What Types of Content Gets Clicked in AI Overviews

If you’ve been wondering why some sites get cited or clicked in Google’s AI Overviews while others don’t, we finally have an answer.

In a new interview, Google’s VP of Search, Liz Reid, explained what makes people click through to a website from AI-generated answers.

And it’s not just about the content being accurate. It’s about being original.

The Big Shift: From Relevance to Resonance

Reid said user behavior is shaping what Google chooses to surface.

People are consuming more short videos, forum threads, and first-hand voices, not faceless summaries.

And Google’s ranking systems are now learning directly from that behavior.

“We do have to respond to who users want to hear from,” Reid said.
“We’ve adjusted our ranking to surface more of these types of content in response to what we’ve heard from users.”

That means AI Overviews are not static.

They evolve in real time based on what content type people engage with, share, and trust.

For SEOs and content creators, this is a clear message:
Pay attention to user preference shifts, not just keyword trends.

AI Content Isn’t Spam, But Most of It Feels Like It

Reid made a significant clarification:

“AI-generated content doesn’t necessarily equal spam.”

But she drew a firm line between valuable AI-assisted work and what she called “AI slop,” meaning content that adds no value, no perspective, and no reason to exist.

So the question isn’t “Is it AI-written?”

It’s “Does it bring something new?”

If your content reads like a summary of what’s already ranking, it’s now part of what Google considers low-value repetition and gets downranked.

What People Actually Click

Reid said the data is clear: people don’t click thin content.

They click richer, deeper content that carries a human perspective and real-life insight.

“People want content from that human perspective. They want that sense of what’s the unique thing you bring to it,” Reid said.

“In AI Overviews, we surface deeper, richer content, and we get fewer bounce clicks.”

Significantly, AI Overviews no longer just summarize; they filter for substance.

Content that sounds like everyone else’s gets ignored. Content that provides a human perspective gets clicked.

How Google Now Defines Spam

Reid revealed that Google has expanded the definition of spam.

It’s no longer just about keyword stuffing or link farms.

It now includes content that “doesn’t add very much, kind of tells you what everybody else knows.”

That means your average AI blog post repeating existing SERP information is officially considered low-value.

In contrast, Google is actively upweighting content from people who bring expertise, perspective, and craftsmanship.

“We’ve tried to up-weight content from someone who really went in and brought their perspective or expertise, put real time and craft into the work,” Reid said.

What “Craft” Means in 2025 SEO

This is Reid’s most important word: craft.

It’s not just about originality. It’s about effort, depth, and mastery.

Here’s how I interpret it:

• Craft is when you write from experience, not research.
  

• Craft is when your content elicits a voice that is entirely yours.
  

• Craft is when you teach, not just summarize.
  

AI Overviews reward creators who do the hard work by explaining why something matters, not just what it is.

What You Should Do Next

1. Stop Echoing the SERPs
   Don’t “skyscraper” or copy what’s already ranking. It makes you sound like everyone else.
   

2. Add Perspective
   Share insights, stories, or data that show first-hand knowledge.
   

3. Show Expertise
   Build your E-E-A-T: demonstrate experience, authority, and trustworthiness across your content.
   

4. Prioritize Depth Over Volume
   One detailed, well-crafted article now beats ten generic posts.
   

5. Monitor Engagement, Not Just Rank
   Google’s systems are watching what users actually click and stay on.

The Takeaway

AI Overviews are changing SEO again, but not in the way people think.

This change isn’t about gaming algorithms. It’s about regaining human authority in a machine-driven search world.

Reid’s message is simple:

“We want to surface deeper, richer content, creator content, not AI-generated.”

That’s the future of visibility.

Depth wins. Expertise wins. Craft wins.

Ensure your content reads like an in-depth, thoughtful insight, not a template. In doing so, AI Overviews will notice just like your audience.

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