How to Brief Executives on AI’s Impact to Search: A Practical Guide for SEO Leaders

The rapid rise of AI-driven search summaries is changing how users find information and how businesses measure SEO success. As Nick LeRoy recently explained on Search Engine Land, “Now is exactly the time to lean in.” That message is the starting point for any SEO leader preparing to brief executives: be candid, data-driven, and proactive about adapting strategy.

What’s changed and why it matters

Search experiences increasingly return answers directly in the results, often through AI Overviews and LLM-powered summaries. The practical outcome is fewer clicks to third-party sites and shifting expectations for what SEO delivers. As Danny Goodwin reported, “Organic click-through rates (CTR) for informational queries featuring Google AI Overviews fell 61% since mid-2024,” underscoring the scale of the shift and the need for new visibility metrics (Danny Goodwin, Search Engine Land).

Immediate executive talking points

When you brief leadership, anchor the conversation to measurable business outcomes, not just rankings. Start with a concise state-of-play: changes in organic traffic, leads or revenue, and the timeline of the declines. Explain the mechanics briefly—AI Overviews and LLMs are answering queries without clicks—and then describe what you need from the executive team to adapt.

What to bring: data that earns attention

Executives respond to impact and clarity. Prepare these datasets in advance:

• Revenue and leads attributed to organic channels (year-over-year) so the conversation ties to the P&L.
• Google Search Console and Bing data showing impressions, clicks, and CTR trends for key pages—highlight pages where CTRs dropped and whether AI Overviews appear for those queries.
• Competitor visibility: traffic and SERP feature comparisons to show whether the dip is industry-wide.
• LLM/AI visibility metrics: where your brand appears in LLM answers or is cited—this helps prove whether you’re visible in the new surfaces.
• Tests or experiments you’ve already run (structured data, entity pages, PR placements) and early signals of what worked.

Analysis: implications for measurement and tactics

The shift to fewer clicks changes both attribution and KPI design. Expect short-term declines in last-click revenue from organic search; plan to track and report new leading indicators such as share-of-voice in AI answers, citation frequency in AI Overviews, and assisted conversions across discovery channels.

Tactically, SEO teams should prioritize:

• Entity and topic authority over isolated keyword pages—build comprehensive hub pages and authoritative resource networks.
• Structured data and clear fact markup so AI systems can confidently cite and attribute your content.
• Cross-channel PR and partnerships that create repeatable citations across reputable sources—repetition increases citation odds in AI Overviews.
• Experimentation budget for new formats (interactive tools, short summaries, and content designed to be cited by AI systems).

How to ask for executive support

Frame requests in three buckets: (1) short-term measurement support (dashboarding and analytics alignment), (2) medium-term investment (budget for testing new content formats, AI visibility tools, and PR), and (3) organizational alignment (cross-functional time from product, analytics, and PR). Be explicit about timelines and leading indicators—agree on a 6–12 month learning window and report monthly on the new visibility metrics alongside traditional SEO KPIs.

Actionable checklist to present at your briefing

1. Share a short executive summary: 3 slides that cover impact, proposed plan, and immediate asks.
2. Show the data: traffic, revenue, CTR trends, and AI visibility snapshots.
3. Propose 3 measurable experiments (structured data rollouts, a topic hub build, and a PR-driven citation campaign) with budget and expected timelines.
4. Request cross-functional resources and cadence for reporting (monthly AI visibility + quarterly strategy reviews).
5. Agree on interim KPIs (changes to attribution, visibility shares, citation counts) and when you will update goals.

Final thoughts

AI is reshaping how search delivers answers—and that changes how SEO creates value. As Nick LeRoy counseled, “Now is exactly the time to lean in.” Presenting a clear, data-centered plan that ties technical and content work to measurable business outcomes is the fastest way to secure executive buy-in. For further reading and the original piece that inspired this briefing, see Nick LeRoy’s article on Search Engine Land below.

Sources: Nick LeRoy, Search Engine Land; Danny Goodwin, Search Engine Land.