Introduction

AI Overviews are taking over Google search results, while once-popular features like Featured Snippets are disappearing fast.

What’s the problem it solves?

Search engines are changing. Marketers and SEO experts need to know which SERP (search engine results page) features still matter-and which ones are being pushed aside by AI.

Quick Summary

This article shows how Google’s AI Overviews have quickly become one of the most common features in search results. Since January 2025, AI Overviews jumped from showing up in just under 4% of results to over 27%. In the same period, Featured Snippets dropped by 64%. That’s not just a coincidence-data shows a strong link between the rise of AI Overviews and the fall of Snippets.

Other features like sitelinks also saw a huge boost, jumping over 900%, especially after Google’s March update. The biggest losers were shopping ads, paid placements, and local teasers. It’s clear that AI-driven results are changing how search looks and works. For marketers, this means they need to rethink how they rank and show up on Google-because the old rules may no longer apply.

Key Takeaways

• AI Overviews are now showing on more than 1 in 4 search results, up 598% since January.
• Featured Snippets dropped sharply in the same timeframe, likely being replaced by AI Overviews.
• Sitelinks exploded in popularity-up 906%-especially on non-brand searches.
• Paid search results and shopping features are fading fast.
• AI Overviews adapt well to many search types and might replace even more features in the future.
• Most changes happened around Google’s March 2025 core update.
• You can use tools like Ahrefs to check which SERP features show up for your keywords.

What to do

• Track where your content shows up using tools like Ahrefs or Semrush, especially for AI Overviews.
• Adapt your content to match AI Overviews-focus on clear, direct answers that solve search intent.
• Don’t rely on Featured Snippets-they’re losing visibility fast.
• Create helpful, structured content that AI models can pull from and summarize accurately.
• Optimize for sitelinks by improving site structure and using descriptive page titles and headings.
• Monitor Google updates closely, especially anything related to AI or SERP layout changes.
• Prepare for more zero-click searches, where people get answers without clicking through-adjust your metrics and strategy accordingly.

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