What Are Google AI Overviews? Everything You Need to Know

September 9, 2025

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It is certain that Google search is no longer what it used to be a year ago. We see the SERP quite differently. And here comes the biggest update, the launch of AI Overviews. These are short summaries written by artificial intelligence that appear right at the top of Google search results.

They help users get direct, quick answers without needing to scroll through multiple websites. In this guide, I’ll explain what AI Overviews are, how they work, and what they mean for users, content creators, and businesses.

What Are Google AI Overviews?

AI Overview is a new feature in Google Search. They use AI to create short summaries in response to your search queries. These summaries often appear in “position zero,” the very top of the search results, even before ads and website links.

Earlier, this feature was called “Search Generative Experience” or SGE. Google first introduced it at their I/O event in 2023. By mid-2024, it was renamed “AI Overviews” and rolled out to users in the United States.

AI Overviews are now part of Google’s main search experience. They aim to make searching easier, faster, and more informative by providing a direct answer to your question.

How Do AI Overviews Work?

AI Overviews are different from regular search results. When you type a query, Google’s AI engine tries to understand the intent behind it. It then uses information from reliable sources and combines it with its own language model (Gemini) to create a unique answer.

Each AI Overview typically includes:

AI Summary: A short paragraph or two that answers the user’s question.
Key Points: Bullet points or highlights with clickable links to supporting websites.
Expanded Answer: You can click “Show More” to read a longer explanation.
Linked Sources: A section that shows related websites from Google’s search index.

Google uses its own large language model (LLM) to generate the answer. Besides, it also lists related websites for users to verify and explore further. This helps users get a deeper understanding of whether they need it.

How AI Overviews Differ from Featured Snippets

You might be thinking: “Isn’t this like featured snippets?”

Well, it’s not exactly.

Featured snippets take a piece of text from a website and display it at the top. They always cite the source word-for-word.

AI Overviews are generated by AI. They are not copied from any one website. Instead, they are written using a combination of multiple sources and AI knowledge.

This means the content is more flexible, often more complete, and written in natural language. However, it may also result in fewer clicks to the actual source websites.

Why Are AI Overviews Important?

AI Overviews take up a lot of visual space on the search page. They appear above:

Ads
Organic search results
Featured snippets

This means users might not scroll down as often. If their question is answered at the top, they have no reason to click further.

This has big implications for websites, brands, and marketers. It could lead to:

Less website traffic
Lower click-through rates (CTR)
Reduced visibility for smaller sites

Reports show that AI Overviews appear in 59% of searches with informational intent and 19% with commercial intent. These numbers may grow in the future.

Since Google holds over 90% of the search engine market, understanding AI Overviews is important for anyone who works with content online.

Can Your Website Appear in AI Overviews?

Yes, it can, but with a few conditions.

To get your website linked in an AI Overview:

Your content must already be in Google’s search index.
Your page should match the AI’s answer and satisfy the search intent.
Your site should ideally rank within the top 35 organic search results. Most linked sources come from the top 12.

Google does not pull links randomly. It chooses websites that are authoritative, trustworthy, and SEO-optimized. So, having strong content and good SEO is key.

What You Should Do as a Content Creator or Business?

AI Overviews are not going away. In fact, they are expected to become more common. That means you should practice AI-driven SEO for your business. Here are some best practices;

1. Focus on High-Quality Content:

Answer user questions clearly.
Keep content updated and fact-checked.
Use simple, helpful language.

2. Improve Your SEO Basics

Use relevant keywords.
Make sure your site loads fast.
Get backlinks from trusted sites.

3. Format Content for Search

Use headers, bullet points, and short paragraphs.
Add FAQs and summaries where needed.

4. Monitor Your Analytics

Keep an eye on traffic and CTR.
Adjust your strategy if your numbers drop.

AI Overviews may reduce clicks, but being linked in them still brings visibility. Plus, being ranked highly in organic search is still your best chance at getting noticed.

Conclusion

Google AI Overviews are changing how we search and how websites are discovered. They give users quick, AI-generated answers. But they also make it harder for websites to get visitors.

As a content creator, blogger, or business owner, it’s important to:

Understand how AI Overviews work
Create helpful, high-quality content
Strengthen your SEO

That way, you can stay visible and useful in a world where AI is becoming a big part of search.

Akash Srivastava

I'm Akash Srivastava, an AI-powered Freelance SEO Expert. I help businesses create or revise their SEO plan, implement it and monitor results. I regularly write about SEO. I have been in this since 2011. I read books in my spare time. You can hire me for complete SEO services. Contact me today!