13 Ways to Rank in AI Overviews With AIO Optimization

Last updated: November 21st, 2024

When you enter a search query in Google, the first result that now appears is the AI Overview. While this section is convenient for Google’s users, content marketers have been stuck with a significant problem: how can web pages rank if potential leads only look at the AI Overview?

Fortunately, content marketers can use Google’s AI Overviews as an opportunity. To ensure transparency, Google lists the sources from which it extracted its data. Users only need to click on the sources if they want to dive deeper into a topic.

How can businesses reach this overview? And do AIO strategies differ from SEO tactics? This article explores core AI Overview Optimization (AIO) techniques and how to use AI to your advantage.

Key Takeaways on AI Overviews

Google’s AI Overviews are a summary generated by Gemini. Its goal is to offer a quick answer to search queries and improve the user experience on Google.
Gemini analyzes information on different websites to produce these summaries and corroborates that content into a simple response.
Marketers should see AI Overviews as an opportunity to rank on Google organically.
To rank on AI Overviews, write content directly responding to the query.
While AIO is similar to SEO, both require different techniques and focuses for ranking.
Even though AI Overview is a massive trend in Google search, it isn’t perfect. Its responses constantly change, plagiarize other content, may give false information, and can result in decreased organic traffic.
We can still expect AIO to become more innovative, such as integrating with voice search, offering personalized results, becoming more interactive, and opening the doors to user prompts.

What Are Google’s AI Overviews?

An AI overview is a text snippet generated by Google’s large language model, Gemini, that offers users a quick answer to their search query. This snippet corroborates information from various web pages ranking for these keywords on the SERPs. Under the summary is a drop-down arrow where users can view the sources from which Google aggregated information.

While AI overviews have been available in the U.S. since May 2024, Google experimented with this technology long before then. In 2023, Google introduced Search Generative Experiences (SGE), which was how Google discovered the best ways to use generative AI in search.

How Do AI Overviews Work?

Gemini works with other products, like Search and Google’s Knowledge Graph, to use generative AI and produce these responses. Since Google AI Overviews offer users a small snippet of information, it will only show the overview for specific queries, such as:

Informational queries
Questions (specifically ones that start with what, when, how, or why)

When does Google not apply AI overviews? If their bots determine the user isn’t looking for information, it’ll take the user to the direct source.

E-commerce searches are the perfect example. When a user enters a query like “women’s winter jackets,” Google immediately shows various e-commerce platforms like Amazon and different brands so consumers can shop for the products they want.

However, if you search for a question like, “How do I find the best winter jacket?” Google will aggregate information from various blogs and display that content in AI overviews.

Another example of Google not showing AI Overviews is for high-risk industries such as finance. The reason is simple: while Google’s LLM is robust, it can still produce inaccurate information.

For example, when Google first released AI overviews, many users complained of erroneous snippets. Google explained that their LLM can misinterpret information, and the search engine giant doesn’t want to risk giving bad advice to someone investing in cryptocurrency for the first time.

Google also explained that they run into errors when insufficient results are available. This can happen in niche industries or for searches that don’t get much traction. Local searches are an example. When a user searches a query like “refrigerator repair in Orlando,” Google only shows various local businesses.

Why Google AI Overviews Matter

Why should you optimize your AI-enhanced marketing strategy for AI overviews? The answer is similar to why you should invest in SEO: by optimizing for AIO, you can increase organic traffic, resulting in more brand visibility and conversions.

While there are techniques to appear in AIO sources, the two strategies largely go hand-in-hand. 52% of AIO sources rank in the top 10 results on SERPs. While this isn’t always the case, optimizing for AIO can result in better SEO performance.

Source: Growth Memo

Even though websites that rank on the SERPs will likely emerge as AIO sources, this doesn’t always mean Google will corroborate your content for every AI summary. That’s because Gemini produces these results on the fly, meaning they can change for each user.

SEO professionals must have a separate AIO strategy to ensure that Google will aggregate their content and list their web page as a source.

But why should you care that your brand appears in these overviews?

Getting featured in an AIO can highlight your brand for people in the information and discovery stages of their consumer journey. Giving your brand this added exposure (even above position #1), can increase brand recall, improve your credibility, and establish topical authority.

Let’s Start Optimizing

How Gemini Chooses Content for AI Overviews

Since its goal is to extract relevant information, Gemini will corroborate content that closely covers the context and meaning of the query. While it’s still unclear how Google chooses the best content for AIO, we know Gemini prioritizes different phrases, sentences, and concepts. This includes conversational content and relevant long-tail keywords.

Google will also crawl web pages and determine the same SEO ranking factors for AIO summaries. These factors include relevance, authority, and trustworthy websites with a high DA. High-quality content written with clarity will also have a likelier chance of ranking in AIO.

Article structure is also essential. Detailed content organized with clear headings and concise paragraphs makes it easier for Gemini to aggregate information. Gemini will also consider the keywords and how they work with the context and meaning of the content.

How Can You Rank on AI Overviews?

While optimizing for AIO has similar strategies to ranking on SERPs, AI overviews have their own guidelines that brands should know. Here are thirteen of the best practices we use at Single Grain to help sites appear in AI Overviews.

1. Be Simple Yet Specific

Since AI Overviews are short and to the point, Gemini favors content that directly addresses the query. Write simplistic content that covers the specific query and avoids the extra fluff. If you’re covering a long-tail question, provide a clear and concise response. Stay relevant to the topic and, if possible, avoid unnecessary jargon.

Your content should also show firsthand experience and knowledge of the topic to enhance your website’s credibility. Use data, examples, and authoritative sources to validate your claims.

2. Understand User Intent

AI Overviews are built to satisfy user intent and are triggered by navigational, transactional, and informational queries. When writing AIO content, always satisfy your users’ needs and give them the content that will help them make their next move.

How can content creators do this? The first step is to see what your competitors are posting. Enter your PKW into Google and see what appears in AI Overviews. Click the top results to see how your competitors write about the topic, including content types, word counts, and which sales funnel stage they cater to.

It’s also best to identify whether you’re writing informational, navigational, or transactional content. Here’s how you can align your content to these intents:

Informational intent: Create educational content, such as how-to guides or FAQs.
Navigational intent: Provide clear pathways to the next steps a user must take, such as signing up for an email newsletter.
Transactional intent: Optimize product pages with detailed descriptions, benefits, and comparisons.

3. Use Proper Formatting

Source: BrightEdge

Gemini prefers skimmable content over disorganized writing. Write short paragraphs; aim for about three lines. Use bullet points and numbered lists with keywords so Gemini can better extract this data.

Here are other key points to include:

FAQs
Headers and subheaders
Data like product specifications, ratings, and author information

Use keywords in all these areas to show up in corresponding AI Overviews.

4. Optimize for Topics

Instead of crawling a website for specific keywords, Gemini looks at the broader picture when optimizing content for AI Overviews. That’s why content creators should focus on topics rather than individual keywords.

That said, these topics should still be relevant. Have one big idea for your content and introduce different points that cover the topic from all angles.

Here are ways to stay relevant to the topic:

Anticipate content requirements for that topic: Can you explain the query in a short blog post? Or is it broad enough to serve as a pillar page?
Related terms and synonyms: Build rich context by optimizing for different long-tail search terms and variations.
List different ideas: If your topic is in-depth, create bullet points and lists to keep your information concise.
Conversational writing: Write casually but be direct.
Answer variations: Use an FAQ section to answer different questions.
Avoid technical jargon: Gemini may not recognize these terms, even if they relate to your topic.

5. Research Relevant Queries

Where should content creators start with this topic-first approach? It’s best to know which queries your audience is searching for and the ones for which you’re already ranking.

Start by using SEO tools to find the queries driving traffic to your website. Write content based on those queries. Follow the previous advice, such as aligning the content with proper user intent and structuring your content to make it easier for Gemini to crawl.

What if you’re ranking for unrelated search terms? Google might be misinterpreting your website. In this case, you should contact the content marketing experts to increase your chances of ranking for relevant queries.

The next step is to find queries that your audience is searching for. You can do this by using keyword tools, as well as these sources:

Identify common questions in your industry
Use tools like Google’s “People Also Ask.”
Analyze AI-generated summaries in your niche

6. Create Pillar Pages and Topic Clusters

Another way to optimize your content for AI Overviews is by separating posts into longer pillar pages with shorter topic-specific blogs.

Pillar pages provide comprehensive coverage of a broad topic. These long-form informational guides introduce both the main subject and subtopics.

Build topic clusters with interconnected pages—link to the shorter, in-depth content corresponding to informational queries. If users want to learn more, they can click these additional blogs for a deep analysis. Examples of topic cluster content can include “best of” lists, FAQ articles, “how-to’s,” or reviews.

Content creators can also repurpose topic clusters into additional formats like video and infographics.

7. Backlinking and Guest Posting

Many businesses can rank on AIO when the snippet lists their web page as a source. In addition, AI Overviews aim to recommend businesses and products for transactional search queries, and companies can also rank their product and service pages this way.

How can businesses appear in these results? Build authority with backlinks. Develop partnerships with review websites in your niche so they can review your brand and products. Use strategies like guest posting so your products appear on third-party websites.

8. Use Question-Based Headlines

Gemini favors questions for AI Overviews since they can provide a brief response. Use questions in your headlines to ensure Google bots can crawl your content and find question-based queries.

For example, if you’re writing a blog about AIO Optimization, your headers should be common questions marketers will ask. Instead of “AIO Optimization Overview,” your first header should be “What Is AIO Optimization?”

What about long-tail question headers? While “What Is AIO Optimization?” is short and sweet, you may wonder if a long-tail question like “How Can I Rank on AI Overviews?” will be just as effective.

It’s hard to give a direct answer. AIO will only produce responses if it finds enough data. While “How Can I Rank on AI Overviews?” makes an AI Overview, there’s no guarantee that every question header will trigger AIO. It’s best to put every header through Google and see if you get an AIO snippet.

9. Incorporate Actionable Insights

While question headers can make it likelier that you’ll end up in the AI Overviews section, your blog may read more like an FAQ section. Another alternative is to offer actionable content that’s easy to read and simple for Gemini to crawl.

Here are two popular options:

Step-by-step guides
Key takeaways at the beginning of an article
Summary at the end of each section

10. Focus on Evergreen Content

Gemini will only produce an AI Overviews response for easily extractable data, so niche content is less likely to appear on AI Overviews. In that case, optimize evergreen content for AIO. This content is always relevant and relatable, and Gemini favors this content over niche articles.

To create evergreen content, focus on general information and simple questions. For example, “What Is the Affordable Care Act?” has an AI Overview.

Compare that to news, which focuses on the most updated information. The “Affordable Care Act latest news” query doesn’t have an AI Overview. Instead, Google displays the latest news, all published within two weeks.

Another benefit of writing evergreen content is it applies to nearly every industry. You can still produce evergreen content if your business isn’t in news and media. In the e-commerce or tech niches, evergreen content could be buying guides or reviews. Focus on products that everyone needs, but don’t mention trends.

Evergreen content can include “iPhone vs. Android,” whereas a query like “The Latest iPhone Updates” will likely not get the AIO snippet.

11. Leverage Images and Videos

Computer vision is also a big part of AI Overviews. This is AI that can derive information from visual media, such as images and videos. Visuals break up text and can help you rank in AI Overviews.

Videos, images, screenshots, and infographics are visuals to include. Use these visuals to highlight key points or explain complex information so Gemini can better extract that data.

Food and recipe queries are where you’ll see images and videos’ impact on AIO. When searching “What is poutine?”, Gemini provides helpful text such as the dish’s history, French translations, ingredients, and popularity. It also displays an image of poutine, so users know what the dish looks like.

12. Request Indexing

While all these techniques can improve the chances of being listed in AI Overviews, it may take a long time to appear on Google Search results. Marketers can increase their chances of appearing on AIO snippets by requesting indexing.

To do this, go to the Google Search Console page and click “URL Inspection Tool.” Enter either your website domain or prefix and click “Continue.”

Google will also address any indexing issues on your website, such as missing pages, error codes, and factors that may classify your website as spam.

13. Refresh and Re-Optimize Content

Source: Medium

Since AI Overviews always display new information, having the most up-to-date information is critical. Refreshing and re-optimizing your content ensures your information is accurate and relevant, and you’ll have a better chance of ranking for AIO.

The question is, how often should you refresh content? It’s best to play this by ear. If you discover more helpful information about a topic you covered, update that blog with this new content. And if you have any outdated blogs, freshen them up with news perspectives or an updated voice. Any evergreen blogs, such as “best practices” or “tips” pages, are perfect for adding new insights and more helpful content.

Will all updated blogs help you rank for AIO? Even though AIO doesn’t always highlight the latest trends, this information can trigger Google to re-index your page and rank it again.

AIO vs. SEO Optimization

AI Overviews and SEO results may appear in similar areas but have different purposes. AI Overviews offer additional and immediate context to search results. At the same time, SEO crawls various web pages and ranks websites based on the most helpful and relevant content.

Since both strategies have different purposes, marketers must use specific techniques. Here are a few examples.

Direct Responses

AIO favors content that covers the specific query. That means writers must use direct responses when covering a query.

SEO is more complex. While direct responses can boost your rankings for long-tailed keywords, writers also cover various related topics to increase search engine presence even more. Marketers must also rank for other queries, such as voice search results and other search engines (such as YouTube or Amazon). This makes SEO content more varied compared to AI Overviews.

Article Length

All SEO marketers know their blogs or articles have a better chance of ranking in search results, depending on their length. While 2,100 – 2,400 word blogs rank better in search engines, some blogs should be longer than this, depending on the topic, niche, or industry.

Does the same tactic work for AIO optimization? It depends. While longer-form content can answer different questions that can rank in AIO, Gemini is only looking for specific information. That means writers must focus on offering a complete answer to the query, regardless of blog length.

Keywords

Source: MarketMuse

Marketers get the best SEO results when targeting long-tail keywords. These phrases are at least three words and usually attract better quality traffic that’s more likely to convert. That’s because long-tail keywords have less competition, and websites have an easier time ranking for them.

Ranking for keywords on AIO is trickier. Keyword length doesn’t matter as much as informational intent. Gemini will trigger an AI Overview for specific keywords, such as question-based queries and search results asking for information or transactions, or aim to navigate the user in one direction.

Re-Optimizing Content

SEO and AIO require refreshing content with new and relevant information, but the intent varies between the strategies.

For SEO, writers refresh content to dominate competitors on search results. If a web page ranking at the top of SERPs suddenly falls to a lower position, the writer will conduct competitor research and find new data to rank above similar pages.

Compared to SEO, refreshing content for AIO keeps up with Gemini’s ever-changing responses. While a website may rank on organic SERPs for months, content snippets may only appear on AIO for a few hours.

That’s why writers must observe AIO responses to targeted queries and update responses based on the information that Gemini is corroborating.

Organic Traffic Source

Measuring AIO results is tricky. When you enter a web page in Google Analytics or a similar SEO tool, organic traffic will only lead back to Google search engines–not necessarily pointing to AIO specifically. That said, knowing how AIO affects your organic traffic is more challenging than traditional SEO tactics.

AIO Tools to Use

While optimizing for AIO comes with new tactics, marketers can streamline these techniques with various agentic workflows. Here are some of the most effective options.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) Tools

Since Gemini is a multimodal LLM, producing content that speaks Gemini’s language is best. There are several generative AI tools that use NLP, including:

OpenAI’s GPT for understanding AI-generated language preferences.
Google Natural Language API for semantic analysis.

SEO and Analytics Tools

While measuring AIO results is challenging, all marketers should continue using SEO platforms. These tools will still measure organic traffic and your performance on search engines. Plus, you can use these tools to ensure you’re ranking for AIO search queries.

Popular SEO tools include:

Ahrefs and SEMrush for finding keyword opportunities.
Google Analytics for tracking content performance.

Schema Markup Generators

Schema generators and plugins will help Gemini analyze your content and rank it for AIO. Here are some tools to try:

JSON-LD Generators for creating structured data.
Tools like RankRanger for advanced schema implementation.

Challenges in AIO Optimization

While AI Overviews mark a significant advancement in Google search technology, they aren’t perfect. Be aware of AI Overviews’ problems before optimizing your AIO content.

Evolving algorithms: AI systems frequently update their generative AI models, requiring content creators to adjust their blogs often.
Content saturation: As more creators adopt AIO techniques, standing out will become problematic.
Maintaining authenticity: Answering specific queries can make your content feel robotic. Balance AIO with a human touch to retain user trust.
Plagiarism: While Google claims Gemini can produce new content, it actually copies information from other websites. AIO uses your original content for its purposes, raising copyright concerns.
Decreased organic search results: While AIO poses new opportunities for marketers, it also introduces new challenges when increasing organic traffic. Since AIO appears as a snippet, web users may be less tempted to click on your website.
False information: AIO isn’t always accurate. It can misinterpret information and show incorrect results.

Future Trends in AIO

AI Overviews will only continue to grow and impact Google’s other products. Which trends can we expect?

Voice search and AI assistants: Voice search will continue to grow, and Google Search is expected to enable Gemini to analyze and respond to voice queries.
Personalized AI summaries: Gemini is expected to tailor overviews based on user behavior and preferences, generating personalized summaries for every user.
Interactive AI features: AI overviews may integrate interactive elements like polls and quizzes.
Communicating with Gemini: Responding to generative AI content was a core part of SGE. While it’s unclear if Google will implement this feature on AIO, user prompts may be available.

Optimize for AI Overviews

AI Overviews have become one of the most prevalent parts of a Google search. Gemini generates this text snippet from various sources, which is why ranking in AI Overviews is a critical component of any AI transformation.

While AI Overview has many similarities to SEO, marketers should use specific techniques to optimize for AI Overviews. This includes writing direct responses to queries, focusing on topics with informational intent, and adding actionable insights that Gemini can quickly analyze.

If you’re ready to level up your brand’s marketing with AI Overviews, Single Grain’s AI marketing experts can help!👇