How to Show Up in Google’s AI Overviews.
AI Overviews simplify the search process by offering AI-generated summaries with essential details and links for further more info. AI Overviews are now being displayed for informational queries, so to ensure our presence, we should focus on producing high-quality informational content.
Google Search Central states that: AI Overviews appear in Google Search results when their systems determine that generative responses can be especially helpful — for example, when users want to quickly understand information from a range of sources, including information from across the web and Google’s Knowledge Graph. No action is needed for publishers to benefit from AI Overviews.
But..there are things site owners can do to increase their chances of featuring.
In short..
AI Overviews are designed to simplify search queries by presenting AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. These summaries pull information from various sources, including Google’s Knowledge Graph and across the web, to provide users with a quick, comprehensive understanding of a topic. This new feature is particularly beneficial for complex or multifaceted queries where users might otherwise have to sift through multiple different sites.
How optimizing content for AI overviews works
1. Reputation matters
- High-Quality Content: As with most of the information we know about Google’s algorithms, high quality content nearly always wins. Ensure your content demonstrates expertise and is well-cited. Google’s AI favors authoritative sources, so it’s crucial to build and maintain a strong online presence on reputable platforms (think Clutch,The Manifest, Google Reviews and Trust Pilot)
- Update Regularly: Continuously updating your profiles and content with fresh insights, new projects, and client testimonials signals to Google’s AI that your content is both up to date and reliable.
2. Keep it organized
- Clear and Concise Answers: Your content should be well-organized with clear headers, bullet points, and concise answers to potential questions. This structure not only helps Google understand your content better but also increases the chances of your content being featured in snippets, which are closely tied to AI Overviews.
- Use of Schema Markup: Implementing structured data helps search engines better understand the content on your page, which can increase the likelihood of your content being selected for an AI Overview. See our Schema Markup services here.
3. Make it look good
- Incorporate Multimedia: Using images, videos, and infographics will make your content more engaging and easier for AI to process. Ensure these visuals are optimized with alt text and relevant metadata to boost your chances of being featured. Unless you’re completely new to SEO, you will know all this already, so this shouldn’t be a huge task.
Practical Steps You Can Take
- Optimize Meta Descriptions: Although meta descriptions don’t directly impact whether your content appears in an AI Overview, they influence click-through rates by making your site more enticing when it does appear.
- Focus on Featured Snippets: As featured snippets often correlate with AI Overviews, optimizing your content to appear in these snippets can indirectly boost your chances of being featured in an AI Overview.
- Monitor and Adapt: Keep an eye on how AI Overviews are impacting your organic traffic and make adjustments as necessary. As this feature evolves, so too should your SEO strategy to maintain visibility.
How to track success of AI Overviews
Semrush has added a feature that allows you to track Google’s AI Overviews within their platform, its the first platform we’ve seen offering this so far, though with time we’re certain more will crop up. Here’s what you need to know:
Where to Find It:
Position Tracking: Set up a Position Tracking project, filter by SERP features, and select AI Overviews to see if your site appears in these summaries.
Sensor: Use this tool to monitor the frequency of AI Overviews across different industries and track trends in search result appearances.
Why do this? This feature lets you see how often your content is featured in Google’s AI-generated summaries, which helps you to understand how to optimize your SEO strategy for better visibility, and with new features like AI overviews the SERPS are only going to get more competitive, so its not something you should ignore. Get in touch to chat to our SEO team on how you can drive more organic conversions with SEO.
