Google made another major change on May 20, 2025, launching AI Overviews in U.S. search results. These summaries, powered by generative AI, sit above the regular search listings and provide quick answers, often pulling from multiple websites. They’re already shifting how users discover and engage with content.
For smaller brands in the home industry, this is an opportunity. With the right content and channel strategy, you can earn valuable visibility.
Here’s how to pivot your approach and start winning in this AI-enhanced search era.
What Are AI Overviews?
Google’s AI Overviews show up at the top of search results and answer users’ questions directly using information pulled from web pages, videos, and community platforms like Reddit. While they don’t directly change your rankings, they change what gets clicked, especially on mobile, where users may never scroll past the Overview.
To compete, your brand must become the kind of source Google’s AI wants to summarize: clear, helpful, trusted, and visually engaging.
Strategy 1: Use Visual Content to Show, Not Just Tell
Whether you’re selling stacked stone for fireplaces or luxury vinyl plank for kitchens, your customers are searching visually.
Why It Matters:
- Google Lens searches are up—users snap photos of surfaces to compare materials and ask questions.
- AI Overviews increasingly cite images and visual cards, especially when showing textures, installation methods, or before-and-after scenes.
- Alt tags and image metadata now play a bigger role in visibility (and accessibility).
Quick Wins:
- Take high-quality photos of real installations—show your brick on exteriors, stone on fireplaces, or plank flooring in a finished room.
- Use descriptive file names (clay-brick-fireplace.jpg, gray-ledgestone-wall.jpg) and alt text that clearly describes the product and use.
- Create simple infographics—think “Thin brick vs. Full brick,” or “Stone veneer vs. natural stone”—to help educate homeowners and earn image traffic.
Pro tip: A single product shoot can generate website photos, Pinterest pins, blog graphics, and AI-friendly visuals—all with proper tagging and reuse.
Strategy 2: Invest in YouTube Videos (Yes, Even Short Ones)
YouTube is the second-largest search engine and one of the most underused tools for small manufacturers.
Why It Matters:
- Google features YouTube videos directly in search results and AI Overviews.
- Shoppers and pros search YouTube for installation demos, product comparisons, and design inspiration.
- Embedded videos increase time on page, improve E-E-A-T, and reduce bounce rate.
What to Do:
- Create 1–2 minute videos showing how your product is used such as brick archways, stone accent walls, floor installs, etc.
- Include captions and product names to show credibility and boost trust signals.
- Embed the video in a matching blog post that answers related questions (“Can you use stone veneer indoors?”).
Your smartphone and good lighting can go a long way. Don’t worry about perfection focus on authenticity and clarity.
Strategy 3: Join the Conversation on Reddit
Homeowners, designers, and contractors are already on Reddit asking questions about flooring, stone, and brick—and Google is listening.
Why It Matters:
- Reddit threads are now being cited directly in AI Overviews.
- Google signed a data deal with Reddit in 2024, increasing Reddit’s visibility in search results.
- Shoppers trust real, unsponsored advice—especially when investing in long-term materials like brick or flooring.
What You Can Do:
- Follow subreddits like r/HomeImprovement, r/DIY, r/Masonry, and r/Flooring.
- Answer common questions based on real-world experience (e.g., “What’s the difference between brick pavers and full brick?”).
- Share helpful links to your blog or video only when it adds genuine value.
- Watch for common pain points—they make excellent blog and video topics later.
Your Small-Business Search Checklist (All Channels Work Together)
| Channel | Strategy |
| Your Website | Embed videos, add alt tags to images, use schema markup for FAQs and How-To guides |
| YouTube | Shoot short installation or product videos and link to your site |
| Answer questions, build trust, and earn long-term visibility in AI Overviews | |
| Google Search | Update content for clarity, depth, and user intent—focus on being the best source |
| Visual Search | Use well-tagged images and infographics to stand out in Google Lens and image packs |
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a big budget to succeed in the age of AI search, all you need is strategy, structure, and consistency. By leaning into visuals, building community trust, and creating clear, helpful content, your brand can rise above competitors and appear in the very spaces where decisions are being made.
At White Label Studio, we’re here to guide you through this transformation. Let’s turn these changes into opportunities and strengthen your organic presence for the future of search.