Chances are, you’ve already come across AI Overviews while Googling. They’re LLM-generated responses that appear at the top of Google search results, pulling information from multiple sources to provide a short, summarised answer to a user’s query. AI Overviews often cite relevant websites underneath, allowing users to click through for more details.
However, they don’t appear in every search. Their presence varies by industry, query type—with informational queries showing them most often, commercial less so, and navigational rarely—and by region, appearing far less frequently in Australia than in the US.
Why AI Overviews matter to SMEs
The introduction of AI Overviews has reshaped Google Search. These summaries dominate prime real estate at the top of SERPs, pushing down traditional blue links. Users get the information they need directly from the AI Overview, leading to an increase in zero-click search results, which negatively impacts traffic flow to websites.
So you might be asking, if AI Overviews are taking clicks away from websites, why would I want to be included in them?
The short answer: Because being left out is even worse.
If your brand isn’t mentioned in AI Overviews, your competitors likely will be, hurting your brand visibility and organic performance. Ranking in position 1 in traditional search won’t deliver the same level of traffic it has in the past. And it will only continue to lose value as generative AI becomes more embedded in Google Search.
Especially as Google has begun testing AI Mode for Search (currently only available via Search Labs), which provides more comprehensive responses and which allows followup questions. Think like if ChatGPT Search was integrated directly into Google.
I predict this will eventually become the default search experience. So no matter personal opinions, as a brand strategist, it’s best to be prepared.
This means marketing managers must rethink their SEO strategies to increase their chances of being featured in AI-powered results.
For a broader perspective on how SEO supports long-term brand growth and why brand managers should prioritise it (even in uncertain times) explore our guide to building brand strength with SEO.
How to optimise for AI Overviews as a brand
The good news is that many of the SEO fundamentals transfer value to AI generated surfaces like AI Overviews. This includes:
- Fresh content: Authentically up-to-date content is more likely to be cited
- High relevance to the search: It directly answers the user’s query or comprehensively covers the topic
- Structured, easy-to-scan content: Using descriptive headings, bullet points, numbered lists and short paragraphs to create citable chunks
- Ensure content is indexed: If content isn’t indexed, it can’t appear in AI Overviews, or anywhere else on Google
- Server side rendering: Avoid hiding relevant content behind Javascript
- Fast page load times: Aim for under 600 milliseconds
- Comprehensive structured data: Especially using a graph-based schema approach to helps Google understand entity relationships
- Incorporate multimedia: Ensuring you cover off the topic with text, images and videos (ideally hosted on YouTube)
But there’s one additional tactic that’s essential for marketing managers when optimising for AI Overview: safeguarding your brand.
AI Overviews almost never appear for brand name navigational queries—like “Koala Furniture”. But they’re very common for informational queries, including those that mention the brand.
For example, all the below return an AI Overview:
- “Is Koala Furniture high quality”
- “Koala Furniture sustainability practices”
- “Which is better Koala Furniture or Ecosa”
These are critical queries where brand reputation management matters.
To find hints to what these queries may be, dig into Google Search Console and use regular expressions to see queries that:
- Mention your brand name
- Broad industry queries, especially when combined with terms like “best” or “top”
- Include informational intent, For example, “how”, “what”, “which”, “vs”, etc.
Start with this regular expressions (or regex) as a base, but be sure to customise them for your industry:
^(who|what|whats|when|where|wheres|why|how|which|should)\b|.*\b(benefits of|difference between|advantages|disadvantages|examples of|meaning of|guide to|vs|versus|compare|comparison|alternative|alternatives|types of|ways to|tips|pros|cons|worth it|best|top)\b.*
Chances are, when the regex is applied the report will show a similar number of impressions, but lower clicks. Check whether those queries now trigger an AI Overview. And if so review, what AI Overviews are saying. Is your brand mentioned? Is it favourable? Is it aligned with your brand’s messaging?
Also take note of what sources are being cited. If your own website is one of them, great! You can easily adjust and improve the content if needed. If it’s not, consider:
- Reaching out to the current source to correct any misinformation or be included
- Publishing a fresher, more relevant piece on your site
- Contributing a fresher, more relevant piece to an authoritative third-party source
Just remember, the goal of optimising for AI Overviews isn’t to drive traffic to your website as much as it is to increase your brand visibility with your audience.
The challenge you will face is that AI Overviews are dynamic. The sources cited and wording of the answers vary on every query, taking into account the user, location, or the simple passage of time. Optimising for AI Overviews isn’t a one-and-done SEO task. It requires ongoing monitoring.
For a sample of critical queries, consider setting up automated AI Overview tracking to have a feel for how your brand representation is developing over time.
One tool I highly recommend to track AI Overviews (I’m not affiliated in any way) is ZipTie.
What if you’re low on time?
If you don’t have the time or resources to manage your AI Overview presence on an ongoing basis, there’s still a high-impact shortcut. Get your brand well represented on the types of sites that AI Overviews often cite.
Make sure your brand appears (under a consistent brand name and with clear positioning) on:
- Google Business Profile
- Industry relevant directories
- Review platforms
- Similarweb
- App store listings
This may help your brand show up even if the AI Overview isn’t pulling from your own site.
Key takeaways
Whether or not we like the rise of AI in search, we can’t afford to ignore it. AI Overviews are already shifting how people find and form relationships with brands. Adapt your SEO strategy now to protect your brand reputation, maximise visibility and maintain your competitive edge..
