Search Visibility Framework: SERP in 2026

How to win in the AI search era. The five pillars of the search visibility framework help maximize SERP coverage and conversions.

Search is experiencing its biggest transformation in decades, and your SEO strategy must keep up with these changes.

The reality is this: even when you secure a top organic position, you’re competing with AI Overviews that cut clicks before users even reach your site.

The good news: while the SERP has become more complex, it has also become richer.

Brands that are winning are the ones orchestrating total visibility across multiple touchpoints, capturing every high-intent moment.

This is exactly what the search visibility framework is designed for — my approach to thriving in today’s AI-driven, multi-format search landscape.

This article explains the framework in full, from its core principles to its five pillars and ways to measure their impact.

Read more about why search still only “speaks” a few languages.

The Search Visibility Framework: Winning Across Every Touchpoint

The framework is built on omnipresence — owning multiple placements on page one to capture user intent in various scenarios:

• I want to know… (research intent)
• I want to go… (local intent)
• I want to do… (how-to or action intent)
• I want to buy… (purchase intent)

The goal is simple: appear in as many SERP features as possible for your target queries, including:

• Paid ads (PPC)
• Local Services Ads (LSA)
• Map Pack (Google Business Profile)
• Organic listings
• Featured snippets
• AI Overviews
• People Also Ask (PAA) blocks
• Videos
• Ecommerce/shopping modules
• “Things to Know” and “What People Are Saying” modules

Benefits of this approach:

• Maximize market coverage: You can appear in multiple slots for the same query (e.g., ad + local + organic + snippet).
• Diversify lead sources: Traffic comes from multiple entry points and different user intent scenarios.
• Build brand authority: Psychologically dominate the SERP, reinforcing trust and market leadership.
• Create search resilience: If one channel dips, others fill the gap.

This is not a completely new concept. However, in the new SEO era, brands need to push this strategy even harder, especially as AI Overviews capture a growing share of clicks.

The Growing Need for Total SERP Coverage

We are now acutely aware of the impact of Google AI Overviews on search results.

Marketing teams are dealing with yet another SERP feature that drives zero clicks.

According to Pew Research Center, in March 2025, up to 58% of users conducted at least one Google search that triggered an AI Overviews summary.

What happened next?

• Users clicked on traditional results in only 8% of searches with an AI summary, compared with 15% on pages without a summary.
• Only 1% of all visits led to clicks within the AI Overviews summaries.
• Users were more likely to end their browsing session rather than continue.

Google responded by calling the study methodologically flawed and claimed they “consistently direct billions of clicks to websites daily” without seeing significant drops in aggregate traffic.

However, independent research paints a different picture:

• Terakeet found that for transactional queries, being included in Google AI Overviews can significantly boost clicks.
• TrustRadius found that 90% of B2B buyers clicked on sources featured in AI Overviews.

The dual challenge for brands now is:

1. Appear in AI Overviews.
2. Maintain prime positions across the rest of the SERP.

The search visibility framework was built specifically for this.

The Five Pillars of the Search Visibility Framework

The framework is a systematic approach to SEO, covering five key areas: content, organic search, paid search, local search, and user experience.

Their real power comes from how they work together to create multifaceted visibility for your brand.

Content

Content acts as the connective tissue for all other pillars.

• Well-structured content improves organic rankings.
• Strengthens landing pages for paid campaigns.
• Enhances local profile relevance.
• Supports a smooth user experience.

Organic Search

Traditional SEO remains foundational. Strong technical health, precise keyword targeting, and on-page optimization build the relevance that fuels every other pillar.

Paid Search

Paid search provides fast visibility for competitive queries and fills coverage gaps where organic rankings may fall short.

Local Search

Local SEO ensures geographic dominance: optimizing Google Business Profiles, managing reviews, and leveraging local citations.

User Experience

UX ensures that every click — from AI Overviews, organic, paid, or local — has the highest chance of conversion. Fast, intuitive, and trustworthy interfaces are critical.

When combined, these five pillars create a multifaceted approach:

• Content builds relevance.
• Organic SEO secures long-term rankings.
• Paid campaigns capture immediate opportunities.
• Local search wins high-intent nearby customers.
• UX strategies keep visitors engaged.

Together, they compound visibility in the SERP.

Read more about why “looking everywhere” does not mean “being everywhere”.

Tracking SERP Wins

Classic ranking data is still valuable, but not sufficient.

To measure ROI of the framework, track your footprint across AI Overviews, SERP features, and funnel stages.

Beyond raw clicks, monitor signals of influence like assisted traffic, brand mentions, and engagement, especially when click-through rates decline but your brand remains prominent.

Key Metrics:

• Executive KPIs: Leads, conversions, share of voice
• Paid performance: CPC, ROAS, campaign efficiency
• Local performance: Map Pack visibility, calls, reviews
• Organic performance: Clicks, CTR, snippet wins
• Content features: PAA coverage, video impressions, FAQ schema results
• Website health: Core Web Vitals, page speed, schema errors
• SERP coverage: % of features owned per target query
• AI SERP analytics: Citation tracking, engagement in AI Overviews

Consolidating this into a single SEO dashboard (e.g., Looker Studio) helps identify underperforming assets and reallocate efforts efficiently.

From Uncertainty to Opportunity

Search is no longer a straight path from query to click. Users and publishers navigate a maze of AI answers and competing SERP features.

The search visibility framework is a way to restructure your SEO program to capitalize on every opportunity the SERP offers, instead of focusing only on what’s lost.

Read this article in Ukrainian.