AI Overviews and other AI features in Google's results provide summaries with links to pages supporting the information. According to Google, the same basics apply: create high-quality, original content, ensure your pages are crawlable and indexable, and maintain a healthy technical environment. If you'd like help preparing your site, see my AI and GEO SEO service.
I'm Kim Alimorom, a freelance SEO specialist working remotely with clients mostly in the United States, Australia and Europe. I have more than five years in SEO and have focused on online stores for almost two years. There's a lot of speculation about AI search, so this guide sticks to what Google has published and to steps that help in any search environment. It also explains what you can and can't measure today.
What Changes And What Doesn't
- The fundamentals still apply. Google says the same SEO best practices support appearing in its AI features.
- No special markup is required. There is no separate tag or file that guarantees inclusion.
- Helpful content matters most. Clear, original answers are more useful to people and to systems that summarize them.
- Pages must be indexed. A page that isn't indexed can't be supported or linked in results.
- Be careful with promises. Nobody can guarantee a mention in an AI answer.
Start With What Google Has Actually Said
Google provides documentation with guidance for site owners regarding AI features and your website. Read it for yourself, since the information can change, and take care with third party statements about secret ranking factors. The takeaway: aside from being indexed and snippet-eligible in Search, a page does not have to meet any other conditions to be used in these features.
For a plain view from inside Google, Martin Splitt talks with a director of software engineering at Google Search about how AI is changing Search in this episode of Search Off the Record.
Write Pages That Give A Clear, Original Answer
Systems that summarize the web are based on pages that answer questions clearly. Google's advice on producing useful, people first content is the best reference. Provide a direct answer early and explain the reasoning, demonstrate real experience, and cover related questions. If it's a page that repeats what 10 other pages say, then a summary has no motivation to link to your page. My guide to generative engine optimization explains the wider idea of making content easy to understand and cite.
The other half of this is originality. Google recommends content that is helpful and original, and I think that's what makes a page worthy of being cited in an AI Overview. A summary can say more using information you have gathered from your own work, like your own testing, your own data or what your customers are actually asking, than with wording copied from another site.
Get The Technical Basics In Place
Ensure that important pages are able to be crawled and indexed, load quickly and work well on mobile. Make sure that you are not blocking crawlers from the pages you want found. If you've never done a full technical review, my technical SEO checklist is a good place to begin.
| Area | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Answer questions directly and add original detail | Gives people and summaries something worth using |
| Crawling and indexing | Let search engines reach and index key pages | Pages must be indexed to appear at all |
| Structure | Clear headings, short paragraphs and tables where useful | Makes information easy to find and understand |
| Structured data | Mark up only what is visible on the page | Helps search engines read the page accurately |
| Authority | Show who wrote the page and earn trusted mentions | Builds trust in the source |
A Five-Minute Check For Your Most Important Page
Google says there are two things a page must do to be eligible for its AI features: it must be indexed and it must be “snippet eligible.” Both can be tested on the same page before making any other changes. The table below shows a simple test of both.
| Step | Where to look | What a pass looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Indexed | URL Inspection tool in Search Console | The page is reported as indexed on Google |
| 2. Snippet allowed | Page source, SEO plugin or response headers | No noindex or nosnippet directive in a robots meta tag or X-Robots-Tag header |
| 3. Clear answer | The page itself | A direct answer in the first paragraph, under headings that match real questions |
| 4. Visible in data | Search Console performance report, filtered to the page | Impressions and clicks show up under the Web search type |
Put Facts Where They're Easy To Pull Out
Ensure that the direct answer is close to the top of the page, use descriptive headings that correspond to actual questions, and make facts easy to locate. Readers can scan short lists and tables easily and software can select them. Avoid burying important content in images or in interactions not accessible to a crawler. Be concise and clear; general statements are not helpful to readers or to the summaries.
Keep Structured Data Honest
Structured data provides information about the content on a page. Although it is not a shortcut to AI answers, and Google does not state that it is a necessity, accurate markup can aid search engines in reading a page properly. Ensure that the markup reflects what visitors can see and take out any markup that does not. Make it simple and check for mistakes.
Measure What You Can, And Be Cautious With The Rest
The performance in Google Search is displayed in Search Console and Google has stated that traffic from AI features is included in the Web search type, which is why it is recommended to use this as the primary source of performance. Google has also introduced a Generative AI performance report which shows impressions from AI Overviews and AI Mode. Analyze impressions, clicks and pages that perform and compare periods. Be wary of tools that say they can track the mentions of AI exactly, as they're only based on limited data and there are varying methods. Use those numbers as a guide rather than the actual number.
Here is what that tracking looks like on an online store I worked on. By 13 October 2026, Ahrefs had identified about six and a half AI citations for every page that was cited at least once. That is a tracking figure, not a guarantee of future mentions.
The Work In The Order I'd Do It
| Priority | Task | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | Confirm your important pages are indexed | Pages that are not indexed cannot be shown |
| Highest | Rewrite thin pages to answer questions fully | Helpful content is the foundation |
| High | Put direct answers near the top of key pages | Makes pages easy to use and cite |
| High | Show clear authorship and real experience | Builds trust in the source |
| Medium | Add accurate structured data | Helps search engines read the page |
| Medium | Track performance in Search Console | Shows what is actually happening |
| Lower | Experiment with extra tools and tracking | Useful once the basics are right |
What Nobody Can Promise You About AI Answers
- AI answers are not controlled by anybody. Beware of anyone who promises a mention.
- Guidance can change. See Google's docs for the latest rules.
- Don't rewrite everything. Focus on improving the pages that are most relevant first.
- Don't fake expertise. Don't list experience you don't have.
- Track results honestly. Take real data from Search Console and consider third party estimates as approximate.
Questions About AI Overviews And Your Site
What Are AI Overviews?
They are summaries generated for some queries and displayed in Google Search along with links to pages that help answer the query.
Do I Need Special Markup To Appear In AI Overviews?
Google's documentation states that the only two things a page must have are that it must be indexed and that it must be able to appear in Search with a snippet.
Is AI Search Replacing SEO?
Although how results are displayed continues to evolve, helpful content, crawlability, and technical health are still important.
Can I Track AI Mentions?
Google Search Console provides data on how Google Search performs, and some third-party tools can give an approximation of AI mentions, but those figures are approximate.
Should I Write Differently For AI?
Communicate clearly and concisely with people. Clear answers, good structure and original information all benefit readers and summaries.
Where Should I Start?
Find out if your key pages are indexed, and then optimize the content on the most important pages.
Can You Guarantee My Site Will Appear In AI Answers?
No. Nobody controls what an AI feature shows. I can help make sure your pages are indexed, clear and well structured, and I report on the data that is available.
How Much Does AI And GEO SEO Cost?
It depends on your site and what it needs. I give a clear quote after a free first audit, so you know what you are paying for.
How Do I Optimize For AI Overviews?
Google states that nothing else is needed other than being indexed and snippet eligible in Search. In practice that means helpful, original content, crawlable pages and a favorable technical configuration.
Check Your Key Pages First
Although AI changes the way results are presented, it's the same recipe to success that we've always known: quality, relevant content, a sound technical foundation, and transparent measurement. This week, make sure that your most important pages are indexed and that each page clearly explains and answers its question at the top of the page. All else flows from that.
If you'd like help, see my AI and GEO SEO service or request a free SEO audit.
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