How to Rank in AI Overviews: A Step-by-Step Guide

The burning question of every marketer and SEO expert in the AI era is, “How to rank in AI overviews?” Well, the answer is AI Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
But how do you even perform SEO for AI search engines to ensure results?
The short answer is to align your content strategy with user intent and use AI optimization best practices. These help you effectively rank in AI overviews and enhance visibility across AI-driven search platforms like ChatGPT Search and Perplexity AI.

Quick Summary Conduct traditional SEO optimization as a foundation.  Answer relevant user queries, especially long-tail queries, quickly.  Use clear headlines and subheadings, i.e., clear structure.  Focus on building strong authority and credibility for your site.

For a detailed guide with real-life examples, keep reading.

Understanding Google AI Overviews Basic

Before diving into the ranking process, it’s crucial to understand how Google’s AI Overviews work and what factors influence content selection for AI-generated search snippets.

What is Google AI Overviews?

To put it simply, AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google Search results, providing a concise answer drawn from multiple web sources (usually up to five)​. Think of it as Google’s “zero-click” answer for your queries. 

Google introduced Search Generative Experience (SGE), now named Google AI Overviews, in 2023. But it has transitioned from an experimental feature to now being considered one of the most crucial aspects of SEO.

How Does Google Decide Which Sources to Feature in AI Overviews?

Google uses advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand context, semantics, and user intent. 

Combine this with a vast amount of data on user behavior, and AI Overviews is able to understand exactly what you’re looking for. This is especially true for longer, nuanced questions or task-based queries. 

Importantly, AI Overviews don’t just pull from traditional text articles, it include a diverse range of sources like publishers, content creators, retailers, and more​.

Google’s AI also uses algorithms such as Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and Multitask Unified Model (MUM), which allow it to interpret more complex queries and contextual nuances.

Fundamentally, Google’s AI model:

• Understanding Your Queries
• Selects the Best Answer
• Displays the Right Content

Learn more about how SGE actually works here.

Google’s Official Guidance on AI Overviews

Google has stated that there’s no special markup or action required to be featured in AI Overviews – standard SEO best practices still apply. 

“AI Overviews show links to resources that support the information in the snapshot and explore the topic further. This allows people to dig deeper and discover a diverse range of content from publishers, creators, retailers, businesses, and more and use the information they find to advance their tasks.

Google’s systems automatically determine which links appear. There is nothing special for creators to do to be considered other than to follow our regular guidance for appearing in search, as covered in Google Search Essentials.”

This means that as long as you follow best SEO practices and create high-quality, relevant content, Google’s AI will consider your page for inclusion in AI Overviews.

But Should We Really Trust Google after the Current State of Search Results?

Not sure what’s going on with Google’s search algorithm? Check here.

In practice (and our experiments), content that demonstrates high relevance, credibility (expertise or trustworthiness), and engagement potential tends to get chosen. 

With that said, Google AI also shows diverse sources in an overview​, which means there’s more to it. 

We ultimately identified that Google AI mostly ranks numbered or bulleted lists followed by image lists and informative paragraphs.

How to Perform SEO to Rank in AI Search Engines (Step-by-Step Guide)

Well, SEO for AI or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) involves refining the content to the point that AI models can easily Understand, Summarize, and Trust it.

While most aspects may feel like the traditional SEO, there’s extra emphasis on content quality and structure. 

This is how you can rank in AI Overviews and similar generative search results:

Step 1: Perform Core SEO Best Practices

First things first, your website must be SEO optimized, meaning it should meet Google’s Search Essentials. For this, make sure all elements of SEO are covered:

• On-Page SEO
• Off-Page SEO (establishing authority)
• Local SEO (if applicable)
• Technical SEO
• High-quality content with E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness)
• A mobile-friendly website with good page experience.
• Proper indexing of your pages.

If your page isn’t SEO-optimized in the first place, it won’t be considered for AI Overviews.

Looking for results-oriented SEO experts? Choose WebSpero Solutions.

Step 2: Develop High-Quality, Comprehensive Content

We know that AI Overviews prefer concise and to-the-point content from respected sources. 

Therefore, to increase your chances of ending up in AI snippets, you must cover your topic in depth so that AI can pick and choose exactly what needs to be cited. 

For this, you need to anticipate the user’s follow-up questions or related subtopics and include those. As mentioned earlier, AI is essentially summarizing multiple facets of a topic. If your content answers a lot of questions (FAQs included), it’s more likely to be included as part of the summary.

For example, we recently worked for a client specializing in exotic pet feeders to boost their AI visibility. We conducted extensive keyword research to identify top-of-funnel (TOFU) keywords. 

Then, we focused on informational and educational queries to attract a broader audience, like “Can Bearded Dragons Eat Broccoli?”, “Nutritional Benefits of Dubia Roaches,” “Male vs. Female Dubia Roaches,” and “Life Cycle of Dubia Roaches.” 

This resulted in a 122.29% increase in AI Overview Rankings.

Step 3: Target Long-Tail, Informational Queries

Another important thing you should know about AI search results is that not every search triggers an AI summary. 

General or one-word searches like “pizza near me” or “weather” are less likely to produce an AI snapshot. 

So, what triggers AI Overview? A long-tail, detailed, and specific query like “what is Neapolitan pizza” should do the trick. 

As you can see from the example, these summaries are most common for informational, question-based, or task-oriented queries, often long-tail in nature​. 

Therefore, your GEO strategy should focus on topics phrased as questions or problems to solve, where a summary would genuinely help the user. By targeting these specific queries, you’ll increase the likelihood that your content will be eligible for an AI-generated snippet. 

For example, continuing with the same example of exotic pet feeders, we targeted long-tail keywords and utilized Google’s People Also Ask (PAA) snippets to capture specific user intent. We created a blog titled “Can Bearded Dragons Eat Broccoli?” This covered the nutritional benefits like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, along with high-quality images of broccoli and bearded dragons.

Step 4: Answer the Question Clearly and Early

It is one thing to ensure you answer commonly asked questions in your content, but a totally different thing to answer those questions clearly and quickly in your content.

This is because when the AI model generates an overview or summary, it often collects concise statements that directly answer the query. 

Therefore, make sure you put the answer upfront in your content. Your page should address the main question in the first paragraph or two. This helps the AI quickly identify that your content is on-point. If the user’s question is answered clearly at the top of your page, Google’s AI is more likely to include your page as a supporting source for its answer​.

On the contrary, if the answer is buried under long introductions or images, the AI might skip over your content in favor of a source that gets to the point faster.

For example, by creating a blog that highlighted the physical as well as behavioral differences between male and female dubia roaches, titled “Male vs. Female Dubia Roaches: Key Differences.” We answered relevant queries right away and clearly. This allowed us to get the Top Flight Dubia in AI Overviews for relevant searches.

Step 5: Implement Structured Data (Schema Markup)

As we established in the previous section, Google’s generative AI is designed to deliver information in a digestible format, so it favors content that is already well-organized​

Therefore, by using Schema.org markup, you provide Google’s AI with the additional context it needs to rank your page in AI Overviews. Structured data helps search engines understand the context of your content. Use:

• FAQ Schema: If you address questions directly in your content, mark them up with FAQ Page Schema to make it easier for Google’s AI to pull those answers.
• How-to Schema: For step-by-step guides, use How-to Schema to help Google display your content in AI summaries.

Also, you must use:

• Descriptive headings and subheadings to break down sections
• Bullet points or numbered lists for steps and key points 
• Short paragraphs where possible 

This formatting helps the AI search engines understand the hierarchy and main points of your content, reducing the chance of misinterpretation. It might even use your subheadings or list items directly in the overview if they neatly answer part of the query.

For example, we crafted detailed, educational, and SEO-optimized blog posts with proper keyword placement, headings, and meta descriptions.

Step 6: Keep Content Fresh and Accurate

A big part of AI Overview optimization is to ensure that the content is constantly updated and factually correct. This is because Google values content that is up-to-date. For topics that evolve quickly (like technology, health, or finance), make sure your content stays relevant by updating it regularly with new information, statistics, or insights.

Similarly, users expect the AI summary to reflect up-to-date information, and Google certainly doesn’t want to show outdated facts..

Does this mean outdated content will never appear in AI summaries? Not quite. In our experiment (January to March 2025), we searched for “best website builder”. Technically, we should only be able to see results from 2025 or late 2024; however, the Google AI model highlighted a blog from 2023. 

What Are You Doing, Google?!

“It’s Experimental.” – Google, 2025. 

But with that said, you should always update your content to ensure visibility in AI snippets.

Step 7: Build Authority and Trust (E-E-A-T)

One of the most important aspects of Google Search Essentials is to ensure your site has good domain authority and trust, which quality link-building strategies can achieve. 

But make sure your website is getting mentioned in the right places, i.e., relevant forums, Q&A platforms (like subreddits), and news sites. 

This is because Google’s AI model and other AI models like Perplexity AI are trained to only pick websites with high authority and trusted sources, making a high E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) crucial.

Step 8: Track Your AI Overview Rankings (Test and Adjust)

At the end of the day, SEO for AI is SEO, nonetheless, and it must be treated as an ongoing process. 

Using tools like Google Search Console, monitor exactly when (for what query) and where your content appears in the AI summaries. 

Keep an eye out for a particular high-value relevant query that consistently shows an AI Overview and check which sources are getting cited. Analyzing those competitors can offer insights into how they structure answers differently or cover points you may have missed (similar to traditional competitor analysis). 

Also, when you make improvements to a page (like adding a new summary or section), request a re-index via Google Search Console to speed up re-crawling. Our SEO experts found that after optimizing content for AI Overviews, using the URL Inspection -> Request Indexing tool, the updated content got picked up in hours rather than weeks.

Final Words

In summary, to rank in AI Overviews, you must combine traditional SEO with an increased focus on user queries. 

Make sure you write for humans but format the content for AI, i.e., address the intent behind queries directly, structure your content cleanly, and provide depth and accuracy. 

Doing so makes it easy for AI search engines to recognize your page as a valuable piece for the relevant search. Following these steps will greatly improve your content’s visibility in the emerging AI-driven search landscape. 

If you’re looking for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Experts, we are here to help.

Good luck with your GEO efforts, and see you in AI Overviews! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does Google decide which sources to feature in AI Overviews?

There are many factors when it comes to choosing a source for AI Overviews. Google uses: 

• Advanced NLP: Google utilizes sophisticated Natural Language Processing to grasp context, semantics, and user intent.
• User Behavior Data: Combined with extensive user behavior data, AI Overviews accurately interprets user searches.
• Complex Queries: This is particularly effective for long, nuanced questions and task-based searches.
• Diverse Sources: AI Overviews draw from a wide range of sources, including publishers, content creators, and retailers, beyond traditional text articles.
• Advanced Algorithms: Google employs algorithms like BERT and MUM to interpret complex queries and contextual nuances.

What specific tools or metrics should I use to track AI Overview rankings?

Beyond Google Search Console, you can use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Rank Math.
As for metrics, we recommend focusing on impressions & clicks in the search console and changes in ranking.

How long does it typically take for a newly optimized page to get picked up by AI Overviews?

The time it takes for a newly optimized page to be picked up by AI Overviews can vary depending on several factors. It takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

How often should I update content for the AI Overviews? 

It depends on the type of content. For example:

• Relevant content like “best SEO practice” requires changes every 6 to 12 months, as the fundamentals will remain the same. 
• Trending or Time-sensitive Content like explaining a new AI model should be optimized every 2 to 3 months. 
• Significant algorithms like the latest Google Core Update may require updating the content immediately.

Can AI Overviews be manipulated by backlinks alone?

Backlinks do not directly manipulate AI Overviews, but they can indirectly influence your chances of being featured based on authority and content relevance.

How does Google’s AI handle multimedia content (images, videos)?

Despite the advancements, Google AI Overview is still in the experimental phase, meaning it still heavily relies on text-based content, but we can see chances in the distant future.