Searching the internet is changing forever with Google officially commencing the roll-out of their AI overviews in Google Search for Australians.
An AI Overview is Google’s Artificial Intelligence answer to your question or search.
It’s clearly marked with a blue bar titled “AI Overview” with a very clear natural language answer to the search query.
The AI Overviews will come into their own for “how to” or pure question searches. If you ask for the best way to do something, you’ll likely get a direct answer to that question.
This happens in some way now with what Google calls “Snippets” – attempts at answers and drop down results. AI Overviews take it a step further with a clear and concise answer.
The answers still include links to the sources of the information, but it will dramatically restrict the flow of traffic from Google to websites all around the world.
It’s a generational change. Google admits that in their testing they see far stronger engagement with AI Overviews among younger users aged 18-24. This goes to the way that generation is spending their time online.
Over their testing globally and in Australia, Google has found users more satisfied with the results using AI Overviews..
Google believes their data shows an increase to traffic to the websites linked within the AI Overviews, compared to previous designs, however it’s yet to be seen how that effects results further down the results page.
Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head.
He produces and hosts two popular podcasts, EFTM and Two Blokes Talking Tech. He also appears on over 50 radio stations across Australia weekly, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show each day and appears regularly on A Current Affair.
Father of three, he is often found down in his Man Cave.
