Since May 21, 2025, Ukrainian Google users have started seeing a new element in search results—“AI Overview.” This is part of Google’s global Search Generative Experience (SGE) rollout, and it’s already changing the rules of the game for traffic, advertising, and SEO. Tanya Berezovska, Digital Director at UM Ukraine, explained to Mind what it is and why it matters for Ukrainian businesses.

What is AI Overview?

AI Overview is a short, AI-generated textual summary answering a user’s query. It’s compiled from multiple sites, but instead of opening several pages, the user gets a concise response instantly. Google also adds links to sources and offers interactive elements—users can ask follow-up questions, chat-style.

Core traits of AI Overview:

  • A brief, aggregated answer sourced from several websites.
  • Mostly short text + links (with limited brand or site name visibility).
  • Interactivity: the option to ask clarifying questions like in a chat.

Where it appears most often now:

  • Informational queries (“how to…,” “what is…,” “why…”).
  • Basic comparisons (e.g., “laptop or tablet for studying”).
  • Some high-competition transactional queries (e.g., “best toothbrush for braces,” “buy tickets online with no fee”).

Why it matters for business

SEO’s role is fundamentally shifting. It used to be about ranking in the top results. Now, it’s about being a source the AI pulls from—because users see the AI text, not your listing. This is already affecting key metrics:

Traffic decline to websites

Even with strong rankings, sites may see less traffic, because users get their answer directly in the SERP.

SEO is no longer just “get to the top”

You need to become an AI-citable source. Content must answer queries clearly, structurally, and succinctly. For example, a page that crisply explains “SPF 30 vs SPF 50,” with an illustration and comparison, is more likely to be included in AI Overview.

Ads pushed further down

Paid results (Google Ads) are often pushed below the AI Overview block—especially on mobile—reducing ad visibility.

Impacted KPIs may include:

  • CTR drops on certain queries despite stable impressions—users stop clicking because they already got their answer.
  • Higher CPC—less click volume, fiercer competition for attention.
  • Conversion declines—even when ads show, users feel “satisfied” by the AI answer and don’t proceed.
  • Impressions fall without budget changes—SGE can depress paid placements’ prominence.

How to adapt to the new context

SGE is a new environment. You can turn it to your advantage with a systematic response and deeper data analysis.

Do this now:

  1. Query change analysis. In Google Ads, compare the queries driving traffic before vs after May 21. What disappeared? What dipped?
  2. Check which queries trigger AI Overviews. Do it manually or via SEO tools that now track SGE visibility.
  3. Compare organic and paid together. When both decline, it’s a sign users are satisfied with the AI answer. Cross-check Google Search Console (organic) and Google Ads to spot shared trends.
  4. Shift budgets to resilient formats. Performance Max, YouTube, Discovery currently see little or no impact from SGE—scale these to offset losses.
  5. Refactor content for AI inclusion. Create concise, well-structured, authoritative answers (definitions, lists, tables, comparisons, FAQs), add clear headings and schema, and ensure E-E-A-T signals (expertise, experience, authority, trust).
  6. Own your knowledge graph. Strengthen brand/entity signals (About pages, author bios, citations), and keep product and local data fresh with structured data so AI has clean, current info to cite.
  7. Measure SGE impact explicitly. Tag affected queries, build custom Looker Studio views for pre/post SGE CTR, CPC, CVR, and monitor brand vs non-brand shifts.

Bottom line: act now—analyze your data shifts, update content to SGE needs, adjust your ad mix, and invest in owned media that AI wants to cite.