Understand how Google’s AI Overviews, AI-generated snapshots in search results, are reshaping SEO strategies.
What Is Google AI Overview?
Google’s AI Overviews are AI-generated snapshots that appear directly in search results, summarising key information about a topic. Instead of relying only on traditional organic search results, Google uses generative AI to pull insights from across the web and present them in a single, easy-to-read overview. These overviews can answer specific search queries quickly, saving users time and often appearing above other search engine features like featured snippets.
How Do Google AI Overviews Work?
AI Overviews currently appear in Google Search when the system determines that generative AI can be especially helpful for answering a question. Google announced that AI Overviews are still considered an experiment, and users might see them more often for certain types of searches where quick, factual information is needed. Google’s AI capabilities decide when to show an overview, aiming to improve overall search experiences.
Why Google Uses Generative AI for Search Overviews
Google’s AI Overviews use generative AI to help people get a faster understanding of a topic. Instead of scanning multiple links, users see AI-generated responses directly in search results. Google believes this approach makes AI search more efficient, especially for complex questions where users want quick answers. It’s part of a broader generative AI experience in Search Labs called Search Generative Experience.
What Triggers an AI Overview in Search Results
Certain factors increase the chance of triggering an AI Overview. These include the type of search, the complexity of the question, and whether the query has a clear informational search intent. Google’s systems analyse signals like search ranking data, user behavior, and the presence of structured content to decide if AI Overviews may appear. While not every search gets an AI Overview, Google continues testing and expanding where this feature shows up.
Where Do AI Overviews Appear in Search?
AI Overviews appear at the top of the search results page, sometimes above traditional search features like featured snippets. Users might also see links in AI Overviews that cite sources for further reading. This means that even if your site ranks in traditional organic search results, it might also be included in AI Overviews, giving you another way to gain visibility in Google Search results. However, AI Overviews may push the rest of the search results further down the page, which can impact how users engage with traditional search engine results.
How AI Overviews Impact Search and SEO
Do AI Overviews Change How People Search for Information?
AI Overviews change the way people interact with search engines. Many users get their answers directly in search, reducing the need to click on multiple pages. This shift toward AI-generated information means businesses need to consider how to stay visible, even if users spend less time browsing the rest of the search results.
How AI Overviews Affect Website Visibility
Sites cited in AI Overviews can gain significant visibility in AI mode, but those not included may lose prominence on the search results page. Ads in AI Overviews can further impact organic visibility. For businesses, this new search feature means adjusting strategies to maintain traffic and brand presence, both in AI-generated content and traditional search results.
What AI Overviews Mean for SEO Traffic and Revenue
AI Overviews are changing how traffic flows from Google Search, and that has real consequences for revenue. Because AI-generated responses answer many user queries directly in search, some businesses are seeing fewer clicks to their sites, especially for simple informational queries. This drop in traffic can feel alarming, but it doesn’t always mean a drop in revenue.
Businesses focused on high-intent search queries — where users are ready to buy, sign up, or take the next step — may still capture valuable traffic. In some cases, the users who do click through from AI Overviews are more qualified and further along in their decision-making process, which can improve conversion rates and revenue despite lower overall traffic numbers.
When your brand appears directly in AI-generated answers, it can build trust and authority, influencing users even if they don’t immediately click through. For e-commerce, features like AI-driven product recommendations could drive purchases directly from search, creating new paths to revenue.
However, AI Overviews also mean businesses need to rethink how they measure SEO success. Metrics like organic clicks and impressions might decline, but those losses could be offset by gains in brand exposure and higher-quality leads. Companies investing in SEO best practices — creating authoritative, helpful, and well-structured content — are better positioned to be included in AI Overviews and benefit from these shifts.
How to Optimize for AI Overviews
Can You Get Your Site to Appear in AI Overviews?
There’s no guaranteed way to appear in AI Overviews, but following SEO best practices gives you a better chance. Google has shared through channels like Google Search Central that AI Overviews use generative AI alongside signals from traditional search engine ranking systems. High-quality, helpful content remains key for inclusion.
Ranking Factors Behind AI Overviews
Google’s AI Overviews combine signals from systems like PageRank and other traditional organic search results. Factors like topical authority, structured data, freshness, and user trust play a role. AI Overviews are also influenced by generative AI’s ability to summarize information from reliable sources. Google may consider the quality of citations, the relevance of content, and how well it answers user queries.
Using Structured Data and Multimedia to Rank in AI Overviews
Structured data helps Google understand your content and increases your chances of appearing in features like AI Overviews. Adding markup for products, articles, FAQs, and videos can make your pages more discoverable. Multimedia, like images or videos, can also boost engagement, and content with visuals is often cited in AI Overviews. Tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper make this process easier.
The Future of Search and Generative AI
Smarter Understanding of Natural Language
Generative AI models, like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini (formerly Bard), are getting better at grasping the subtleties of how people talk and ask questions. Instead of returning a simple list of links, these AI capabilities allow users to ask complex or conversational search queries and receive detailed, AI-generated responses directly in search results.
More Personalized and Contextual Results
AI-powered search engines can tailor results based on individual factors like search history, location, or interests. This personalized approach aims to help users find the right information faster and make AI-generated content more relevant to each person’s specific needs and search intent.
Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
Generative AI brings enormous potential for making search faster and more helpful, but it also raises new challenges. There are concerns about accuracy, copyright issues, and the significant energy consumption of large AI models. For businesses and SEOs, this evolving landscape offers both risks and opportunities, and staying informed is key to keeping a strong presence in search results, whether in traditional organic listings or new AI-powered features like AI Overviews.
In short, generative AI is redefining what search engines do. It’s a shift from simply retrieving information to delivering dynamic, personalized experiences — and it’s a future that both users and businesses will need to embrace.
Ready to Get Your Site Featured in Google’s AI Overviews?
If you’re wondering how to appear in AI Overviews or how AI-generated search results could impact your business, WebSEM can help. From studying AI Overviews and optimising your content to tracking your visibility in Google Search, we’re ready to support your search engine optimisation efforts. Let’s make sure your business stays visible — even as search and AI overviews evolve.