Google SGE 2025 refers to Google Search Generative Experience. To put it simply, it’s an AI-powered results search available on Google to all users since March 22, 2024.
It is a new way Google shows answers directly in search results in AI-generated summaries and overviews.
People are talking about it because it changes how users find information and interact with websites. It has made search generative experience SEO more relevant for businesses.
For website owners, AI search results may shift the organic traffic. Hence, it’s important to understand what that could look like.
Some early reports show that websites can experience a significant drop in clicks. The traffic can drop by 24% to 64%, and in extreme cases, even up to 95%.
In this blog, we’ll look at three main questions:
- How will SGE affect your website’s organic traffic?
- Is it possible to recover traffic that may be lost to AI-generated results?
- What steps can website owners take to adapt and stay visible?
So, keep reading the blog for in-depth insights!
What is Google SGE?
Google SGE is Google’s way of using AI to create quick answers at the top of search results. It does not show results, only a list of links. This AI-powered snapshot results pulls fresh and the latest information from different sources. It presents the information as a summary to directly answer the query.
This is different from traditional search, where users had to click multiple websites to find what they needed.
Even with these AI answers, SGE has limits. Many users still click the website links shown inside the AI results to get more details, context, or confirmation. This creates a real chance to engage people further. Especially when your site has clear, structured, and AI-cited content, you can make the best use of this trend.
How Google SGE May Affect Website Traffic?
The rollout of Google SGE 2025 changed the way SEO works. There is only more of the new term left, and yes, this is a search generative experience SEO.
So, it works either way. Users will question directly on Google, and it will give a direct answer to the query using generative AI. On the other hand, users will ask queries on LLM like Gemini [By Google] and get answers on AI search results.
In both cases, you can see the scope shrinks for the businesses to further engage with the audience.
So, can Google SGE completely replace your website traffic? Not really. It can decrease the number of clicks; some may go to zero-click searches, in fact. But it does not shift the traffic completely.
How Will Google SGE Impact the Different Queries?
Search Ads
Since AI answers are taking the top space, Google may push the paid ads further down the page. This means fewer people even see them, which can lower ad CTRs. It can make paid campaigns more expensive to maintain performance.
Featured Snippets
Featured snippets may lose importance because SGE often replaces them with contextually rich AI summaries. It can make content visibility through snippets difficult if it’s not strategically integrated with values. Snippet may now get fewer clicks, even if it still ranks well.
Click-Through Rates (CTR)
When users get answers directly from AI, fewer feel the need to click through to a website. Many sites are already seeing sharp drops in CTR, even when their rankings haven’t changed. But we should emphasize. Google SGE may impact the traffic of pages with generative informational and long tail content.
Navigational Queries
These searches are less affected. If someone wants to visit a brand or access a specific page [from a specific brand website], they still need to click on a website. Organic traffic here tends to stay more stable.
Transactional Queries
AI can help users compare options, but it can’t compare products and prices directly on the search results. Even if they are available, they are not very helpful. People still have to visit individual product or service pages to manually compare them.
So, commercial pages or web pages targeted at transactional keywords or queries usually still perform better on the organic search.
Long Tail and Conversational Queries
This is where SGE is strongest. AI search results give rich results to long tail, conversational, and specific questions very well. That means users may rely on Google instead of clicking niche websites.
For sites that depended on long-tail traffic, this can lead to major CTR drops, in some cases cutting clicks by more 50%.
How Can You Optimize for Google SGE?
SGE may change how traffic comes in, but it also opens new ways to stay visible and useful. The key is to adjust how you create and present your content.
Rely on Authoritative Content
Focus on content that is accurate, clear, and backed by real sources or experience. Remember, Google does not opt out of EEAT. It’s still there and continues to become more meaningful in the era of AI search results.
LLMs and AI tend to pull information that is fresh, trustworthy, and value driven. So, even for SGE, we will recommend the same tips that we refer to in our blog on how to rank in ChatGPT search.
Showcase Expertise
Share first-hand knowledge. Include examples, practical insights, and original resources that establish the trust signs. When your content reflects real understanding, it’s more likely to stand out. So, when people need more than a quick answer, your website will be their next choice make decisions.
Take Control of Website Technicalities
Technical SEO optimization is still a crucial part of search generative experience SEO. So, you will have to continue to work on your website performance, design, and the overall UX.
It will make your site easy for AI bots to read, crawl, and cite. Even users can easily access it. Well-structured, fast-loading pages and proper internal linking help both AI systems and visitors understand your content better.
Keep Experimenting
Google SGE 2025 is still evolving. We don’t know what will work better. Hence, it will always better to keep experimenting. Test different content structure, question-based sections, and deeper explanations. Watch what works and adjust instead of sticking to one fixed approach.
Find Chances in The Loop for User Engagement
Transactional queries create an opportunity for further engagement. Because at this stage, people need solid insights and expert guidance that AI overviews can’t provide. Use this opportunity to guide visitors further with clear next steps.
Use helpful visuals, graphs, charts, case studies, and expert-led content that solve the problem beyond just the generic answer.
Conclusion: What the Future Holds for Organic Traffic?
Google SGE is changing how people search, and it’s fair to say organic traffic will not work the same way it did before. Some clicks will drop, especially for simple questions, but search itself is not going away. People will still look for deeper answers, real experience, and trusted sources.
Websites that focus on clear information, strong structure, and genuine expertise will continue to matter. The goal now is not just to rank, but to stay useful when users want more than a quick summary.
The future of organic traffic may be smaller in volume, but higher in intent. Those who adapt early, stay patient, and keep listening to how users search will be better placed for what comes next.
Additionally, we will also suggest making room for alternative marketing channels. Take an in-depth analysis of the market where you can find opportunities for organic user engagement.
What’s Next?
Are you struggling with website organic traffic and inbound leads drops? TTC digital agency is here to help you. Book a free 30-minute consultation call now to know more!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google SGE affect paid ads as well?
Yes, indirectly. Ads still appear, but SGE pushes them lower on the page for some queries. Users may also spend more time reading AI answers before noticing ads, which can reduce ad visibility and interaction, especially for awareness-stage searches.
Which content formats does SGE favor for AI overviews?
SGE tends to pull from pages with clear headings, structured explanations, and an authoritative tone. Guides, comparisons, step-by-step content, and expert commentary perform better than thin blogs. Content with consistent topical coverage across multiple pages also has a higher chance of being referenced.
Why is my website traffic dropping after Google SGE ?
SGE changes how results are consumed, not just how they rank. Your page may still rank well, but fewer users scroll past the AI overview. This creates a gap between ranking position and actual traffic, making CTR a more important metric than position alone.
Is it possible to recover traffic lost to SGE?
Yes, but recovery looks different now. You may not regain the same volume of clicks from basic informational searches, but you can recover meaningful traffic by shifting focus. Pages that go deeper, answer follow-up questions, and support decision-making still attract users who want more than a summary.
Websites that improve topical authority, strengthen internal linking, and target navigational, transactional, and problem-solving queries tend to see more stable traffic.
In short, recovery comes from adapting content to how people search after reading AI answers, not from fighting the AI results themselves.
