Google AI Overviews - what remains of local SEO

Google rolled out AI Overviews in 2024 across the UK, US and Australia. Instead of 10 blue links, you see a summarised AI answer at the top — with three to five websites named as sources in the answer.

A SEMrush analysis of 12,000 local searches shows: AI Overviews appear in 38% of all "which [industry] in [city]" searches. For emergency searches over 60%.

What changes for local businesses

Three effects.

Clicks fall, mentions rise. If Google already gives the answer, fewer people click. But cited websites are named by name — that's as valuable as a click, often more.

Local Pack stays — but moves down. The 3-business map sits further below the fold. Whoever is mentioned in the overview wins attention first. What you need for the Local Pack, here.

Wrong information goes viral. If Google AI Overviews cites you with wrong opening hours, thousands see it — before you can correct.

What gets cited in AI Overviews

We analysed 200 AI Overview answers for local industry searches:

• Provider's own websites (61% of citations)
• Industry and city portals (18%)
• Review platforms (12%)
• Other (9%)

Translation: your website is by far the biggest lever. But not every website — only ones with clear answers, FAQ structures, concrete numbers.

What you can do

Google your most important industry queries. Look for an AI Overview. If yes: who's cited? What do they have on their site that you don't? How we optimise this systematically, here. Which sentences AIs cite and which they ignore, here.