Navigating AI Overviews for Home & Garden Marketers

AI Overviews are reshaping search behaviour, and the numbers are hard to ignore.

As reported by studies from Seer Interactive and Search Engine Roundtable, queries featuring AI Overviews have seen organic click-through rates (CTRs) plummet from 1.41% to 0.64% year-over-year. Meanwhile, non-AI queries are seeing an uptick in CTR—an important shift for marketers in sectors like KBB and home and garden, where online research plays a major role in consumer decision-making.

However, there is a silver lining. When a recognisable brand appears in an AI Overview, its organic CTR improves (the example showed from 0.74% to 1.02%). This reinforces the idea that trust and brand authority can help counteract declining visibility. For home and garden brands, the key message is that investing in structured data and authoritative content isn’t just an SEO play—it’s a strategy to maintain relevance in an evolving search landscape.

But AI Overviews aren’t the whole picture. The fact that non-AI queries are seeing stronger CTRs presents an opportunity. Marketers should be balancing their strategies: securing presence in AI-driven search results where possible while optimising for queries without AI intervention. That means refining content strategies, adapting keyword focus, and leveraging non-AI search channels to capture engaged users.

Beyond search tactics, this shift calls for a fresh look at resource allocation. Regularly revisiting budgets, KPIs, and content priorities will be key. Whether that means investing in AI tracking tools, reallocating spend to higher-performing non-AI queries or experimenting with emerging search trends, the brands that stay nimble will have the edge.

The SERP landscape is changing, but the goal remains the same: making sure the right people find—and trust—your brand. Alex Feathers, SEO Lead at Door4, puts it succinctly: “This validates our thinking and highlights the need to remain agile in our content strategy. As AI continues to reshape search, we must continuously refine our approach, ensuring that our content not only adapts but thrives.” Maintaining adaptability will be crucial as these trends continue to evolve. That starts with a strategy that accounts for both AI-driven and traditional search opportunities.