Inside the First UX Study on Google AI Overviews and Search Behavior

A New Lens on Search Behavior

For the first time, we have data that shows exactly how people interact with Google’s AI Overviews—and it’s not coming from Google. This independent usability study, led by SEO veterans Kevin Indig and Eric Van Buskirk, tracked how 70 real users engaged with Google’s AI-generated answers over the course of 400+ encounters. The findings upend long-held assumptions about how people search, what earns clicks, and what doesn’t.

Kevin Indig, a well-known SEO strategist and advisor to growth-stage tech companies, brings years of hands-on experience analyzing how algorithms influence user intent. Eric Van Buskirk, the mind behind major search behavior research projects—including landmark studies on click-through rates—designed and directed the mechanics of this UX experiment. Together, they built a rigorous research model, complete with think-aloud protocols, scroll tracking, dwell-time analysis, and even emotional reactions.

What they found cuts deep into the heart of SEO strategy. Click-through rates are no longer the clearest sign of success. Scroll behavior has changed. Demographics shape engagement more than ever. And when AI Overviews appear, people search differently—not just a little, but a lot.

For law firms, this isn’t theoretical. It affects how potential clients find and evaluate you. If your content isn’t earning placement in the right part of the AI Overview—or if you’re relying on referral clicks to prove ROI—you’re already behind.

Let’s break down what this study revealed, and what it means for your firm’s visibility.

When AI Overviews Show Up, Clicks Drop Fast

The study confirmed what many marketers have suspected: when Google displays an AI Overview (AIO), users click out of Google less. On desktop, outbound click-through rates dropped by as much as 66%. Mobile fared slightly better, but still saw nearly half of potential clicks disappear once an AIO was present.

Users often treat the AIO as the final answer, especially when it appears above traditional results. The old model of earning traffic through blue links is giving way to a system where visibility inside the AIO panel itself matters more than whether someone actually lands on your site.

So what should law firms be doing now before the masses target this new placement? Monitor and track your visibility.

First, stop using raw referral traffic as the only measurement for organic success. A page might be doing an effective job if it’s getting your firm cited or mentioned prominently in the AIO. Instead, firms should start tracking metrics that reflect presence and prominence:

Citation rank: How high up your brand or site appears in the AIO.

Share of voice: How frequently your content is mentioned across top AIO panels and traditional organic results.

Impressions: While not perfect, they can still offer directional insight on whether your AIO visibility is improving.

For firms actively expanding their content marketing or SEO, this means taking the first steps to change how you report value. Rankings and traffic still matter, but not the way they used to.

Top Placement Is Everything

One of the clearest takeaways from the study is that user engagement with AI Overviews drops sharply below the top third of the AIO panel. The median user scrolled just 30% of the panel’s height, and most didn’t reach the bottom at all. This behavior makes placement more important than presence. If your firm is cited deep in the overview, odds are it won’t be seen.

This puts new pressure on content strategy. For law firms, earning visibility inside the AIO means prioritizing how and where you’re referenced. Content must be structured so that AI can easily extract concise, relevant blocks. Answers should be formatted clearly, with direct phrasing that reflects how people search for legal help. Keyword stuffing and long-winded explanations will hurt more than help.

It also reinforces the value of domain authority. The AI is more likely to cite credible, trusted sources at the top of the panel. If your firm is recognized as an authority in a specific practice area—whether it’s personal injury, mass torts, or criminal defense—you’re more likely to show up early in the summary. And early is the only place that matters.

Trust Moves the Needle More Than Keywords

The study uncovered a direct connection between how much users trust an AI Overview and how far they’re willing to engage with it. Deeper scrolls aligned closely with higher levels of reported trust. When users saw clearly attributed sources, expert authorship, and recognizable brands early in the panel, they were more likely to stop scrolling and treat the information as reliable. In short, trust cues now play a bigger role than traditional keyword targeting in driving user behavior.

This matters deeply for law firms, especially in practice areas where stakes are high like personal injury, family law, or anything touching financial or medical decisions. Users looking for legal help are scanning for credibility. If your content lacks visible proof of expertise, it risks being ignored, even if it’s technically accurate.

To build that trust, firms should revisit how they present content online. Citing reputable sources, showcasing attorney credentials, and making editorial standards public all reinforce authority. Structured content, clear authorship, and original insights signal that your site is trustworthy. And in an AI-dominated SERP, that’s what earns attention.

Who’s Searching Shapes What They Click

Search behavior isn’t one-size-fits-all. Age and device type now play a major role in how people engage with AI Overviews. The study found that users between the ages of 25 and 34, particularly on mobile devices, were far more likely to treat AIOs as the final answer. In roughly half of their searches, these users didn’t click out of Google at all. In contrast, older users, especially those over 45, were more inclined to keep scrolling past the AI panel to seek out familiar domains and authoritative websites.

This has real implications for law firms that target specific demographics. If your client base tends to skew older, it may still be worth doubling down on traditional organic search strategies that focus on high rankings and clear branding. These users are more skeptical of AI answers and more likely to rely on recognizable legal websites before making a decision.

On the other hand, firms targeting younger clients or mobile-first consumers—common in areas like car accidents, immigration, or consumer protection—need to treat AIO visibility as a core strategy. That audience tends to favor quick answers and social proof over exhaustive research. Knowing which age group you’re speaking to is fundamental to how you should structure content and evaluate performance.

Social Proof and Community Matter More Than Ever

When users did choose to click beyond the AI Overview, their next stop often wasn’t a traditional website. Instead, a significant portion of outbound traffic went to Reddit threads, YouTube videos, and forum posts. These platforms offer the kind of social proof and personal experience that AIOs can’t replicate, especially for searches involving complex decisions or high personal stakes.

For law firms, this opens up a new frontier of visibility. Earning a mention in a Reddit thread or showing up in a forum discussion can directly influence potential clients in the research phase. Similarly, well-optimized YouTube content can attract users who want to “see it for themselves” before they trust a firm. The study found that people decide within the first 15 seconds whether to keep watching or bounce, so the opening moments of a video matter as much as the content itself.

This doesn’t mean firms should abandon their websites. But it does mean expanding the scope of what qualifies as relevant SEO. Community engagement and video production, especially when tied to authentic content and real client education, can fill the gap left behind by falling click-through rates from traditional search.

Why This Changes Legal Marketing Strategy

This study makes one thing clear: Google is making AIO visibility more valuable than blue link clicks. Traditional SEO metrics like organic click-through rate and average position no longer tell the whole story, especially when AI Overviews absorb so much user attention before anyone ever reaches the organic results. For law firms, that means the definition of success in search has changed. Being seen, cited, or mentioned in AI Overviews now matters just as much, if not more, than getting the traditional click. As AI Overviews get better, and more people learn to trust them, these placements will be the new prime real estate in Google’ SERPs.

It also means firms need to adapt how they measure performance and where they focus their efforts. Content must not only answer the query but earn early placement in the AI Overview. Trust signals such as author credentials, expert reviews, and high-quality sourcing, need to be front and center. And depending on your audience, traditional SEO or AI visibility should take priority accordingly. Firms that market to older clients may still find value in long-form, organic-first content. But for younger, mobile-first audiences, if you’re not visible in the AIO or on Reddit or YouTube, you’re likely invisible altogether.

TSEG understands this new reality. We help firms build the kind of authority and content structure that earns early citations and real attention—whether that’s inside an AI Overview, on page one, or in the platforms users turn to for confirmation. Our approach goes beyond rankings and reports. We focus on presence, credibility, and making sure your firm is where it needs to be when decisions are being made. Partner with us today.