AI Overviews: Reshaping B2B Tech SEO, sector by sector

Originally rolled out to help answer complex consumer queries (like “best time to hike in the Dolomites in early October”), AI Overviews are now making themselves very much at home in the B2B space, especially in fast-moving tech sectors. So what does that mean for your carefully crafted keyword strategy, your 2,000-word whitepapers and your dreams of organic domination?

If your business relies on organic visibility to reach buyers or decision-makers, it’s time to rethink how you approach search. 

Let’s break it down.

What’s happening in Search?

Let’s start with the numbers.

While travel queries saw the most dramatic AI Overview expansion (with 108% growth for location and time-specific activity searches), B2B technology is now firmly in the spotlight. According to BrightEdge, technical implementation queries – think containerisation (like Docker) and data management solutions – are seeing steady AI Overview growth of around 7%.

Insurance has seen a similar uptick at nearly 8%, while the education sector is also climbing, particularly for online learning and professional certifications in emerging fields.

Jim Yu, CEO of BrightEdge, said:

“Google is reshaping search with AI-first results in highly specific ways across different verticals. What works in one industry won’t translate to another.”

For B2B tech brands, this means understanding not just how AI Overview are appearing, but why they’re doing so for certain types of queries.

Why this matters for B2B 

AI Overviews are designed to surface fast, trusted answers to complex queries – often before a user even clicks a link. While this is helpful for searchers, it’s having an impact on content visibility. BrightEdge’s research found that:

• Impressions on content are up 49% since AI Overviews launched
• But click-throughs have dropped by nearly 30%

In other words, more people are seeing content, but fewer are clicking through to it. The result? Less traffic from organic search, and more competition to become the source Google quotes in its overviews.

That’s why B2B tech marketers need to shift their mindset to include referencing. If your content isn’t clear, concise and authoritative enough to be cited in an AI Overview, your chances of attracting high-intent searchers are shrinking.

Every sector has its own AI Overview blueprint

A key takeaway from the data: AI Overviews triggers vary significantly by industry. What activates an overview in B2B tech won’t necessarily do the same in insurance, education or travel. That’s why it’s risky to chase high-volume keywords alone, especially when AI Overviews are being surfaced for more nuanced, intent-driven searches.

In the B2B technology space, these tend to be “how-to” queries, product implementation searches and requests for technical clarification. So if your content doesn’t directly solve those problems in a credible way, it likely won’t make the cut.

What should you be doing differently?

Our strategy team here at SeventhElement explains what smart B2B marketers should focus on right now.

1. Double down on content quality

To appear in an AI Overview, your content needs to deliver clear, trustworthy answers. Structure matters. Clarity matters. And depth, when it aligns with user intent, matters even more.

2. Focus on intent, not just volume

Many AI Overviews are surfacing around long-tail, technical queries that may not be high in volume, but are rich in value. Start identifying the questions your audience is asking.

3. Position your expertise

Google is more likely to feature content that shows strong E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). That means named authors, first-hand insights, cited data and a clear point of view.

4. Track AI Overviews appearances in your space

Monitor which types of queries in your vertical are triggering AI Overviews, and prioritise content that aligns with those patterns. This isn’t a “set and forget” exercise; it’s an ongoing part of your SEO strategy.

Visual snapshot: Where AI Overviews are gaining ground

Here’s a quick look at where AI Overviews are expanding:

(Source: BrightEdge)

And here’s a look at how many queries have an Overview by sector:

(Source: Bright Edge and SEMrush)

This trend signals a clear need to build real authority in your space.

Final thoughts

AI Overviews are here to stay, and they’re rewriting the rules of SEO, especially in B2B tech. To win, you’ll need to ditch one-size-fits-all content and build a strategy rooted in your niche, your audience’s intent and your real-world expertise.

AI Overviews aren’t just another update to optimise for, they’re a fundamental shift in how Google surfaces and prioritises information. For B2B tech brands, that means evolving your strategy to earn presence not just in the rankings, but in the answers.

That takes clarity. It takes specificity. And it takes a smarter approach to the topics and queries that matter most to your audience.

We can help you get there.

Need an SEO strategy that works in an AI-first world? Let’s talk.

The team at SeventhElement is here to help you cut through the noise and earn the visibility your business deserves.

References and sources

• Search Engine Journal
• Bright Edge
• AIO or GEO – the future of Search?
• Answer Engine Optimisation

Author information

Emily, our content manager joined SeventhElement in 2018 and is behind the creative thinking and SEO content strategy that fuels our client projects.