Google’s AI Overviews have officially landed in several major EU markets, a clear sign that broader European expansion is happening faster than many expected.
Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland now have access to AI Overviews in Google Search for logged-in users over 18 years old.
This also means one thing for businesses in Finland and Sweden:
🚨 The launch in our markets could happen very soon, possibly still during 2025?
What are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are AI-generated answers shown directly at the top of Google’s search results.
Instead of just blue links, users immediately see a summarized answer to their query, often followed by source links to external websites.
The goal?
- Help users get quick, clear answers
- Encourage more follow-up searches
- Provide a deeper understanding of complex topics directly inside the SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
While it improves user experience, it also poses new challenges for websites that rely on organic search traffic.
Where have AI Overviews been rolled out?
As of late March 2025, AI Overviews are now live in:
- Germany (German and English)
- Belgium (English at launch)
- Ireland (English)
- Italy (Italian and English)
- Austria (German and English)
- Poland (Polish and English)
- Portugal (Portuguese and English)
- Spain (Spanish and English)
- Switzerland (English, French, German, and Italian)
Previously, AI Overviews were only available in select countries like the US, UK, India, Japan, and Brazil.
The new EU expansion is a major move — despite the complex GDPR and Digital Markets Act regulations.
Why does this matter for Finland and Sweden?
Although AI Overviews haven’t launched yet in Finland or Sweden, this large EU rollout increases the likelihood significantly.
It shows that Google has solved—or at least adapted to—many of the legal and regulatory challenges in Europe.
If the pattern from other feature launches (like Popular Products and enhanced SERP features) holds, Finland and Sweden could see AI Overviews as early as late 2025.
Now is the time to start preparing.
How much of your traffic is at risk?
Recent research from Brightedge shows that AI Overviews are now visible in 4–20% of informational search queries, depending on the length of the query:
- Shorter queries (2–3 words): AI Overviews appear ~4% of the time
- Longer queries (8–10 words): AI Overviews appear ~20% of the time
In short: the more words in the search query, the more likely it triggers an AI Overview.
Given that longer, more specific searches often deliver highly valuable organic traffic, this could significantly impact your site’s visibility and clickthrough rates (CTR).
Important:
According to Ahrefs, AI Overviews can reduce CTR for the top organic result by around 34.5% compared to similar searches without AI Overviews.
👉 If a big portion of your current traffic comes from informational keywords, your organic search traffic could take a serious hit once AI Overviews expand.
How to Estimate Your Risk
Now is a good time to:
- Analyze your existing organic traffic in Google Search Console
- Filter by query length (longer, informational queries)
- Estimate the percentage of your traffic that could be affected if AI Overviews launch by calculating the cohorts of number of words in informational queries with the percentage that the specific cohort is going to show AI Overviews for (use the graph above).
This analysis will help you understand your current exposure, and start planning alternative strategies (like focusing more on branded queries, content embedded within AI answers, and diversifying traffic sources).
Examples: For one site we did the calculation, the estimate was about 4 %, and for another site around 17 %.
Final Thoughts
Google’s rollout of AI Overviews in major EU markets is an unmistakable signal: AI-generated search experiences are becoming the norm.
- Traffic loss from traditional search listings is very real.
- Adapting early will give brands a critical edge.
- Monitoring how AI Overviews evolve—and how they affect your visibility—is now essential for SEO and growth strategies.
At Genero Growth, we help businesses future-proof their marketing by staying ahead of major shifts like this.
Curious how AI Overviews might impact your traffic — and how to adapt?
Get in touch – we’d love to help!
Sources:
- Search Engine Land: Google rolls out AI Overviews in EU regions
- AdRelevance: Google lanserar AI Overviews i EU
- Ahrefs: AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 34.5%
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