We love digital 0330 353 0300
(Originally published Oct 2024, Updated May 2025)
Search has changed again with AI Overview, becoming more and more prevalent. As businesses adjust to this change, it’s more important than ever to know how to optimise your content so it gets noticed and featured in these AI-powered results.
At Koozai, our experts have been looking at these changes and have both a comprehensive whitepaper on Mastering SEO for Google’s AI Overview which goes deeper into the actionable steps, and our video which explains the inner workings of Search Generative Experience (SGE) and how to leverage it.
We are also pleased to announce the introduction of our new, tried and tested, AI Overview Optimisation Audit. A new audit that allows us to show you, with a prioritised list of recommendations, how you can be cited yourself.
Our comprehensive audit service evaluates your website’s readiness for AI Overview inclusion and provides actionable recommendations to improve your chances of appearing in these valuable search positions.
Google AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results for certain queries. Unlike traditional featured snippets that pull content from a single source, AI Overviews combine information from multiple trusted websites to create comprehensive answers to users’ questions.
When Google determines that an AI-generated response would be particularly helpful, these overviews appear above standard organic results, displaying a summary of information with attribution links to the various sources referenced in the content.
Google’s AI systems scan the web for relevant, authoritative content that addresses specific user queries. When a search is performed, the system:
AI Overviews don’t appear for every search query. They’re most commonly triggered by:
Google’s systems continuously evaluate which queries would benefit from AI Overviews, so their frequency may expand over time as the feature develops.
The key difference is that AI Overviews create new content by gathering information from various sources, while featured snippets directly quote content from a single webpage.
| Feature | AI Overviews | Featured Snippets |
|---|---|---|
| Content source | Multiple websites | Single website |
| Content presentation | AI-collated summary | Direct excerpt from webpage |
| Attribution | Multiple clickable links | Single source citation |
| Position in SERP | Top of results | Top of organic results (below AI Overview when both appear) |
| Content selection | AI-driven combination | Algorithm-selected excerpt |
Being referenced in AI Overviews presents several significant opportunities:
As search behaviour changes, users may increasingly rely on these AI-generated summaries for quick answers, making visibility within them very valuable.
Currently, appearances in AI Overviews are tracked in Google Search Console under standard search results. When users see your link in an AI Overview and click through to your site, this is recorded as an impression and click in your performance reports. However, Search Console doesn’t specifically distinguish between AI Overview appearances and standard organic results. This makes it challenging to isolate the impact of them on your overall search performance without manual tracking.
While Google hasn’t provided explicit ranking factors, our analysis suggests several key elements that influence inclusion.
At Koozai, we’ve seen evidence of sites gaining success by implementing these ranking strategies to optimise content for AI Overviews:
While AI Overview rankings differ from regular search results, our research shows that strong organic rankings still serve as a prerequisite. The AI relies on existing organic signals, such as authoritative backlinks, site speed, and content relevance, when generating responses.
AI Overviews prioritise clear, concise language. Short sentences, simple vocabulary, and straightforward points increase the likelihood that your content will be selected. Google’s AI often highlights specific paragraphs, focusing on short, easy-to-interpret segments of content.
Use tools like Grammarly to ensure your content is highly readable. Break complex information into bullet points or short paragraphs, making it easier for Google’s AI to pull precise answers.
Google’s AI Overviews often extract answers from the first few paragraphs of a page. Summarise key points or the answer to the search query early on to increase the chances of being featured.
Try optimising the opening paragraphs of a blog post to directly answer user queries and focus on clear, concise responses.
Target specific, focused search terms that are likely to trigger an AI Overview. Make sure your content directly addresses the user’s intent and answers the question clearly.
Incorporating images and videos into your content can improve your chances of being included in AI Overview results that feature visual elements. Ensure that visuals are well-optimised with appropriate alt text and file names to maximise their impact.
Changes to your content can start reflecting in Google’s AI Overviews relatively quickly, but to speed up the process, it’s essential to submit updates to Google Search Console. This will prompt Google to re-index your page, which could result in your content being picked up by the AI more quickly.
Don’t leave your SEO success to chance. Every time you make a significant update to your content, use Search Console’s “Request Indexing” feature to ensure that Google reprocesses your page quickly.
Google’s AI Overviews are powered by advanced AI models like Gemini, which are continuously improving. It’s important to stay on top of these changes and adapt your strategy as new updates roll out. Our team at Koozai monitors these shifts and helps businesses stay ahead with agile SEO strategies.
Here’s our quick list of things to look at in the first instance:
Yes, you can enhance your content’s chances of appearing in AI Overviews through strategic optimisation:
AI Overviews are gradually rolling out across various regions and languages. While initially more prevalent in English-language searches, Google is expanding their availability to additional languages and markets.
No, AI Overviews complement rather than replace traditional SEO practices. The fundamental principles of creating high-quality, user-focused content remain essential. AI Overviews simply add another layer of opportunity for visibility.
Yes, AI Overviews focus on content quality and relevance rather than just domain authority. Small businesses with exceptional, authoritative content in specific niches can absolutely appear in AI Overviews alongside larger competitors.
While some users may find their answers directly in AI Overviews without clicking through to websites, the attribution links provide new visibility opportunities that can actually increase traffic, particularly for websites that might not have ranked in the top organic positions previously.
The timeline varies based on numerous factors, including crawl frequency, content quality, and competition. Generally, you should expect a lag between implementing changes and potentially seeing results in AI Overview appearances.
As Google continues to develop and expand AI Overviews, having a strategy to optimise for inclusion becomes increasingly important for maintaining and growing your search visibility.
While AI Overviews introduce a new challenge to traditional SEO, they also offer an incredible opportunity for businesses to dominate Google search results. By crafting clear, concise, and structured content, your business can increase its chances of being featured in these highly visible AI Overviews. Please see our handy checklist below. 
Don’t miss out on the visibility opportunities presented by Google’s AI Overviews. Contact our team today to schedule your AI Overview Optimisation Audit and take the first step toward enhanced visibility in this important new search feature.
This article was last updated in May 2025. As Google continues to develop AI Overviews, some aspects of how they function may evolve. We’ll keep this guide updated with the latest information.
