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It’s Friday and I am feeling stout. Not as stout as this immovable object, but I feel pretty good after a long week - hope you do too.

Today’s Main Thing preps you for YouTube’s new AI Overview searches. It’s a test for now but could be the new norm. So, I’ll hand off a few strategies to help you adapt your YouTube marketing plans for the likely future of video searches.

Appetizer: Improve your public speaking instantly.

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The Main Thing

YouTube Overviews Doom Coming Soon?

Who knows what Google’s up to these days. 

They don’t want to be left out of the AI Search summaries lottery (despite Google still dominating search vs. AI queries).

So, maybe FOMO is why the Googsters are testing AI Overviews on YouTube now.

Should your brand be concerned? If you use YouTube for marketing or plan to, then YES.

Start by asking yourself these questions…

YouTube’s AI Overviews Test: 5 Questions to Chew On

1. Will this new AI feature help or hurt my video’s views?

YouTube’s AI Overviews are basically highlight reels. It picks out what it thinks are the best bits from videos and puts them front and center in search results. (How AI summarizes content) 

That could mean more eyes on your stuff if you get picked. If you don’t, your videos might get skipped over. Plus, if people get what they need from the AI snippets, they might not bother watching your whole video. 

That’ll ding your watch time, prolly create a domino effect on other metrics, and decrease your ad revenue (if applicable).

2. How do I make sure my videos get picked by the AI?

A good guess is that AI will favor clear, to-the-point videos. If your videos are easy for the AI to “read” with obvious sections and direct answers to common questions, getting featured in AI Overviews is more likely.

Actions you can take to prepare? Tighten up intros. Sharpen and shorten hooks. Get right to the good stuff (avoid giving away everything, but offering an appetizer at the start, not the entree).

3. Is this going to mess with my engagement or earnings?

If folks are happy just watching the AI-picked clips, they might not click through to your full video. 

That could mean fewer likes, comments, and shares — not to mention less ad revenue. It’s worth figuring out how much of your current business depends on people watching the whole video versus grabbing quick answers.

4. Do I need to rethink my video and SEO game?

With AI Overviews, YouTube is turning into even more of a search engine, especially for people looking for quick answers, bite-sized insights, and only the how-to part.

That means you might want to treat YouTube like a serious SEO channel, not just a place to post brand videos. Start thinking about keywords, video structure, and making content that works for both people and algorithms.

5. Am I ready to roll if this test becomes the new norm?

This is just a test for now, and YouTube is asking for feedback. Things could change fast depending on what users like or don’t like. Be ready to watch your metrics, see which videos get picked, and tweak your strategy as needed. 

And don’t be shy about giving YouTube feedback if their AI misses the mark or skips your best stuff.

How about a strategy for one of the main points above?

Structure YouTube Content for Both AI Overviews and Humans

• Start with a 10-second hook stating theme and core benefit ("This noise-canceling headphone review shows why they’re perfect for NYC commutes").

• Use timestamped chapters to segment videos.

• Embed side-by-side comparisons ("Bose vs. Sony sound quality test") and troubleshooting clips ("Fixing pairing issues") – formats AI prioritizes.

Technical optimization for AI visibility

• Add manual SRT captions (not auto-generated) with exact product terms and timestamps.

• Use VideoObject schema markup to highlight chapters, product specs, and key moments.

Leverage dual-platform SEO

• Include 15-20 search terms in descriptions.

• Mirror keywords between YouTube descriptions and your website’s product pages.
  

Design "clip-ready" moments

• Dedicate 15- to 30-second segments to answer specific questions (e.g., "How to pair with iPhone" or "Don’t jack up your ear drums") – these are prime AI Overview candidates.

• Use on-screen text and voiceover repetition for key claims ("Blocks 95% of noise") to reinforce AI understanding.
  

Repurpose content dynamically

• Use AI tools to auto-generate social clips from long-form videos, testing which snippets get traction.

• Crop key sections into vertical / short-form formats for platform-specific visibility.
  

Monitor AI interactions

• Check YouTube Analytics for "Impression sources" – look for traffic spikes from "AI Overview" referrals.

• Use tools like TubeBuddy to identify which timestamps drive retention (clues for what AI might highlight).
  

Pivot based on feedback

• If a video gets featured in AI Overviews, double down on that format (e.g., more comparison clips).

• Encourage viewers to "Watch the full test [add a hook - reason to watch full test]" in Overview clips to maintain watch time.
  

What about a plan for your older YouTube videos? I gotcha…

3 Ideas for Repurposing Older Videos if YouTube’s AI Overviews Stick Around

#1 Clip and Highlight Key Moments with AI Tools

• Use AI-powered video editors to automatically scan older videos and pull out the most appealing segments.

• Turn these clips into YouTube Shorts or highlight reels, focusing on quick, exact tips AI Overviews are likely to favor.

• Test: Upload a few Shorts or highlight clips from one older video and compare their performance (views, engagement, appearance in search) to original long-form video.
  

#2 Refresh Metadata and Add Chapters

• Update titles, descriptions, and tags on your older videos with current, high-traffic keywords related to your topic. Use tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to find what’s trending now.

• Add time stamped chapters in the video description to mark sections to help viewers and the AI quickly find exactly what they want.

• Test: Pick two older videos. For one, only update the metadata. The other, add chapters and metadata. Track which gets more search impressions or appears in new AI Overview carousels.
  

#3 Re-edit and Enhance for Modern Standards

• Use AI to upscale video quality (to HD or 4K) and clean up audio, making your content look and sound fresher.

• Consider adding new intros, outros, or on-screen text to clarify the value of each segment. Makes it easier for AI to identify “clip-worthy” moments.

• Test: Re-upload a remastered version of an older video and monitor if it gets picked up by AI Overviews or sees a boost in engagement compared to the original.

⏬This Week’s Marketing Wrap-Up is coming up. Then, see how a horse race shows how to never run out of marketing content — in the P.S.⏬

Please share Inbox Hacking with a fellow marketing genius or business owner. I appreciate you reading and sharing. 

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin.

Good clipping from Charles Miller…

P.S. The Kentucky Derby’s tomorrow. Quite the spectacle. Content marketers can learn a lot from the hours-long pre-race content. Shows how to always have something to talk about because the main event is only 2 minutes!