How Users Really Interact With AI Search — And What to Do About It w/ Kevin Indig, Organic Growth Advisor
As Google rolls out AI‑powered summaries at the top of search results, we’re seeing clicks on traditional blue links evaporate—and with them, the traffic and revenue models we’ve all relied on.
Kevin Indig and his team recently completed the very first large‑scale UX study of Google’s new AI Overviews, revealing how users are actually using the new SERP feature.
Kevin’s team tracked 70 real users across eight search tasks, captured 29 hours of think‑aloud sessions, and coded over 400 AI Overview encounters. They measured scroll depth, click behavior, emotional reactions, and trust signals—data no one else has compiled at this scale.
We’ll dig into what this study reveals about how people actually read AI Overviews, how brands can win—or lose—visibility in this new world, and what every SEO and content strategist needs to do right now to adapt.
What You’ll Learn: What makes users engage with AI Overviews — and what makes them bounceHow this behavior is shifting the value of traditional SEOWhat kinds of queries are most affectedPractical strategies to future-proof your content in an AI-first search worldResources:Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinindig/
Check out Kevin's study: https://www.growth-memo.com/p/the-first-ever-ux-study-of-googles
Sign up for the Growth Memo Newsletter: https://www.growth-memo.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.growth-memo.com%2Fp%2Fthe-first-ever-ux-study-of-googles
"Clicks are empty calories, which means that clicks are always just a means to an end... Only 20% of the time does the AIO give participants the final answer. But 80% of the time they clicked on other results, mostly organic results." - Kevin Indig
Timestamps:03:32 - Study design explanation
04:12 - Trust as primary user filter
11:48 - Clicks as "empty calories"
15:42 - Brand mentions vs citations
25:50 - "Answer first content" doesn't work
The Campaign | A Marketing Podcast by 97th Floor
The Campaign is a marketing podcast about better knowing your audience, innovating beyond best practice and converting visitors into customers.
97th Floor is the number one digital marketing agency built to create pipeline and revenue for clients by crafting and executing custom, audience-first channel strategies that deliver bottom-line results. Our core services include SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and AI Search Optimization, Advertising (PPC, SEM, Social Ads, Display), and Content Marketing.
For over twenty years, 97th Floor has worked in the cybersecurity, finance, industrial and manufacturing, insurance, software, and health and wellness industries. 97th Floor proudly works with a diverse range of clients, from well-funded startups to Fortune 50 companies, including Oracle, McKinsey & Company, Google, Crumbl, and Princess Cruises.
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