SEO 101 Episode 520: ChatGPT Ads & AI Overviews – Is Organic Search in Trouble?

Host: Scott Van Achte (Senior SEO, StepForth Web Marketing)
Date: January 22, 2026
Podcast: SEO 101, WMR.FM
Ross Dunn is away; Scott hosts solo.

Overview

This episode dives into recent developments in AI-driven search, including the arrival of paid ads in ChatGPT, the state of organic search traffic amid AI overviews, and the ongoing relevance of keyword SEO. Scott also discusses the reliability (and risks) of Google's AI overviews, the practical impact of llms.txt files, and recent research into query methods and Core Web Vitals in AI search. The episode offers actionable insights for SEOs and website owners navigating the evolving search landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ChatGPT Launching Paid Ads (01:06)

• OpenAI will launch ads in ChatGPT as early as February 2026.
  • Advertisers are being asked for steep trial commitments (~$1 million each).
  • System for buying ads is manual; no self-serve ad platform yet.
  • Ads will be sold on a pay-per-view (impression-based) model, not pay-per-click.
• Implications:
  • Suggests OpenAI expects low click-through rates from ChatGPT users.
  • Quoting Glenn Gabe from X:

    “Pay per view. Oh my God. What does that tell you about clicks from ChatGPT?” (02:13)

  • Benefit: More competition among ad channels could mean new traffic sources for advertisers and businesses.

2. State of Organic Traffic & AI Overviews (03:36)

• Study by Graphite (using SimilarWeb):
  • Organic traffic down 2.5% year-over-year (far below the feared 25–60% reduction).
  • Caveat: The comparison periods don’t align perfectly—December is seasonal, which could skew results.
  • Google’s statement (August 2025): Click volume remains “relatively stable year over year.”
• Impact of AI Overviews:
  • Informational intent sites hardest hit:

    “AI overviews is displayed for...something like 80% of all informational intent searches.” (05:10)

  • Commercial/transactional sites: Negligible impact so far.
  • If your content is mainly info-based, expect larger losses; commercial sites less affected.
  • Scott’s concern: The Graphite study may not capture industries hardest hit by AI.

3. AI Overviews: Dangerous Health Advice & Source Quality (07:00)

• The Guardian’s report: Google AI Overviews sometimes produce flawed or dangerous health advice, e.g.,
  • Erroneous advice on cancer diets and liver tests.
  • Infamous example: “AI Overview’s response recommended that putting crushed porcelain in breast milk...is a beneficial source of extra calcium.”

    “...that’s ridiculous. It’s not only a good source of extra calcium, it’s a good way to kill your baby probably.” (08:02)

• Has Google fixed it? That specific result seems gone (Scott couldn’t replicate it).
• Reliability:
  • Google disputes the extent, claiming most answers are accurate and linked to reputable sources.
  • Scott’s view:

    “Many are good, but definitely not most.” (09:27)

• Source quality findings (Guardian’s research in Germany):
  • Only 36% of sources in AI Overviews were also in the top 10 organic results.
  • Top source cited: YouTube (over 4%), surpassing hospitals and health authorities.
  • Scott is surprised Google’s AI cites YouTube over proven medical sites so frequently.

4. LLMs.txt: Is It Worth Your Time? (12:00)

• Background: LLMs.txt is a new file webmasters can use to control AI crawlers’ access to content.
• Google’s stance: Not actively used; placing the file was an internal accident (per John Mueller).
• Small test by Anna Fernandez (Pre Visible):
  • 10 sites tracked over 90 days before and after adding llms.txt.
  • 2 sites saw traffic jumps (12.5% and 25%), but both attributed these to unrelated content/SEO work.
  • Most saw no change; 1 saw a decline (not believed to be related).
  • Conclusion:

    “No major LLM [AI] providers are officially committed to parsing these files…” (14:36)

  • Scott’s Advice:

    “Implement them if you’ve got a moment...It’s not critical...I see zero chance that having an LLMs.txt file will hurt you in any way...long-term, maybe they start using them and you’re good to go.” (15:13)

5. Keyword Search Usage in ChatGPT (17:00)

• Debunking the ‘keywords are dead’ myth:
  • Test by Frank Olivo (Sega Pixel): Observed how people use ChatGPT to find local services (healthcare, aesthetics).
  • Findings:
    • 69% of users still type keyword-based queries.
    • 25% use natural language.
    • 6% use a hybrid of both.
  • Implication:

    “It really does show that keyword based searches are alive...should not be ignored yet.” (18:52)

  • Even with AI, concise, keyword-rich content remains crucial.
  • FAQ/conversational content is still important and growing (for the future and now).

6. Core Web Vitals and AI Search Performance (20:00)

• Dan Taylor (Salt Agency): Analyzed over 107,000 “AI-visible” pages.
  • Main takeaway: No strong positive correlation between better Core Web Vitals (CWV) and improved AI visibility.
  • BUT: A negative correlation exists for sites with very poor performance—extremely bad CWV can hurt you in AI.
  • For most sites (average/good performance), gains are limited if you’re only targeting AI search rankings.
  • Scott’s tip: If your site is “terrible, improve. If they’re average, you don’t really have to worry about it if AI search is the goal.” (21:13)
  • Further reading on Search Engine Land, linked in show notes.

7. Google Search Console: Counting Impressions with AI Overviews (22:00)

• Mark Williams-Cook (Candor agency): Asked if a page displayed in both AI Overviews and regular search gets one or two impressions.
• Google’s John Mueller confirms:
  • “Same URL in both AI overviews and in regular search...Google Search Console will count this as a single impression, not two.” (22:04)
  • Applies whether encountered via multiple elements (People Also Ask, Featured Snippet, etc.).
  • Useful for accurately interpreting your Search Console metrics.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On manual ad buying in ChatGPT:

  “Someone over at OpenAI is just manually doing the work I guess.” (01:37)

• On the crushed porcelain in breast milk AI answer:

  “Hopefully anyone listening knows...it’s not only a good source of extra calcium, it’s a good way to kill your baby probably.” (08:15)

• On Google’s claim ‘most’ AI overviews are accurate:

  “Many are good, but definitely not most.” (09:27)

• On LLMs.txt:

  “Implement them if you’ve got a moment. It’s not critical...don’t stress it.” (15:13)

• On keyword use in AI:

  “Keyword-based searches are alive within your favorite LLM and should not be ignored yet.” (18:52)

• On Core Web Vitals and AI search:

  “If your rankings within Core Web Vitals, your speed test scores, that sort of thing, are terrible, improve them...if they’re average, you don’t really have to worry about it if AI search is the goal.” (21:13)

Quick Reference Timestamps

• 01:06 – Show open, ChatGPT paid ads news
• 03:36 – Organic traffic study and AI Overview impact
• 07:00 – AI Overview health misinformation & source quality
• 12:00 – Does LLMs.txt Matter? Test results
• 17:00 – 75% of ChatGPT users rely on search keywords
• 20:00 – Core Web Vitals and AI results correlation
• 22:00 – Google Search Console impressions & multiple features

Key Takeaways

• Paid ads are coming to ChatGPT, but with a manual, impression-based model for now.
  • Low click expectation suggests engagement models for AI-driven search are still evolving.
• Organic search traffic decline is less dramatic than feared—2.5% year-over-year per one large-scale study.
• AI Overviews can amplify misinformation, especially in health topics, and frequently pull from less reputable sources.
• Keyword-centric searches are still the majority in AI tools—don’t abandon targeted keyword optimization.
• Core Web Vitals only matter (for AI visibility) if your scores are really poor—improve for user experience, but don’t fixate solely for AI results.
• Adding LLMs.txt is currently low-impact, but may be future-proofing.
• A single impression is counted in Google Search Console even if your page appears in multiple search features (including AI Overviews).

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