How Google’s AI Overviews Are Rewriting Search for Hospitality and Tourism

How Google’s AI Overviews Are Rewriting Search for Your Property

If you’ve noticed your website traffic dipping lately, you’re not imagining it.
Google just changed how travelers discover information...again.

Those new summaries appearing at the top of search results? They’re called AI Overviews. Google’s way of using generative AI to answer questions directly on the search page.

For travelers, it’s convenient.
For hotels, vacation rentals, and destinations, it’s a wake-up call to evolve how we think about visibility.

What Are Google AI Overviews?

AI Overviews pull information from multiple sources and display a single, synthesized summary above the normal list of links.

Instead of ten blue links, travelers might now see something like:

“Here are the best boutique hotels near Banff National Park…”
with bullet points, images, and short excerpts from several sites.

That means your content could appear in an answer box. Even if a user never clicks your site.

For hospitality businesses, that means your guests may see your name before they ever reach your homepage.

Why It Matters for Hospitality

1. Visibility now extends beyond clicks.
Being part of Google’s AI-generated summary builds brand recognition even when traffic doesn’t show up in analytics. Studies show this shift is significant:

• Ahrefs found that pages displayed within AI Overviews saw a 34.5 % lower click-through rate on average.
• Amsive’s large-scale analysis across 700 000 keywords reported a 15.5 % CTR decline, and up to -37 % when AI Overviews and Featured Snippets overlapped.
• Pew Research found that users clicked traditional links only 8 % of the time when an AI summary appeared—versus 15 % when it didn’t.

For a 10-room inn or boutique property, that might mean fewer clicks—but not fewer eyes. Your business may still appear in search results; guests are simply getting answers faster.

While overall CTRs are dropping, branded searches often remain stable or even rise when your business is cited in an AI Overview. Building a recognizable, trustworthy brand still pays off.

2. Authority matters more than ever.
Google favors trustworthy, well-structured, frequently updated sources. Properties, DMOs, and tour operators with accurate, high-value content have an edge.

3. Quality beats volume.
AI Overviews reward pages that clearly answer traveler questions. Thin or keyword-stuffed content is less likely to be cited.

How to Adapt Your Strategy

1. Think like Google’s AI, answer real questions

Write pages that anticipate traveler intent:

• “Where to stay near the best hiking in the Bitterroot Valley?”
• “What’s the quietest beach in Akumal for couples?”

Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points so AI can identify structured, useful information.

2. Add Q&A and FAQ sections

Each page should contain skimmable answers to common questions about your destination or property:

• Check-in details
• Pet policies
• Nearby attractions
• Seasonal highlights

Use structured data such as FAQPage or Local Business schema to help Google understand your content (that’s the behind-the-scenes code that helps AI read your site).

Note: Google reduced the visibility of FAQ and How-To rich results in 2023, and most enhanced FAQ results now appear only for government and health websites. For hospitality, schema still helps AI interpret your information but shouldn’t be relied on for prominent search placement. Use it on pages with genuine, informative FAQs—not generic marketing copy.

3. Keep evergreen content fresh

AI models prioritize up-to-date information.
Review seasonal guides and top-performing posts every few months. Add new photos, dates, or partner links so your content signals “current and reliable.”

4. Partner for authority

Collaborate with local businesses or chambers of commerce on destination guides. Cross-links between reputable sources increase the odds that Google recognizes your content as credible.

Partnerships don’t just boost SEO. They tell a richer local story.

5. Measure visibility differently

Expect impressions to remain steady while clicks decline.
That’s not necessarily bad—many travelers will see your name within an AI summary.
Track impressions, citations, and branded searches as visibility metrics, not just pageviews.

6. Mind How AI Summarizes Your Reputation

AI Overviews increasingly draw from reviews and aggregated sentiment. That means your reputation management now affects how AI summarizes your business.

• Encourage balanced, detailed guest reviews.
• Address negative feedback directly and publicly.
• Keep tone and consistency in responses professional—AI models can amplify recurring sentiments.

At Smart Pineapple, we often remind clients: your review strategy is now part of your SEO strategy.

Quick Win: Your 30-Minute AI-Friendly Update

1. Open one high-traffic blog post.
2. Add three new headings framed as traveler questions.
3. Answer each in two or three bullet points.
4. Add one relevant partner or local link.
5. Re-submit the page in Google Search Console.

Done—you’ve improved your odds of being cited in an AI Overview.

Don’t panic. Pivot.

Here's The Bottom Line imo

AI Overviews aren’t the end of SEO, they’re the evolution of it.

Searchers still want stories, trust, and relevance. The properties and destinations that adapt early will stay discoverable, even as Google’s results become more conversational.

At Smart Pineapple, we see this as an opportunity:
a reminder that hospitality storytelling—rooted in real places, people, and experiences—is the kind of content AI can’t fake.

Critical Insight

AI Overviews can simplify or even distort nuance, including guest sentiment. The best defense is depth: accurate information, balanced reviews, and a consistent brand voice across every channel. The businesses that stay human—and visible—shape what travelers see next.

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🧾 Sources & Further Reading

Google Official Resources

• Google Search Central: About AI Overviews — Google’s overview of its AI-powered search rollout.
• Google Developers: FAQ Structured Data Guidelines — How to implement FAQ schema markup.
• Google Developers Blog: How-To and FAQ Changes (Aug 2023) — Announcement limiting FAQ and How-To rich-result visibility.

Industry Analysis on AI Overviews and SEO

• Ahrefs Study: How AI Overviews Impact Clicks — 34.5 % lower CTR for top-ranking pages when AI Overviews appear.
• Amsive / Search Engine Land CTR Drop Study — 15.5 % average CTR decline across 700 k keywords.
• BrightEdge Research: AI and Search Behavior Report (2024) — 30 % CTR decrease despite higher impressions.
• Pew Research Center: User Behavior on AI Summaries — Users clicked links 8 % of the time with AI summaries, vs 15 % without.

Structured Data & SEO Strategy

• Search Engine Land: The State of Structured Data in 2025 — Why schema markup remains essential.
• Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (EEAT) — Explains Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.

Hospitality & Tourism Context

• Hotel News Resource: How Google’s AI Overviews Impact Hotel SEO (2025) — Reports traffic drops and strategic shifts among independent hotels.
• Startups Magazine: AI Search and Tourism Visibility (2025) — Challenges for small tourism businesses and DMOs competing with high-authority sites.
• Skift: What Google’s AI Overviews Mean for Travel Search (2025) — How AI-driven search affects traveler discovery.
• Phocuswright: The Future of Direct Bookings in an AI World — Research on adapting digital strategies for independent properties.

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