AI optimisation
Google AI Overviews
Optimise for the next generation of search
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Google AI Overviews (AIO) and AI Mode are changing what search results look like and how users interact with Google.
For businesses, visibility is no longer just about ranking in the classic blue links. It is also about appearing in the AI-generated summaries shown near the top of the search results.
AIO appears mainly for question-based searches (how, what, why). Overviews are becoming more common for comparative searches ahead of a purchase, while they are less common for short transactional searches such as “buy running shoes”. Rankings in the traditional organic results still drive the majority of traffic to websites.
So optimise for both. AI visibility gives brand exposure and trust. Rankings give clicks and conversions.
What are Google AI Overviews?
Google AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries shown near the top, sometimes at the very top, of certain search results. They gather information from several sources and present a single, coherent answer.
What it looks like for the user
When someone searches for “how does SEO work”, an AI Overview may appear that
- Summarises the concept in a few sentences
- Lists key points
- Cites sources with clickable links
- Usually appears above the traditional organic results
When AI Overviews appear
Google does not show AI Overviews for every search, but there are clear patterns.
AIO appears mainly for these searches
- Question-based searches: “How…”, “What is…”, “Why…”, “Which…”
- Informational searches where a shorter answer can meet the user’s need
- Topics where several perspectives can be valuable
- Specialist fields: medicine, law, technology, finance
AIO is less common for these searches
- Short transactional searches: “buy running shoes”, “web agency Stockholm”
- Navigational searches: “Facebook login”, “SEB internet banking”
- Very specific product searches: “iPhone 15 Pro 256GB”
- Local searches: “pizzeria near me”
Commercial searches, where the user compares options before a purchase, increasingly get an AI Overview. Semrush measured more than 600,000 US keywords from November 2025 to April 2026. The share of keywords with an AI Overview rose by 71 per cent among commercial searches and fell by 5 per cent among transactional ones, where the user is ready to buy.
Why this matters for your traffic
The majority of traffic to websites still comes from traditional organic results. AIO can give you brand exposure, but ranking in positions 1-3 of the blue links gives you actual visits.
What is Google AI Mode?
AI Mode goes further than AI Overviews. Instead of a single summary, the user gets a conversation with follow-up questions.
How AI Mode differs from AI Overviews
AI Overviews
- Summarise information from several sources
- Are shown automatically for certain searches
- Let the user ask a follow-up question directly in the overview and carry on in AI Mode
AI Mode
- Is a conversational AI assistant
- Is started by the user, or reached through a follow-up question in an AI Overview
- Offers follow-up questions, deeper answers and step-by-step guidance
- Is more like ChatGPT, but built into Google
An example of how it is used
A user searches for “plan holiday Italy” in AI Mode
- The AI suggests destinations
- The user: “Focus on Tuscany”
- The AI suggests towns and activities
- The user: “Find hotels in Florence under SEK 1500 a night”
- The AI lists options with links
This goes further than AI Overviews: it is a real conversation, with follow-up and more depth.
Why AI Mode matters
AI Mode has been available in Sweden and in Swedish since October 2025. Users get a feature similar to ChatGPT directly in Google.
For businesses, this brings three changes
- More users interact with AI
- Searches become longer and go deeper
- You have the chance to be visible throughout the conversation
Two kinds of value from AI visibility
Value 1: clicks to your site
When your business is cited in an AI Overview with a link, users can click through. It works like traditional search results: visibility leads to traffic.
Here is what that looks like.
An AI Overview about “best CRM systems” cites your blog post “How to choose a CRM for small businesses” with a clickable link. Some users click to read the whole article.
Clicks from AI Overviews are included in the total number of clicks in Google Search Console.
Value 2: brand exposure without clicks
But you gain value even when users do not click.
Take this scenario.
A decision-maker searches for “benefits of SEO for B2B companies”. The AI Overview summarises three sources, including your guide. They do not click now, but:
- Your brand is presented as an expert in the field
- They remember the name later, when they are ready to hire an agency
This is especially valuable early in the buying process.
Informational searches are often made before the purchase decision. Appearing in those searches can build awareness and trust ahead of the purchase.
How to measure exposure
Even if the user does not click, you can measure
- Brand searches (are searches for your company name increasing?)
- Conversions where several channels contributed (did visitors see your brand in AI before converting through another channel?)
- Share of voice in AI (how often are you mentioned compared with competitors?)
Rankings still drive the majority of traffic
AIO gives exposure, rankings give clicks
AI Overviews reduce clicks on the organic results. In December 2025, Ahrefs found that the click-through rate for the first position is 58 per cent lower when an AI Overview is shown. The effect differs between types of search:
For informational searches
- AIO can reduce CTR (users get the answer straight away)
For transactional searches
- AI Overviews are less common than for comparative searches
- Traditional organic results still dominate
- Users click to compare, see prices and get in touch
For complex B2B searches
- AIO can give an initial overview
- But users need to visit sites for more in-depth information
Two concrete examples show the difference.
Search: “web agency Stockholm”
- AI Overview: rarely shown (a transactional, local search)
- Search results: organic results and business profiles from Google Business Profile
- Visits come from the top 10 positions
Search: “how to choose a web agency”
- AI Overview: may be shown (an informational search phrased as a question)
- Search results: the AI Overview at the top, then organic results
- Visits can come from the links in the overview and from the organic results below it
AIO visibility and high rankings reinforce each other.
How to optimise for Google AI Overviews
Optimising for AIO builds on the same foundation as traditional SEO, with some adjustments.
Create content worth citing
AI chooses to cite content that
- Answers specific questions clearly
- Is fact-based and verifiable
- Comes from trustworthy sources (E-E-A-T)
- Is well structured, so that information is easy to extract
In practice, that means you should
- Use clear headings that mirror questions (“How does X work?”)
- Give concise answers early in the text
- Follow up with more depth
- Include concrete examples and data
Strengthen E-E-A-T
Google wants to show trustworthy sources in AI Overviews. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) applies here in the same way as in traditional SEO.
Experience
- Show that you have actually done what you write about
- Include case studies, results and concrete examples where you can
- First-hand knowledge is highly valued
Expertise
- Clear author information with background
- Qualifications, education, certifications
- Long experience in the field
Authoritativeness
- Are you cited by other authoritative sources?
- Do you have links from industry leaders?
- Are you mentioned in the media or in research?
Trust
- Transparent company information
- Clear sources and references
- HTTPS and up-to-date content
- No misleading claims
Structured data
No special structured data is needed to appear in AI Overviews. Structured data is still worth keeping in your regular SEO strategy, because it can produce rich results. It should match the visible text on the page.
Schema types that remain useful in regular SEO
- Article (for blog posts and articles)
- Product (for product information)
- Review (for reviews)
Answer related questions
AI Overviews often gather information from several sources to give a complete answer.
Plan your content around a cluster of questions.
For the topic “SEO for businesses”, you can create content that answers
- What is SEO?
- How does SEO work?
- Why do businesses need SEO?
- How much does SEO cost?
- How long does SEO take?
By covering several related questions, you increase your chances of being cited in different AI Overviews.
How to optimise for AI Mode
Create conversational content
AI Mode is a conversation. Content that works well includes
- Natural language (not over-optimised with keywords)
- Step-by-step guides (the AI can guide users through the process)
- Comparisons and guidance (“If X, choose Y. If Z, choose W.”)
Cover the whole buying journey
In AI Mode, a user can go from awareness to decision in a single conversation.
Here is an example.
User: “What is digital marketing?” AI: [Explanation, citing your guide]
User: “What does it include?” AI: [Lists SEO, SEM and social, citing your services page]
User: “Find an agency in Stockholm” AI: [Lists agencies, including yours, with contact details]
To be visible throughout this journey, you need content at every stage
- Informational (awareness)
- Advisory (evaluation)
- Transactional (decision)
Location and specificity
AI Mode can give very specific recommendations based on the user’s context.
Give AI Mode material for such recommendations by
- Making your location clear (city, region)
- Stating your audiences (“for small businesses”, “for large companies”)
- Spelling out your niche and specialism
The more specific and relevant the information you provide, the easier it is for AI to recommend you in the right context.
Measurement and follow-up
What you can measure today (AI Overviews and AI Mode)
In Google Search Console you can see
- Impressions where AIO was shown, as part of total impressions
- Clicks from AIO (where linked), as part of total clicks
- The Generative AI report: impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode by page, country, device and date. The report does not show clicks or individual queries
Monitor manually as well
- Search for your important keywords
- Record when AIO appears
- Note whether you are cited (with or without a link)
- Compare with competitors
Analyse your brand searches
- Are searches for your company name increasing?
- Does that correlate with greater AIO exposure?
Our services for Google AI optimisation
We help you through the whole process, from an analysis of where you stand today to concrete optimisation.
AI audit
We analyse where you appear in AI Overviews today, which opportunities exist and where your competitors stand.
AI content methodology
We help you create content that AI chooses to cite, based on citability, E-E-A-T and structure.
AI technical requirements
We make sure your site is technically optimised for AI indexing: structured data, crawlability and E-E-A-T signals.
Ready to optimise for Google AI?
We help you appear both in AI Overviews and in traditional search results, for maximum visibility and traffic.
Want to know where you stand today?
Call us, or fill in the form and we will get back to you.