A Houston HVAC company noticed something strange last summer. Their website traffic dropped 30% over three months, but their phone was still ringing. When they checked their top-performing search queries, the answer was sitting right there at the top of Google: a blue box summarizing everything a potential customer would want to know, pulled from various websites and served up before any traditional search result.
That box is a Google AI Overview, and it has fundamentally changed how search works for Houston businesses and beyond.
What Are Google AI Overviews?
Google AI Overviews (formerly called Search Generative Experience, or SGE) are AI-generated summaries that appear at the very top of search results for certain queries. Instead of presenting the familiar “10 blue links” and letting users click through to websites, Google now uses large language models to synthesize information from multiple sources and present a direct answer.
For a query like “best way to maintain a commercial roof in Houston’s heat,” Google might generate a multi-paragraph answer covering materials, maintenance schedules, and climate considerations — all without the user ever clicking on a single website.
These overviews started appearing broadly in 2024 and have expanded significantly since. As of late 2025, roughly 40% of general search queries trigger an AI Overview, though the number varies significantly by category.
The Click-Through Rate Shift
The data paints a clear picture of change. Research from Seer Interactive found that organic click-through rates dropped approximately 61% for queries where an AI Overview appears — from an average of 1.76% down to 0.61%. Paid ad click-through rates fell even harder, declining about 68%.
A Pew Research Center study tracking 68,000 real search queries confirmed the trend: users clicked on results only 8% of the time when AI summaries appeared, compared to 15% without them.
This is the “zero-click search” phenomenon accelerated. Users get their answer directly on Google and never visit the source websites.
For Houston businesses that have spent years building organic search visibility, these numbers represent a significant shift in how that visibility translates to website traffic.
Which Searches Are Most Affected?
Not all queries trigger AI Overviews equally, and understanding the patterns helps explain why some Houston businesses feel the impact more than others.
Informational Queries — Most Affected
Searches like “how to fix a leaky faucet” or “what does a bookkeeper do” are prime territory for AI Overviews. Google can synthesize a straightforward answer from multiple sources, and many users find that answer sufficient.
Businesses that relied heavily on informational blog content to drive traffic are seeing the steepest declines. The content still has value — Google is citing it as a source — but fewer people are clicking through to read the full article.
Local Service Queries — Growing Impact
Local searches have historically been somewhat insulated by the Google Local Pack (the map with three business listings). However, AI Overviews are increasingly appearing alongside local results.
Research from Local Falcon found that certain local business categories have seen dramatic increases in AI Overview appearances:
- Restaurants: 273% increase in keywords triggering AI Overviews
- Real estate: 258% increase
- Transportation services: 223% increase
For Houston’s sprawling service economy — plumbers, electricians, attorneys, restaurants, medical practices — this trend is worth watching closely.
Transactional and Branded Queries — Less Affected
When someone searches for a specific business name or is clearly ready to make a purchase, AI Overviews appear less frequently. People searching “EZQ Marketing Houston” or “buy standing desk” are more likely to see traditional results.
This is an important distinction. Branded search traffic has remained relatively stable, and some data suggests that businesses cited in AI Overviews actually see increased clicks for their branded terms.
What E-E-A-T Means in the AI Overview Era
Google has long emphasized E-E-A-T — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness — as qualities that determine which content ranks well. With AI Overviews, E-E-A-T has become even more important, but in a different way.
AI Overviews don’t just rank content — they cite sources. When Google generates a summary, it pulls from websites it considers authoritative and links to them as references. Research indicates that brands cited in AI Overviews earn 35% more organic clicks and 91% more paid clicks compared to brands that aren’t cited.
Being a cited source in an AI Overview is becoming the new “ranking #1.” For Houston businesses, this means the quality and authority of web content matters more than ever, even if the traditional ranking positions shift.
Here’s what the E-E-A-T signals tend to look like in practice:
- Experience: Content that reflects genuine, firsthand knowledge — a Houston roofer writing about materials that hold up in Gulf Coast humidity, not generic advice copied from national sources
- Expertise: Clear demonstration of professional qualifications and depth of knowledge
- Authoritativeness: Recognition from other reputable sources, including citations, reviews, and industry mentions
- Trustworthiness: Accurate information, transparent business practices, and a website that signals legitimacy (secure connection, clear contact information, real business address)
How Houston Businesses Are Adapting
The shift to AI-driven search results has prompted many Houston businesses to rethink their approach to online visibility. Several patterns are emerging among those adapting successfully.
Focusing on Content Depth Over Volume
Rather than publishing high volumes of thin blog posts targeting individual keywords, many businesses are finding value in creating comprehensive resources that cover topics thoroughly. Google’s AI tends to cite sources that demonstrate deep expertise on a subject, not those that skim the surface of many subjects.
A Houston law firm that publishes a detailed, well-structured guide on Texas business formation — covering entity types, tax implications, and local filing requirements — is more likely to be cited as a source than a firm with twenty short posts each covering a single keyword.
Strengthening Local Signals
One interesting finding from Local Falcon’s research: distance from the searcher has almost no correlation with AI Overview rankings, unlike traditional local pack results where proximity matters significantly.
This means a Houston business in the Heights could appear in AI Overviews for searches happening in Katy or Sugar Land, provided the content demonstrates relevant expertise. Local authority is shifting from “closest to the searcher” toward “most helpful for the searcher.”
Businesses are strengthening their local signals through:
- Detailed service area pages that address specific Houston neighborhoods and communities
- Locally relevant content that references Houston-specific conditions, regulations, or market dynamics
- Consistent business information across Google Business Profile, website, and directory listings
- Customer reviews that mention specific services and locations
Diversifying Traffic Sources
Many Houston businesses are recognizing that Google organic search, while still important, is becoming one channel among several. Companies are investing more deliberately in:
- Email lists they own and control
- Social media presence that drives direct traffic
- Google Business Profile optimization for the local pack
- Referral relationships and partnerships with complementary businesses
- Paid search strategically deployed for high-intent queries
The Bigger Picture for Houston’s Business Community
Google AI Overviews represent a broader shift in how people find and evaluate businesses online. The era of simply “ranking on page one” as a reliable growth strategy is evolving into something more nuanced.
For Houston’s diverse small business landscape — from the Medical Center to the Energy Corridor, from Montrose boutiques to Pearland service companies — the fundamentals haven’t changed as much as the headlines might suggest. Businesses that provide genuine expertise, serve their customers well, and communicate that value clearly online are still the ones that get found.
What has changed is the mechanism. The businesses that thrive in AI-driven search tend to be the ones that were already doing the right things: creating useful content, building real authority, and maintaining strong local presence. AI Overviews are, in many ways, accelerating the gap between businesses with strong digital foundations and those relying on outdated SEO tactics.
The Houston businesses paying closest attention to these changes aren’t panicking. They’re treating this as the next evolution of search — one that rewards depth, authenticity, and genuine expertise over keyword tricks and volume-based content strategies.
That’s a shift many business owners find they can work with.
Topics
Need help with your website or marketing?
We help Houston businesses grow with websites that work and marketing that delivers results.
Let's Talk