How Are They Changing SEO in 2025?
What Are Google AI Overviews in Search
AI Overviews are short, AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of some Google search results. They’re designed to quickly answer your question or give an overview of a topic, pulling information from various sources across the web.
AI Overviews use generative AI to compile answers from multiple sources. The overview often includes links to sources so users can refer to them and explore further.
Greatest benefit – AI Overviews provide a concise response without having to weed through multiple sites.
Example 1: search query in Google is “best company for appliance repair leads”. Notice, at the top of the search results, is displayed “AI Overview” with the compiled response and links to relevant sources.
Example 2: search query in Google is “best company for water damage leads”.
AI Overviews aren’t available for every search query. Google primarily shows them for queries that are informational, such as questions, how-to guides, or general topics. The feature is still evolving, with Google gradually rolling it out, so users may notice changes in design or availability over time. This update is part of Google’s bigger plan to use AI to make search easier to use and more helpful for everyday search queries.
How Google AI Overviews Are Affecting SEO
AI Overviews are shaking up search results, but how? Before the generative AI and AI Overview era, the goal of a marketer was to build a website and a Google Business Profile that ranked on the first page of Google’s search results, and even better, in the top 3 positions. However, since the evolution, the goal is now to get quoted in the AI Overview.
How SEO Is Changing With AI Overviews
- Reduced Click-Through Rates (CTR)
- If users get their answers from the overview, they may never click through to your website.
- This is similar to the “zero-click” search trend, but more intense.
- More Competition for Visibility
- Websites must now compete for a spot in the AI Overview, not just traditional rankings.
- Google may pull snippets from pages outside the top 10
- Higher Value on Authority
- Pages that demonstrate deep expertise on a topic are more likely to be referenced by AI Overviews.
- Trust signals, structured content, and clear answers matter more than ever.
- Opportunities for Featured Exposure
- If your content gets cited in the AI Overview, you can still get visibility, just in a new format.
- Short, accurate, well-structured content is more likely to get picked up.
How Can My Site Get Featured In AI Overviews
Here’s how you can optimize your website to be featured in an AI Overview:
- Answer questions clearly and early in your content
- Use structured data and headings (H2s, H3s)
- Build topical clusters – helps Google crawl your site better & allows Google to see you as the “go-to” source for that topic
- Include FAQs on relevant pages
- Focus on high quality content – E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness
Final Thoughts
AI Overviews are more than just a cool new feature—they represent a major shift in how users interact with Google Search. As a result, businesses and content creators must adapt by focusing on clear, authoritative content that directly answers user questions. The key is to prioritize helpfulness, structure, and expertise across your site. While traditional rankings still matter, earning a spot in an AI Overview could become just as, or even more valuable. Stay ahead by aligning your SEO strategy with how Google is evolving—and position yourself as the go-to expert in your space.