How Does Google AI Overview Affect SEO?

Google is constantly leveling up its search engine with the newest innovations.

One of the most impactful recent changes is the rollout of Google AI Overviews, a generative AI feature that provides users with instant, AI-generated answers at the top of the results page. While this feature was initially introduced as part of Google’s experimental “Search Generative Experience (SGE)”, it has since been officially launched and is now a central part of the Google Search experience.

TL;DR: How to Optimize for AI Overviews

Google’s AI Overviews are changing SEO by prioritizing quick, AI-generated answers over traditional link clicks. To optimize for AI-driven search:

• Create well-structured, up-to-date content that answers long-tail queries clearly and concisely. 
• Use clean HTML (e.g., FAQs, how-tos, lists, tables), schema markup, and cite trusted sources. 
• Provide direct answers early in the content, ideally within the first paragraph. 
• Build topical and brand authority through expert-led content and structured clusters. 
• Prioritize mobile speed, strong UX, and clarity to help AI and crawlers surface your content.

What Are Google AI Overviews?

AI Overview summaries are AI-generated answers that appear at the top of SERPs, summarizing key information from multiple authoritative sources. They’re designed to address complex user queries quickly, while also offering links for deeper exploration.

Google AI Shopping Tools

AI Overviews are also transforming e-commerce by pulling real-time data from Google’s Shopping Graph, including pricing, product reviews, and ratings. For example, US users can set alarms for a size they want and get relevant price alerts.

Additionally, a new feature is live in the US – A virtual “try-on” tool where a user can upload their photo and check how an item from Google’s catalog looks on them.

Image Source – Google Blog

How Do Google AI Overviews Work?

When a user inputs a query, Google may display a boxed snapshot that provides a synthesized AI response. These snapshots pull content from top-ranking or highly authoritative pages and highlight sources that Google considers reliable. Google’s AI systems (including PaLM2 and Gemini) scan through content to generate concise answers. These appear for a broad variety of queries, except in highly sensitive YMYL categories (e.g., medical or financial).

What Is the Impact of AI Overviews on SEO?

AI Overviews are reshaping user behavior on search results pages, introducing new challenges to site owners and SEO experts. Rather than clicking on traditional search results that link to individual websites, users now receive answers, compiled from multiple sources, directly within the AI-generated summaries in the SERP. 

As a result, many sites are seeing reduced traffic, forcing SEO experts to adapt their strategies.

• According to Ahrefs, AI overviews reduced clicks to websites by over 34%. 
• According to Search Engine Journal, only ~1% of users click a link that appears within the AI summary.

What is “AI Overview SEO”?

The term “AI Overview SEO” refers to optimization practices focused on improving a website’s chances of being cited or linked within Google AI Overviews. 

Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses heavily on organic rankings, AI Overview optimization is about:

• Being cited as a source for AI-generated summaries
• Structuring content to answer specific questions clearly
• Demonstrating E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness)

Understanding how AI Overviews affect SEO means recognizing the shift from clickable search result listings to answer-based discovery.

How Can a Site Rank in Google AI Overview?

Websites now need to consider how to show up in AI Overviews in addition to traditional rankings. 

SEO Tactics to Optimize for AI Overviews:

• Use concise, factual, and context-focused answers to user queries. Make sure the main questions are answered right at the beginning.
• Prioritize HTML structure, including How-To step-by-step guides, FAQs, TL;DR, numbered lists, bullet points, HTML tables, etc. This ensures the content is highly accessible to both AI agents and search engine crawlers.
• Invest in a fast-loading, easy-to-scan website to ease AI crawlers
• Include schema markup whenever possible. This helps AI understand and categorize your content more accurately, improving its chances of appearing in AI-generated results.
• Cite primary sources and link to relevant research to support your credibility and expertise.
• Ensure each article demonstrates author expertise and trustworthiness. Build topical authority with in-depth content clusters to help AI recognize your site as a trusted source on specific subjects.
• Be highly relevant and up-to-date (Google values freshness). Remove outdated content to avoid being flagged as irrelevant.
• Use questions as subheadings and provide clear, scannable answers. Focus on long tails and conversational tone of voice.
• Build brand authority through links and mentions. The strategy shifts from traditional link building to focusing on a strong presence in review platforms, professional directories, etc., with clickable links as well as non-clickable brand mentions. It is also important to keep an industry reputation (like being mentioned in “Best of”, “industry’s top”, etc., listings on reputable websites) to influence AI mentions.

These tactics increase the likelihood of your content being used as a source in an AI-generated snapshot.

Pro Tip: Use Gemini Pro’s “show thinking” feature to understand how AI breaks down and solves complex queries step by step.

What Triggers an AI Overview SEO?

AI Overviews appear most often for:

• Informational and how-to queries
• Questions with a clear factual answer
• Comparisons, definitions, and summaries

If I do All That, Will I Be Ranking in the AI Overview in Google?

Ranking in the AI Overview in Google is not guaranteed – content must align closely with query intent and be considered trustworthy.

When optimizing content for AI Overviews, it’s important to remember that the algorithm prioritizes the most relevant, valuable, and concise answers for users. It cross-checks facts to ensure both accuracy and relevance. If your website provides outdated data, stating facts that are no longer relevant, its authority may decrease in the eyes of the algorithm, reducing the likelihood of being cited as a trusted source. 

AI and the Future of SEO: Final Thoughts

The emergence of AI Overviews signals a paradigm shift in search behavior. SEO will no longer focus only on ranking links but on becoming part of Google’s generative knowledge graph.

To thrive, businesses must:

• Deliver expert, user-focused content
• Optimize content to be AI Overview-friendly
• Adapt to voice, chat, and AI-driven search behaviors
• Embrace structured data, FAQs, and schema
• Invest in Brand authority and recognition

Google AI Overviews are changing how users interact with search results. SEO professionals must adapt by optimizing content to be AI Overview-friendly, focusing on clarity, trust, and user value.

If you want to know more about how AI Overviews impact SEO, the yellowHEAD team of experts is here to help.

Contact us today to future-proof your content strategy and stay ahead of the AI curve!

FAQs

How to Turn Off AI Overview in Google searches?

As of 2024, there is no direct setting to disable AI Overviews entirely. The AI Overview feature is part of Google Search, like any other feature (including Knowledge panels, People also ask, etc.). However, users can skip the AI-generated box by scrolling to traditional results, but the AI overview can’t be turned off.

Some browser extensions may help stop Google search results from showing AI results, but these are unofficial and limited.

How is AI Overview Affecting SEO for Blogging and Content Marketing?

Bloggers and content creators are seeing changes in click-through rates, as AI-generated summaries may reduce direct visits to content that users now consume directly in the SERP (zero-click results). However, being cited in AI Overviews still builds visibility and authority.