Insights · Get found · AEO and GEO
How to appear in Google AI Overviews
By Stacey G, Senior SEO and Account Manager
Published · 3 minute read
The short answer
There is no special trick for Google AI Overviews. Google says the same SEO best practices apply: pages must be indexed and eligible to show a snippet, with helpful, people-first content. In practice, the pages cited most often answer a specific question clearly near the top, are well structured, come from a trusted source and are already ranking well.
AI Overviews now sit above the results for many of the searches our clients care about. Being cited inside one puts your business in front of the searcher before they see a single link. Here is what actually helps.
What are Google AI Overviews?
They are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of some Google results. They answer the question directly and link to the pages they drew on. Google decides when to show them, mostly for questions that need explaining rather than simple searches for a business name.
What does Google say?
Google's guidance for site owners says there are no extra requirements to appear in AI features. A page needs to be indexed and eligible to be shown with a snippet, and the usual advice applies: helpful, reliable, people-first content and a good page experience. That is useful, because it means the work is the same work that helps you rank.
What helps a page get cited?
- Answer the question firstPut a clear, two or three sentence answer directly under a question heading, then go into detail.
- Be specificReal UK figures, named sources and concrete steps are more useful to quote than general advice.
- Structure the pageClear headings, short paragraphs, lists and tables make it easy to lift a passage.
- Show who wrote itA named author with relevant experience, and a date it was last checked.
- Rank well alreadyCited pages very often rank on the first page for the same search, so normal SEO still matters most.
Which searches are worth targeting?
- "How much does [your service] cost?"
- "How long does [your service] take?"
- "Do I need a [your profession] for [situation]?"
- "What is the difference between [option A] and [option B]?"
These are the questions people ask before choosing a business. Being the cited answer puts your name in front of them at exactly that moment.
Can you stop Google using your content?
Yes. The nosnippet and max-snippet controls limit how your content appears in search, including AI features. Most service businesses want the visibility, so we rarely recommend it.
About the author
Stacey G, Senior SEO and Account Manager. Stacey leads organic growth: SEO, local SEO, AEO and GEO. She gets clients found and chosen on Google, in Google Maps and in AI answers from ChatGPT and Google.
Meet the team →