Canadian Cosmetic Cluster Team
Uniting Canadian Cosmetics and Bringing it to the World
 By: Dhanesh ShelatFounder @Leads Champs Google's rollout of AI Overviews (formerly called the Search Generative Experience) has fundamentally changed how people interact with search results. Instead of clicking into websites, users are now often met with AI-generated summaries pulling answers from various sources — reducing traffic to brand-owned content. A recent study by Conductor found that major sites like WebMD, Healthline, and Wikipedia lost between 54%–76% of their traffic from Google since the launch of AI Overviews. For cosmetics brands — especially SMEs — this presents both a challenge and a moment of opportunity. With the right strategies, brands can still grow visibility, credibility, and conversions in an AI-powered search world. Pillar 1: Authorship — A Trust Signal in the AI Age As Google combats spammy, low-quality AI content, it's placing increasing weight on authorship — the "who" behind your content. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is now central to how AI Overviews choose what to include. This is especially critical for cosmetics brands, where trust and credibility directly impact purchasing decisions. When someone searches "retinol serum for sensitive skin," Google's AI wants to surface content from people who actually know what they're talking about — not generic content farms. What beauty brands can do:
Pillar 2: Embrace User-Generated Content (UGC) — Reddit & Community Dialogue Matter Google's AI Overviews are pulling more content from user conversations on platforms like Reddit and Quora — not just traditional blogs or brand websites. A growing number of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) feature UGC-rich platforms near the top, even in highly competitive verticals like skincare. I've seen searches for "best vitamin C serum" where Reddit threads rank above brand websites. Why? Because real people sharing honest experiences creates the kind of authentic dialogue that AI systems value. What to do:
Pillar 3: Generative Engine Optimization — Local Search Results Are AI-Enhanced AI Overviews and local search results are increasingly tailored based on geography — not just keywords. Google is prioritizing location-aware answers, especially when it comes to product availability, reviews, and business visibility. For Canadian cosmetics brands, this is particularly important. When someone in Toronto searches "clean beauty brands," Google's AI should understand that they want locally available options, not just international brands they can't easily purchase. What to do:
Pillar 4: Paid Search — Defend Your Brand Visibility Even if you rank #1 organically, AI Overviews and paid ads may push your brand below the fold. Google's search results have gotten busier, and competitors may appear on your branded terms even unintentionally. I've seen too many beauty brands lose valuable traffic because they assumed their strong organic rankings were enough. Meanwhile, competitors were quietly bidding on their brand terms and intercepting potential customers. What to do:
Bonus Pillar: Think Multi-Platform — Search Lives Beyond Google Consumers — especially younger ones — don't just use Google. They're searching on:
What to do:
Key Takeaways: Search Isn't Dying — It's EvolvingThe future of SEO doesn't belong to the fastest or the biggest — it belongs to brands who understand their customers and evolve with how they search. For cosmetics brands, that means:
About the Author Dhanesh Shelat is the founder of Leads Champs, a digital marketing agency that helps brands turn search intent into revenue. Formerly a Global Director at L'Oréal (CeraVe), he now partners with beauty and healthcare companies to unlock sustainable, full-funnel growth through SEO and paid search.
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