Digital marketing glossary
What is an AI Overview?
Written and reviewed by L.K. Monu Borkala · Updated
Definition
An AI Overview is a summary generated by Google's AI that appears at the top of some Google search results. It gives a quick answer to the search and shows links to web pages that support it, so people can check the sources and read further on the sites themselves.
How it works
Google shows an AI Overview only for searches where it judges a generated summary will be helpful, often longer or more complex questions. Its AI uses information from pages in Google's index and shows some of them as supporting links next to or within the summary. Google says there are no extra technical requirements to appear: a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet, and normal SEO best practices apply. Site owners can limit what is used with snippet controls such as nosnippet. Traffic from AI Overviews is included in Search Console's Performance report under the Web search type.
Example
Imagine a pet clinic in Pune with a clear page answering 'how often should I deworm my puppy', written by its vet, with a simple schedule by age and advice to check with a vet for your own pet. When a pet parent searches that question, Google may show an AI Overview and list the clinic's page as one of its supporting links. A reader clicks through, sees that the clinic offers a ₹600 puppy check-up in Baner, and books an appointment.
An illustration: the business and the rupee figures are made up to show how the idea works.
Common mistake
Believing there is a special tag or type of schema that gets you into AI Overviews. Google says there is none, and the same basics that help in normal search apply. Another mistake is judging success only by clicks, since many people read the summary without clicking. Track impressions, searches for your brand name and enquiries as well.
Where you learn it
- Module 3: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Class: SEO in the AI Era: AI Overviews, GEO & AEO
Related terms
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