Artificial intelligence is transforming the way people research topics of interest. One of the most visible signs of this latest iteration of the search ecosystem is the surge in AI overviews in Google search results.
For marketers, SEO professionals, and freelance consultants, having a clear understanding of what makes certain content preferable for AI overviews is mission-critical. By examining examples and gaining insight into what Google favors in a real-world setting, organizations can better align their strategies with the needs of this new framework.
Search tactics are becoming increasingly AI-driven by the day. Understanding how to appear in an AI overview can lead to broader visibility, as well as higher authority and stronger loyalty among searchers who find value in those results.
What Are AI Overviews?
AI overviews are summaries of multiple results, created by an AI model. Their purpose is to provide users with comprehensive, instant answers to search queries. They significantly reduce click-through actions across multiple sources, enabling users to skim for the information they need quickly.
These summaries typically include link cards, which make source verification easy, and they’re powered by large AI models, like Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot, which is powered by ChatGPT. They’re most often used when user search intent requires context-rich results or explanations.
Anytime you Google a question in relatively natural language, like “how can I control high blood pressure”, you’re likely to get an AI overview that summarizes the best results. AI overviews dramatically improve the average user experience. They reduce search friction with highly detailed, synthesized answers that appear instantly.
What Google Looks for in AI Overviews
Google is highly selective about the content it showcases in AI overviews. It has sophisticated algorithms that analyze web content to an incredibly deep degree.
The generative engine has a preference for high-quality, comprehensive material that directly and concisely addresses the user’s core search intent. Thin pages, or overly general sources, are typically skipped, with only more value-dense, well-organized, authoritative sources making the cut.
The Gemini model, in particular, when combined with established ranking signals, plays a crucial role in determining what information appears. Pages with authority, expertise, and accuracy are far more likely to be used in an AI overview.
The most consistent pattern with Google is the preference for detailed and accurate summaries over short, vague answers. Content that closely anticipates questions, provides clear answers for common searches, incorporates or cites supporting details and sources, and offers markup-structured information will be discovered by AI.
Key AI Overview Examples: What Google Likes
Examining real-world AI overview examples can provide a clearer picture of what Google values.
- Health sector searches, such as “how to lower blood pressure naturally,” will trigger AI overviews with a bullet list of actionable suggestions.
- Tech searches like “benefits of 5G networks” often yield AI overviews that highlight the benefits of 5G over older networks.
- Even travel sector queries, such as “things to do in Milwaukee,” will bring up map cards with distances, ratings, hours, and more.
Try it! Across all industries, all sectors, all spaces, there’s a common thread that connects them all. Google likes comprehensive, well-structured content that’s responsive to natural language queries.
How to Optimize Content for AI Overviews
Working your way into AI overviews is just that, work. Not only that, it’s more work than conventional SEO tactics. Since the priority is creating comprehensive content that answers queries, rather than broad keywords, you’ll need to narrow your focus to more specific long-tail keywords and natural language phrases that match the questions people ask.
Quality is another critical component. Your content can’t just be abundant; it needs to be accurate, original, clearly written, and well-organized. Adding data, links to high-ranking sources such as *.gov domains, or expert commentary can enhance perceived credibility.
From a technical standpoint, using structured data is the most effective way to help Google understand your content more accurately. This means strong on-page SEO is the foundation you need to implement, which improves baseline discoverability.
Finally, never forget your UX. User experience will always be essential, so ensure you have fast load times and mobile-friendly pages that are easy to navigate.
Measuring AI Overview Performance
To measure your impact on AI overviews, you’ll need tracking visibility. You can use tools like SEMrush and Google Search Console to highlight queries where your site’s content was used in AI-generated results. More than simple visibility, look to your click-through rates and engagement to see how users decide to interact with your content once they’ve seen it.
Preventing Content from Appearing in AI Overviews
Not every site wants its material included in AI Overviews. Concerns about copyright, accuracy, or brand control sometimes lead publishers to opt out. Google allows this through technical methods such as robots.txt directives, noindex tags, or nosnippet tags, which restrict how content can be harvested and displayed.
That said, blocking content can reduce visibility and traffic. But, in some cases, protecting intellectual property outweighs the benefits of appearing in Google’s AI-driven summaries.
The Future of AI Overviews: What’s Next for Google Search?
AI overviews are still evolving, and since we’ve essentially just begun this journey, numerous changes and improvements are forthcoming. Google continually refines how its search engines function. The foundational technology is likely to continue expanding and evolving to cover a broader range of queries, providing even more comprehensive answers directly within the search results.
This shift will influence SEO strategies, prompting brands to focus on depth, topical authority, and clear structure. As a result, it’s critical to stay updated on Google’s AI developments. Organizations that can adapt quickly to Google’s changing preferences not only safeguard their visibility but also add a no small degree of future-proofing to their content.
Do What Google Likes
These AI overview examples represent a significant shift in how Google presents information to its users. By studying prime examples and gaining a clear understanding of what Google prefers, marketers can better position their assets to perform effectively. The most effective approach is to optimize your comprehensive, authoritative, and user-focused content for clarity, depth of subject matter, and natural language.
Encourage your organization to continue experimentation with AI overview optimization. Be sure to track all performance to keep operations aligned with the constantly changing search ecosystem.