Quick Summary
Google has changed how search works.
Its new AI Overviews often answer user questions directly on the results page, which means fewer people click through to your website, even if you’re still ranked #1.
For local businesses like law firms, plumbers, or wedding vendors, this can lead to a 15–30% drop in website traffic overnight (Search Engine Journal).
The fix? AI Search Optimization, making sure Google’s AI cites you in its answer box (Search Engine Land).
Carla’s Vanishing Traffic
On a Wednesday morning in Tyler, Texas, Carla, a personal injury lawyer who had built her practice on reputation, hard work, and a reliable #1 Google ranking, opened her laptop.
What she saw looked like a ski slope on her analytics dashboard: steady traffic for months, followed by a sharp plunge in early spring.
Her reviews? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Her ads? Still running.
Her SEO report? Still showing her #1 for “Tyler truck accident lawyer.”
So, she called her consultant.
“Nothing’s broken,” he said. “You’re still number one.”
“Then where,” she asked, “did everybody go?”
When the Answer Arrives Before the Question Ends
Carla’s potential clients hadn’t stopped searching for legal help.
But Google changed the way it answers them.
For twenty years, search worked like this:
- You typed in a question
- Google gave you “ten blue links”
- You clicked a website
Now?
You type, and the answer appears before you finish asking.
It’s a confident paragraph that lives above the traditional results, assembled by Google's generative AI from websites across the web.
If your business isn’t mentioned in that AI-generated summary, your hard-earned #1 ranking might as well be on page two.
The Data
- 34.5% drop in clicks to the top organic result when an AI Overview appears (Ahrefs)
- 15–30% organic traffic loss reported in local service industries, especially law, home services, and events
East Texas as a Test Case
Imagine someone in Longview, TX searching:
- “Best personal injury lawyer in East Texas”
- “What to do after an 18‑wheeler accident in Tyler”
- “How much is my truck accident case worth?”
A year ago, these searches meant a click to your site, where your words and images could turn interest into action.
Today, those answers may live entirely in the AI box. If your business isn’t mentioned in it, the customer never meets you.
It’s like showing up to the biggest networking event in town and finding yourself standing alone in the hallway.
The New Game: AI Search Optimization
At Bailes + Zindler, we call this AI Search Optimization, or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
It’s not enough to rank. You have to become the source Google’s AI trusts enough to quote.
1. Audit Your Keywords
- Run your core phrases (e.g. “truck accident lawyer Tyler”) through Google
- If an AI Overview appears, check whether you are cited
- If not, you are invisible in the new search reality
2. Write for the Machine
Structure your content so AI can lift it easily:
- Use clear headers, short paragraphs, and FAQ sections
- Add FAQPage and LocalBusiness schema (structured data)
- Write snippet-ready copy: bullet lists, definitions, and location-specific answers
3. Own Your Local Signals
AI leans on your Google Business Profile, reviews, and structured citations.
- Update your profile weekly with fresh photos, offers, and hyperlocal content
- Stay consistent across directories
- Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews with relevant keywords
4. Track the Right Metrics
Instead of just checking your keyword rankings, measure:
- AI citation rates
- Brand mentions in AI summaries
- Engagement from AI-sourced impressions
Why Waiting Is the Worst Strategy
AI Search isn’t a trend. It’s a major shift in how people discover information.
If you wait until traffic is down 30%, the climb back is steep.
The winners in this new landscape will appear twice:
- Once in the AI Overview
- Again in the traditional results
That means more visibility, more trust, and more opportunity to convert.
Carla's Comeback
Two months after implementing:
- AI-friendly content
- Schema markup
- Weekly Google Business updates
- Entity-tuned local SEO
Carla’s chart no longer looked like a ski slope.
It looked like a climb.
Key Takeaway
In the age of AI Overviews, visibility is not just about ranking high.
It’s about becoming the voice the algorithm trusts enough to quote.
About the Author
Ryan Bailes is the co-founder of Bailes + Zindler, a digital agency helping East Texas businesses grow through SEO, AI search optimization, and conversion-focused web development.
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