AI Overviews (AIOs) have become one of the most significant changes to search in years. AIOs are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of certain search results, pulling information from multiple sources across the web and presenting an answer directly on the results page, often before a user sees any traditional organic listings. Research from early 2026 shows that AI Overviews now appear in around 15% to 20% of all Google searches, up significantly since their launch in 2024. For informational searches, this rises to between 25% and 35%, and question-based searches can trigger AIOs 30% to 40% of the time.
As AIOs don’t appear for every search, traditional organic listings in SERPs still play an important role. However, when an AI Overview is present, it occupies a large portion of the search results page and can often answer a user’s query without them needing to click through to a website. This is contributing to what’s known as zero-click searches, where the answer is found within Google’s interface rather than by clicking a blue link. It’s important that SEO strategies adapt to these evolving features and account for AIOs in user journeys.
How AI Overviews Select Sources
Traditional search rankings and AI Overview citations aren’t the same thing. In standard organic search, pages are ranked according to signals such as authority, backlinks, relevance and intent match. AIOs work differently. Rather than simply displaying the highest-ranking pages, they synthesise information from multiple sources to create a single answer. Interestingly, the pages cited within AIOs aren’t always the same ones that rank in the top organic positions.
This doesn’t mean rankings are no longer important – not by far. We know that Google uses retrieval systems such as FastSearch, which sources information from multiple high-ranking search results to help generate answers. So, strong organic visibility increases your likelihood of being considered as a source to some extent. The key difference is that retrieval and ranking are separate processes.
Ranking systems determine which pages appear in search results. Retrieval systems look for clear, citable information that is credible and trustworthy, which can be extracted quickly without needing to interpret an entire page. This is why brands with strong topical ownership and clear expertise, as well as recognised entities, often appear in AI-generated answers, even when they aren’t ranking number one for a particular keyword.
How Search Behaviour Is Changing When It Comes to AIOs
The way people search is also changing alongside these new AI experiences. Instead of typing short keyword phrases into a search engine, users are now asking more detailed questions in the same way they might ask an expert. They expect comprehensive answers and recommendations rather than a list of links.
Again, changes in search behaviour mean that SEO approaches must also be revised. Conversational language and voice searches are becoming more prevalent, and strategies must take this into consideration. This isn’t just about the results page but about a fundamental shift in how we conduct research, target users, and achieve visibility.
What You Can Do Right Now
Brands that consistently show up in AI Overviews do so because they make it easy for retrieval systems to find them and to verify and cite their content. Some ways you can improve your chances of being selected and cited include:
- Lead with your main point – Don’t hide answers halfway down the page. State your primary claim or insight within the first 100 words
- Support claims with evidence – Include statistics, research findings, expert commentary, examples and original data within your content
- Create genuinely comprehensive content – Cover a topic from multiple angles so there are fewer gaps for competing sources to fill
- Build topical ownership – Create clusters of related content that demonstrate expertise across an entire subject area, rather than individual keywords
- Use clear headings and overall structure – Organised content is easier for retrieval systems to interpret and extract information from
- Answer specific questions directly – Include concise answers under relevant headings before expanding with additional detail
- Improve entity clarity – Make it obvious who you are, what you do and what topics your brand is associated with
- Include expertise – Original insights and experience are often more valuable than regurgitated information
- Use schema and structured data – Help search engines and LLMs understand the purpose and context of your content
- Keep content fresh and updated – Regular updates signal that information remains accurate and relevant
- Earn mentions across the web – Brand awareness and citations help establish your authority beyond your own website
- Write for retrieval – Focus on producing passages of text that can stand alone as trustworthy answers when they’re extracted from your pages – this is called “chunking”
If you’re familiar with SEO, you’ll notice many similarities to traditional page optimisation here, but with a few tweaks and twists. A well-optimised site will be a great starting point for GEO and AEO. How these new requirements interact with “SEO” is quite seamless and will sit comfortably alongside existing tasks and checklists.
The Final Word
Solid rankings and high-quality content are a foundational factor in search visibility. However, AIOs are changing how information is surfaced and how users interact with search results. The brands that are succeeding right now are those that are combining strong SEO foundations with retrieval-ready, GEO-optimised content.
If you’re wondering how to build a strategy that includes both traditional SEO and GEO to win in AI Overviews, we’d be happy to talk it through with you. Feel free to get in touch and start a conversation.