How We Stay Ahead of the Trends

As AI Overviews and AI Mode change the search landscape and reduce organic visibility, our team at Automotive Internet Media is committed to helping dealerships navigate these shifts. We focus on optimizing for long-tail queries by crafting detailed, authoritative content to improve visibility, enhancing local SEO by strengthening your Google Business Profile, and diversifying traffic sources by expanding your reach through social media and email marketing.