AI Overviews Changed the Traffic Map
A quick, plain-English guide for Michigan manufacturers on why Google’s AI Overviews are siphoning clicks from websites and how to win back visibility with an AI search and GEO strategy.
Tim Bish
9/22/20252 min read
AI Overviews changed the traffic map. Here is how Michigan businesses can still be found.
Tools are not your strategy. Visibility is.
Google’s AI Overviews now answer many searches right on the results page, which reduces clicks to websites that used to rank. Analyses this summer found that clickthrough rates drop when AI Overviews appear, and premium publishers saw referral declines during May and June. This is not a blip, it is a structural shift in how people discover information. EMARKETER+1
Layer on the business context. On September 19, TechCrunch reported Google is pushing aggressive cost controls, even canceling its Financial Times enterprise subscription, while publisher traffic from Google Search has been sliding. Whether you cheer or groan, it signals a platform that is optimizing for its own economics while it reshapes discovery. Plan accordingly. TechCrunch
So what should a Michigan manufacturer do.
Think AI search, not only classic SEO. You still need technical health, page speed, and helpful content, but you also need your brand to be a credible source that AI systems are comfortable citing. That brings us to GEO, generative engine optimization. GEO is the practice of structuring and signaling your expertise so AI answers include you by name and link. Search Engine Land+1
Make your content easy to quote. Use clear product and service pages with concrete specs, prices or ranges, locations, and FAQs. Mark up pages with schema. Publish short, authoritative explainers for the problems your buyers actually search.
Strengthen entity signals. Tie your company name, addresses, and product lines together consistently across your site, directories, and press mentions. Use bylines, About pages, and case studies that establish who you are and what you have done.
Test like a scientist. Search your top queries and note when an AI Overview appears. Check if your brand is cited. Repeat in Perplexity and other AI engines. Track changes after you update content. Treat this as a monthly operating ritual, not a one-time fix.
If you are in Bay City, Saginaw, or Midland and want a quick readiness check, I am opening a handful of audits as I launch a fractional marketing offer for Michigan manufacturers. You will get a simple report on how you show up in AI answers and a prioritized GEO plan you can execute with a team of one.