Google AI Overviews: SEO Tips to Help Your Website Show Up
If you’ve noticed some changes in how Google displays search results lately, you’re not alone. “AI Overviews” are starting to appear more often—and they’re shaking things up for business owners who rely on search traffic.
This guide is here to help you make sense of it all. Whether you're just getting started with SEO or already have a few blog posts under your belt, you'll find clear explanations and actionable steps to help your content show up (and shine!) in this new AI-powered search landscape.
What Is an AI Overview?
An AI Overview is a summary box that Google now displays at the top of some search results. It uses generative AI to pull together key information from various websites to answer a user’s question directly—sometimes without requiring a click at all.
Depending on the search, it might look like:
A paragraph answer with citations
A step-by-step list
A comparison table
These summaries are already appearing in about 10.4% of desktop search results, and mobile appearances have surged 119% between September 2024 and March 2025 (Reference: seoClarity)
So while they’re still new, they’re growing fast—and it’s a good time to get ahead.
How to Show Up in AI Overviews
You don’t need to start from scratch. In fact, many of the strategies that help you rank well in Google’s traditional search results are the very same ones that improve your chances of being featured in AI Overviews.
Think of this as SEO—just with a few smart refinements for the way search is evolving. By building on the best practices you’re already using (or planning to use), you can boost your visibility in both organic results and AI-powered summaries.
1. Be in the Top 10 Search Results
According to Search Engine Land, over 99% of Google’s AI Overviews include content from the top 10 organic search results, with the #1 result cited nearly half the time.
Tip: Use tools like Google Search Console or paid tools like Semrush to see which of your pages already rank in the top 10—those are your best candidates for AI visibility.
2. Focus on Informational and Long-Tail Keywords
Google tends to show AI Overviews for informational queries—things like “how to start a podcast” or “best time to post on Instagram”—rather than product or purchase-driven searches.
These “long-tail” keywords (more specific phrases with lower competition) are your sweet spot. They not only help you show up in AI Overviews, but also tend to bring in more targeted, ready-to-engage visitors.
3. Write for Clarity and Depth
Google’s AI looks for content that’s:
Easy to understand
Clearly structured (with headings, bullets, steps)
Authoritative (shows experience or expertise)
Tip: Answer common follow-up questions within your post and back up your points with examples or links to credible sources.
4. Make Your Site Crawlable
Even the best content won’t get picked up if Google can’t access it properly. Make sure your site is:
Mobile-friendly
Fast-loading
Free from broken links
Using clean HTML and heading structures
5. Build External Credibility
It’s not just what’s on your site—AI also looks at what others are saying about you. Brand mentions, customer reviews, PR features, and community engagement all send strong signals of trust.
Even smaller signals—like being linked in a niche blog or mentioned in a forum thread—can help your business stand out to AI models.
How Does SEO Still Help with AI Overviews?
Here’s the encouraging part: if you’re already doing SEO, you’re on the right track. The same strategies that help your site rank in traditional search are also what feed into Google’s AI Overviews.
In fact, SEO isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. It’s the foundation that gets your content discovered, understood, and potentially featured in these new AI-generated summaries.
Here’s how strong SEO continues to support your visibility:
Keyword Strategy: Pages targeting well-researched keywords are more likely to rank—and therefore more likely to be cited in AI Overviews.
Write for real people. Clear structure, subheadings, and visual breathing room (like bullet points!) make a huge difference.
On-Page SEO: Optimising your title tags, meta descriptions, and internal linking helps AI systems understand what your page is really about.
Engagement Signals: Content that’s useful and readable keeps people on your site longer—another trust signal.
And don’t forget: most clicks still go to organic search results outside of AI Overviews. So strengthening your SEO is a win either way.
In short: SEO is still your best friend. It just needs to be a little more strategic now.
What Are the Downsides of AI Overviews?
It’s not all upside. Like any big change in search, AI Overviews come with new challenges—especially for smaller businesses.
1. Fewer Clicks
When Google provides a full AI-generated summary at the top of the page, many users don’t feel the need to click through to a website. This can lead to a noticeable drop in traffic, even if your content is being cited.
According to Search Engine Land, organic clicks dropped by as much as 23% when an AI Overview appeared.
2. Risk of Inaccurate Summaries
AI systems aren’t perfect. They can sometimes misrepresent, oversimplify, or blend ideas from different sources in ways that don’t reflect your original message. And if your content is quoted without proper context, it may not lead to the conversions you were hoping for.
3. More Competition (Even in Niche Topics)
AI Overviews tend to pull from more trusted or established sources. So even if you’re offering something unique, you may have to work harder to show up if others have already built content around the same topics.
That said, clear, authentic content still performs well—especially when you speak directly to your audience’s needs.
What You Can Do (Even With a Small Team)
Here’s a practical checklist to help you adapt, one step at a time:
Audit your top pages. Use tools to find content already ranking in the top 10 for informational keywords.
Update and expand. Add clear answers, FAQ sections, and subtopics to show depth.
Make your expertise visible. Add bios, case studies, or customer examples to build trust.
Check your tech setup. Ensure your site is crawlable, fast, and well-structured.
Track AI visibility. semrush, seoClarity, and other tools are starting to offer visibility tracking for AI Overviews.
Keep creating. Don’t let AI stop you—keep sharing your knowledge and showing up consistently. That’s what builds momentum.
You’ve Got This
AI Overviews might feel like one more thing to figure out—but you're not behind. You’re early, and that’s a powerful place to be.
As a solopreneur or small business owner, your voice, experience, and perspective matter. And with a few thoughtful tweaks, your content can continue to grow your audience, your reach, and your business—even in the age of AI.
Need Help with SEO in the Age of AI?
We get it—keeping up with SEO is hard enough without Google’s AI Overviews changing the game. If you’re a small business, solopreneur, or part of a lean team, it can feel overwhelming to compete with bigger players (and bigger budgets).
That’s where we come in.
We offer flexible SEO services built with real-world constraints in mind—so you can focus on the things that matter most, without getting buried in jargon or locked into big-agency contracts.
Here’s how we support businesses like yours:
Keyword research tailored to your niche and audience
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Transparent pricing, no hidden fees or long-term lock-ins
We believe good SEO doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive—it just needs to be intentional.
Let’s build a strategy that fits your budget, your bandwidth, and your goals.
