The Rise of AI-Generated Search Results: How to Compete as a Human Creator

A silent transformation is shaping search results. If you enter any query on Google or any other search engine, you’ll get more than a list of websites that contain the most relevant answer to your query.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly being integrated into search engines, users can see more AI overviews appear at the top.

These overviews utilize AI to generate concise summaries of search results, allowing users to obtain answers without needing to visit individual websites.

As of July 2025, AI overviews appear in over 55% (approximately) of search engine result pages, demonstrating a shift in how users discover and consume content.

While impressive, this transformation presents an existential challenge for human creators.

Since AI systems synthesize information from multiple sources, human content creators might become invisible or irrelevant to users.

However, we believe this seemingly critical situation can also be used to the human creators’ advantage.

In this blog, we share everything that human creators should know and do to thrive in the age of AI-generated search results.

So, ensure you read the full blog to equip yourself with the strategies, actionable steps, guidance, etc., needed to succeed in this AI era.

Understanding the AI Search Ecosystem

Before exploring actionable tips and strategies to navigate AI-generated search results, you must develop a clear understanding of the AI search ecosystem.

Awareness of what it is and how it works can help you find independent, innovative solutions to succeed in the era of AI-generated search results.

Google’s AI overviews are one of the most popular search innovations that pull information from multiple sources to provide comprehensive answers directly in the search results.

However, the AI search ecosystem extends beyond Google. Perplexity AI, Microsoft’s Bing Chat, and several other emerging AI search engines are creating alternative discovery pathways.

Voice search is evolving through AI assistants, search behavior is evolving, etc.

All these changes demand content that can satisfy both AI systems seeking structured information and human readers seeking depth and authenticity.

The Case Against Purely AI Content

The current scenario may make human creators question their relevance in the digital world.

Many may ask, why create content when AI can summarize it to provide brief answers or create content to answer user queries? The answer is simple.

While AI excels at synthesizing information, it lacks personal experiences and authentic storytelling that resonate with human audiences.

It cannot draw from lived experiences, cultural contexts, or emotional intelligence to create truly value-packed content pieces that readers enjoy.

Most AI content also lacks authenticity. So, even if it reaches SERPs or earns a link besides AI overviews, it cannot hold readers’ attention.

People will always trust and value human-generated content that features their personal experiences, draws on their years of professional work, etc.

5 Tips for Human Creators to Thrive in the Era of AI-Generated Search Results

If you’re a creator who always wants to show up for relevant search queries in AI overviews or other AI-generated search results, then implement the following tips.

1. Create In-Depth Content Driven by Contextual Understanding

   AI search engines favor content pieces that closely align with the user’s search intent and feature a thorough exploration rather than brief, surface-level explanations.

   So, if you’re writing a listicle, avoid simply listing the points and provide an in-depth explanation for each. Focus on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of each so readers get clarity on the topic.

   In-depth content written based on a contextual understanding always works and ranks higher because it covers all the relevant aspects of a query and satisfies users’ curiosity.

   The more detailed and insightful your content is, the higher its chances are of being recognized as ‘valuable’ in AI search engines.

2. Write on Topics Where AI Cannot Match Human Expertise

   While AI-generated search results may satisfy general informative queries, such as ‘what are the consequences of not filing my tax returns every year,’ they fail at queries that demand more elaborate, nuanced, and helpful content, such as ‘a step-by-step guide to file my first tax return.’

   Generally, people want to read and learn from real human experiences on particular topics, such as parenting advice from parents who have been in the user’s situation, travel experiences from seasoned travelers, personal health journey on weight loss or chronic illness, etc.

   Writing on these topics can naturally give human creators an edge over AI.

3. Structure Content for Featured Snippets

   Featured snippets are often used in AI-driven responses because they provide direct answers to user queries, display related products, and highlight key information.

   So, every human creator should optimize their content for featured snippets.

   This single technique can boost your visibility and authority in search results, AI citations, and other AI-generated search result formats.

   You can structure content by using lists and tables (wherever possible). Other structuring methods include effective use of headings, utilizing text fragments to direct search engines to specific webpage sections, adding an FAQ page, etc.

4. Double Down on Technical SEO Factors

   While writing authentic, in-depth, value-packed content is highly beneficial, it isn’t enough to compete against AI-generated search results.

   Creators are advised to prioritize technical SEO, as it will ensure AI search engines can effortlessly crawl, understand, and rank your content higher.

   Several technical SEO factors need your attention, including page speed, image optimization, browser caching, website security, CDN, and more.

   Hiring an experienced SEO professional is recommended to handle the technical SEO aspects, so creators can focus entirely on what they do best – creating valuable and authentic content.

5. Use AI Tools to Fuel Your Growth and Success

   Many creators fear using AI tools, suspecting they may attract penalties.

   However, Google itself has clarified that it will reward high-quality content regardless of how it’s produced.

   If you’re an independent creator handling every content operation alone, start using AI to scale your content production and quality.

   But remember that purely AI content that doesn’t add value will not help you rank or gain visibility.

   It may also make you lose your existing reader base. So, use AI tools for initial research, outline creation, first drafts, etc., but never use purely AI content.

   Infuse it with your human insights, experiences, real-world case studies, etc., to make it high-quality content from AI’s perspective.

   Also, be mindful that AI can hallucinate and present factually incorrect information. Always double-check your content pieces to maintain reliability.

Conclusion

AI-generated search results aren’t a fleeting trend and are here to stay, but they won’t lower the value of human-generated content.

This technological upgrade will make human content more valuable and distinctive.

Going forward, only those creators will thrive who maintain a balance between AI and their humanness.

For example, creators can use AI for research, ideation, and technical optimization; however, they should always layer it with unique human elements to create lasting value.

This seeming crisis can easily be transformed into an opportunity for creators who understand this new dynamic.