How Google’s AI Overviews Could Disrupt B2B Content Strategies

Google’s AI Overviews are quickly transforming the rules of search. Instead of the familiar list of blue links, Google’s GenAI now summarizes results right at the top of the page, providing users with a concise, synthesized answer derived from multiple sources.

It may be convenient for users, but not necessarily for publishers and marketers. Early reports show that organic click-through rates (CTR) for information-based queries with Google AI Overviews fell 61% since mid-2024, with paid CTRs on the same queries dropping 68%. Content teams that have relied on Google as the primary channel for discovery are confronting a significant shift in how audiences engage with information.

If users are no longer clicking through, then your B2B marketing funnel could start shrinking before a potential buyer even reaches your site. 

How AI Overviews impact B2B brand presence

With AI Overviews, Google attempts to answer questions directly rather than send people to other sites, which fundamentally transforms the process from search engine to answer engine. For early stage-queries and educational content, this shift is particularly impactful because users previously visited multiple sites to research solutions. 

Marketers are facing the reality that your content may now be leveraged to inform an AI-generated summary without generating a single visit to your site. Per Gartner, 75% of B2B buyers now prefer a completely digital buying experience, typically relying on search and AI tools to self-educate before engaging vendors. As Google’s AI Overviews summarize all of these discovery moments and critical insights upfront, a significant portion of early-stage research will likely happen entirely within the search results page and off your website.

The evolution also demonstrates how much SERP real estate is changing. AI Overviews compete with knowledge panels, reviews, and other Google features, making the top of the page a multidimensional landscape. Marketers must understand that search ranking is giving way to appearing in the context where buyers start their research, even if that presence doesn’t lead to a click. 

The way people discover information has been massively disrupted, and marketers must recognize that the search experience itself is evolving and reshaping what it means to be visible online. 

Less traffic doesn’t always mean less visibility

It’s easy to view declining traffic as a red flag, but the truth is more complex when you’re dealing with AI-powered search. Semrush’s AI Visibility Index notes that “traditional SEO metrics like rankings and CTRs are incomplete” in an era where GenAI can produce answers without a click. Artefact points out that search has evolved because it doesn’t simply guide people to answers; it interprets, reasons, and frequently makes decisions on users’ behalf. 

Essentially, this means that if your B2B content is well-structured, expertly written, and contextually-rich, it might be feeding the AI summaries and supporting your brand’s credibility even when users don’t click through. Visibility has evolved past the confines of your website and SEO rankings, and is more about how often your expertise shows up exactly where buyers begin their research.

In this landscape, a mention, citation, or inclusion in an AI-driven summary that positions your organization as a trusted source may carry as much influence as page visibility, especially in B2B, where reputation and authority are increasingly valuable currency. The new objective is now optimizing for brand presence in a GenAI search context rather than page visits.

How B2B marketers can adapt

This profound shift feels unsettling sometimes, but it can also be an opportunity. Here’s how B2B marketing teams can stay ahead of the AI search paradigm:

• Publish content AI can quote: Generative models tend to favor clarity and authority. Use natural, meaningfully structured language, define key terms, and provide sources. Keyword density isn’t as critical as readability and actual substance. 
  
  
• Strengthen thought leadership: Almost 96% of B2B marketers report their organization publishes thought leadership content. When your experts publish insights, opinions, or research, they’re generating tangible evidence of expertise, such as authored articles, data points, and commentary, that build your brand’s authority in the eyes of both B2B buyers and Google’s algorithms.
  
  
• Diversify discovery channels: A Gartner survey found buyers value third-party interactions like peer reviews or expert commentary 1.4x more than direct digital interactions from suppliers. Don’t rely on Google alone to determine your marketing reach. Expand email lists, create gated assets, leverage LinkedIn, participate in industry awards, and explore syndication partnerships. Owned and earned media can help stabilize visibility even amid shifting search dynamics.
  
  
• Redefine success metrics: Measure brand visibility and influence, including search mentions, engagement rates, branded queries, and inbound inquiries. This approach can help foster awareness before the click.

It’s possible that this new search model may benefit strong B2B brands, such as those that focus on depth over volume and produce content worth citing. Studies consistently show that B2B buyers engage more deeply with content they perceive as expertly informed and insights-driven. As AI powered search prioritizes credibility, brands that produce well-researched, original thought leadership are more likely to be referenced, cited, and surfaced across discovery touchpoints.

Building brand visibility in the age of generative search

Google AI Overviews are the next phase in how professionals discover valuable information. B2B marketers able to adapt effectively to this evolution of search have a chance to double down on expertise and storytelling. 

Generative search will reward content and brands that communicate depth and authority. The challenge now lies in ensuring your insights are recognized as credible sources that AI systems and audiences trust. Content must be structured for understanding, offer a valuable perspective, and align with what buyers really want to learn.

Orange Bridge helps technology firms accomplish exactly that, crafting thought leadership, content strategies, and award submissions for programs from Microsoft, SAP and Google that demonstrate expertise and leadership across every channel. As the search landscape evolves towards AI-summarized discovery, we help our clients ensure their best ideas are not only found, but featured.

We consistently earn prominent features in Google's AI Overviews for our market-leading award submission services. Contact us to earn recognition in the Microsoft, SAP, IDC, Oracle, AWS, and Google ecosystems.