The Rise of AI Overviews and the Fall of Featured Snippets: How Google’s SERP Is Changing

As Google continues to evolve its search experience, one trend is becoming increasingly clear: AI Overviews are not just an experiment - they’re transforming the layout and dynamics of the search engine results page (SERP). And as they rise, legacy SERP features like Featured Snippets are fading into the background.

We analyzed how SERP features have shifted since early 2025 and what this means for businesses and marketers looking to maintain search visibility. Here’s what you need to know about the shifting search landscape and how to adapt your SEO strategy accordingly.

What Are AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are Google’s new way of answering search queries with AI-generated summaries at the top of the results page. These summaries often cite multiple sources and aim to answer the user’s question without them needing to click through to a website.

Unlike traditional snippets, AI Overviews can synthesize information across several domains, providing a more narrative, multi-perspective response to a query.

Featured Snippets Are Losing Visibility

For years, Featured Snippets were seen as prime real estate in the SERPs. They gave websites a chance to be highlighted above the traditional organic results and often led to a sharp uptick in visibility - even without users clicking through.

But this year, that’s changing.

Our analysis shows a significant decline in the presence of Featured Snippets. At the start of 2025, they appeared on more than 15% of results pages. By June, they were present on just over 5%. That’s a relative drop of nearly two-thirds in six months.

This drop correlates closely with the rise of AI Overviews, suggesting a clear shift in Google’s prioritization.

AI Overviews Are Taking Over - Fast

While Featured Snippets have declined, AI Overviews have exploded in presence. In just a few months, they’ve gone from appearing on virtually no search results to showing up on over a quarter of all queries in our dataset.

Their growth is particularly strong in informational searches - queries like “how to start a podcast” or “what is a Roth IRA.” These are the types of searches where users typically want quick, digestible answers. AI Overviews are engineered to provide that.

What’s notable is the speed of this change. Between March and June 2025 alone, AI Overviews grew by nearly 600% in visibility, suggesting Google is moving full steam ahead with its AI-driven search experience.

Other Winners and Losers in the SERP

Aside from AI Overviews and Featured Snippets, several other SERP features have also seen major changes in visibility:

Declining SERP Features:

Shopping results have decreased, likely due to integration with alternative ad formats.
Paid sitelinks and paid listings are being shown less frequently.
Local teaser boxes and local packs have declined slightly, possibly replaced or absorbed into AI results.

Rising SERP Features:

Sitelinks are now appearing more than ever before - often as scroll-to links for both branded and non-branded queries.
Knowledge Cards, which provide structured factual info, have also increased.
AI Overviews Sitelinks, a new addition, now accompany many overview boxes and help users explore the sources or related queries.

Why This Matters for SEO Strategy

The evolution of SERP features means businesses can’t rely on traditional ranking tactics alone. For years, winning the Featured Snippet meant optimizing for concise answers and structured data. Now, AI Overviews reward more nuanced, in-depth, and credible content that can support a generative summary.

If you’re still optimizing exclusively for traditional SERP features, you may be missing out on the growing influence of AI-based search results.

Here are three key implications:

Content Depth and Authority Matter More Than Ever
AI Overviews are more likely to cite content that goes beyond surface-level answers. Long-form, authoritative, and well-structured content has a better shot at being included.
Brand Mentions Influence AI Visibility
AI Overviews increasingly pull from sources that have strong domain authority and frequent mentions across the web. Strengthening your brand presence across high-quality domains remains critical.
Zero-Click Search Is Becoming the Norm
With AI Overviews summarizing answers directly in the SERP, more users are getting what they need without clicking. This shifts the value of visibility toward brand awareness and trust-building rather than direct traffic alone.

Is This the End of Featured Snippets?

Not necessarily - but it’s clear that their importance is fading. They may still appear for certain types of queries, particularly ones with clear, factual answers. But Google’s priority is shifting to experiences that offer more depth, synthesis, and interactivity—hallmarks of AI Overviews.

For businesses and content creators, this means it’s time to think beyond just being “snippet-worthy.” The goal now is to be citation-worthy in AI.

How to Monitor These Changes

Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Google Search Console can help track how often your pages are cited in AI Overviews versus traditional features. It’s also smart to monitor your brand mentions across top-tier websites and ensure your content remains updated, helpful, and discoverable.

Final Thoughts

Google’s AI Overviews are no longer a small test - they’re a major part of the search landscape. As they expand, legacy features like Featured Snippets are declining, and the way we measure visibility and success in search must evolve with it.

To stay competitive, businesses need to adapt their SEO strategies for a world where visibility in AI is just as important - if not more - than traditional rankings.