A homepage has long been considered the most critical website page for SEO. However, that does not seem to be the case for AI overviews, according to a new report from BrightEdge, featured by Search Engine Land. According to the report, most Google AI Overview citations come from deeper content pages on websites. The report revealed that 82.5% of citations in AI overviews link to pages two or more clicks away from a website’s homepage. Only 0.5% of citations point to home pages.
Key Findings
BrightEdge’s research, based on millions of URLs cited in AI Overviews, uncovered three critical insights:
- 82.5% of citations are linked to deep content pages, at least two clicks from the homepage.
- 17% of citations are linked to primary categories, products, or services accounted
- 0.5% of citations referenced home pages, indicating a diminished role of front pages in AI-driven search results.
- 86% of citations were tied to only one keyword, suggesting that niche content is critical in earning AI citations.
The keywords triggering these AI Overview citations are highly searched, with a median of over 15,000 monthly searches, meaning many of these keywords have even higher search volume. So, pages cited in AI Overviews have the potential to be seen by a large audience, making them valuable for visibility and traffic.
What This Means for Website Owners:
If you already follow SEO best practices, you will likely welcome these findings as they reinforce the value of creating relevant, high-quality content beyond the homepage. However, if you are relying on outdated SEO techniques or resting on past success, you may find your ranking at risk. Being at the top of search results today does not guarantee visibility in AI Overviews. To remain competitive, you must ensure your deeper pages are well-structured, easily discoverable, and optimised for AI-driven search.
Here are our key recommendations based on the report's findings:
- Prioritise Deep Content: If you’re not yet investing in comprehensive, specialised content beyond your home page or category page, then it’s to do so. Also, don’t simply rely on your blogs for deep content. They have the potential for deep content, but not all blogs qualify. Superficial articles that don’t offer anything substantial are not deep content.
- Ensure Crawlability and Indexability: Use the Search Console to verify that all your content, particularly deep pages, is easily accessible to search engine crawlers and adequately indexed. A sitemap can help.
- Keep Content Up to Date: Regularly refresh and update your existing content to maintain relevance and accuracy. This increases the likelihood of it being cited.
- Optimise for a Wide Range of Keywords: Recognise that any page can serve as a user's initial interaction with your brand through AI Overviews. Optimise all pages accordingly, not just your homepage.
- Fortify Your Entire Site: Build a strong content foundation across your website. AI algorithms explore all areas to determine content worthiness, so a holistic approach is crucial.
