How AIO Affects SEO

There has long been a battle with SEOs and search engines in regards to how information is displayed on search engine results pages, this is evermore present with the development of AI Overviews (AIO).

If too much information is displayed in the search engine, then people won’t need to click through to the site. This is no good for websites. But if people find what they are looking for in the SERPs immediately then they’ll leave the search engine reducing engagement time for the search engine. This is no good for search engines. Search engines are always going to do what benefits them most because they have the upper hand…

However

It is in their interest to strike a balance to ensure the information being served is high quality. Search engines serve their own agenda with the likes of Featured Snippets (Google) or Q&A Snippets (Bing). But with the evolution of AI and the development of AIO in Google how is this going to affect search engine results pages and SEO as a whole.

E-E-A-T Is More Important Than Ever

The introduction of AIO makes SEO more important than ever, specifically the E-E-A-T element, which has been around since 2014 (E-A-T) and was updated in 2022 (E-E-A-T).

Why?

Search engines are becoming evermore intelligent and able to understand the purpose and context of websites rather than simply that a website contains the query that a user has searched for.

The Role Of E-E-A-T In SEO

• E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
  
• It’s a key part of Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines.
  
• Demonstrating E-E-A-T helps build credibility with both users and search engines.
  
• High E-E-A-T content ranks better and is more likely to be featured in rich results.

Why Updating Blogs & Content Matters

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and content that remains outdated can quickly undermine your credibility. Readers are less likely to trust information that appears old or irrelevant, and this can reflect poorly on your brand or business. Moreover, search engines prioritise fresh, high-quality content when determining search rankings, meaning that regularly updated information is more likely to appear prominently in search results.

By consistently reviewing and refreshing your website content, you signal to both users and search engines that your site is active, trustworthy, and committed to providing value. Updated posts are more likely to attract new readers, encourage return visits, increase user engagement, and ultimately improve your search engine optimisation (SEO) performance.

How Updating Content Supports E-E-A-T

Best Practices For Blog Content Updates

Best practices for updating blog content include conducting regular content audits to identify posts that are underperforming or have become outdated. It's important to refresh any statistics, update meta descriptions, and add internal links to ensure your content remains accurate and relevant.

Including visible indicators of freshness, such as dates on posts or "Last Updated" notices, can also help build trust with readers. Additionally, keeping an eye on keyword trends and re-optimising your content accordingly will help maintain or improve your visibility in search engine rankings.

Using Reviews To Strengthen E-E-A-T

Experience: Genuine customer reviews showcase real-life usage and outcomes, reinforcing practical knowledge.

Expertise: Positive feedback on detailed, informative content supports your authority in the field.

Authoritativeness: Accumulating quality reviews, especially on third-party platforms, enhances your online reputation.

Trustworthiness: Transparent and balanced reviews (including how you respond to them) build trust with both users and search engines.

Tip: Embed relevant reviews in content where
appropriate, this not only strengthens E-E-A-T signals
but can improve engagement and conversion.

Additional Ways to Improve E-E-A-T

Remember:
E-E-A-T isn’t just about pleasing algorithms, it’s about
genuinely building value & trust with your audience.

E-E-A-T & Technical SEO: A Powerful Partnership

E-E-A-T ensures your content is credible, valuable, and trustworthy, but that alone isn't enough. Technical SEO ensures that content is discoverable, accessible, and indexable by search engines. Both must work together to achieve strong search visibility and performance.

Example: You could have expert-written, trustworthy content, but if your page loads slowly or isn’t indexed properly, it won’t rank well, no matter how strong your E-E-A-T is.

Key Technical SEO Elements That Support E-E-A-T

Fast load speeds: Enhance user experience & reduce bounce rates.

Mobile-friendliness: Ensures accessibility across devices.

Secure connection (HTTPS): Essential for user trust.

Clear site architecture: Helps both users & crawlers navigate your content.

Schema markup: Adds context & credibility with rich snippets.

So Why Is The SEO Community Bothered?

Reduced Click-Through to Websites

AI overviews aim to provide a quick, summarised answer directly in the search results. If users get the information they need without clicking on a link, the traffic to organic listings below will likely decrease. This is especially impactful for content that answers straightforward questions (e.g. definitions, how-tos, facts).

Visibility Shift

The AI overview typically appears above traditional organic results, pushing those links further down the page. Even if your page ranks #1 organically, it may no longer be the first thing users see and that can mean fewer clicks and less engagement.

Content Aggregation from Multiple Sources

AI overviews often pull information from several different websites, not just the top-ranked one. This levels the playing field to an extent, but it also means the original content creators might not receive attribution or traffic, even if their content was used to inform the summary.

Search Behaviour Changes

As users get used to instant answers from AI, their expectations change. This could lead to:

• Less scrolling & browsing.
• Less value placed on in-depth articles unless users have a complex query.
• More focus on brands or sources mentioned within the AI overview.

If organic growth is the next step for your business, explore our portfolio and get in touch to see how we can help reach those goals.