AI Overviews: A Straightforward Approach
Yes, I know this is a GA4 stock image, not an AI overview image (don’t hate).
No matter how annoying it has been to see it dominate our social feeds and work life, AI has been the primary topic of conversation for the past three years. I've been on too many work calls discussing AI and its impact on our business, and it's been brought up in my social life more often than not. It was even the topic of Thanksgiving last year!
ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google, and Claude have been changing how we view the digital landscape and strategize to position our brands effectively. There is so much noise on how to stand out in AI discussions, and much of the advice out there is either ineffective or overly complicated, causing us to zone out.
I'm here to tell you that it is not that complicated. The best advice for standing out in AI overviews has been around longer than AI overviews themselves! There is no need to overthink it. It's all about doing the work and getting straight to it, instead of sitting there in a panic. I'm here to help you out.
Here's a simpler approach to navigating this landscape.
Wait...How Big of a Deal Is This?
Since Google rolled out the Search Generative Experience (SGE), many marketers have started to hit the panic button. SGE pulls key insights from reputable sources and presents them in a concise format, complete with links to the original sources. Unlike featured snippets, which extract information from a single source, SGE summarizes insights from multiple sources.
This change is significant because it has flipped the search marketing game upside down. Smaller websites now have a chance to appear in an AI Overview (AIO). Moreover, with Google's algorithm prioritizing context over keyword matching, marketers need to adjust their strategies. Being featured in an AIO boosts credibility, authority, and potential traffic to your site.
However, it's important to note that AIOs are positioned above organic, paid, and featured snippet results, even though they are not always 100% accurate. AIOs pull information directly from content, and if the content is inaccurate, the AIO is likely to be inaccurate as well.
The search engine results pages (SERPs) have changed, as have the ways we create content, conduct keyword research, and report performance. Therefore, yes, this is a major deal.
What Are Some Strategies?
These strategies may sound familiar, but they are essential: you need to create high-quality content. How many times have you heard that before? While it may seem tiresome, this advice is incredibly important.
It's crucial to follow Google's E-E-A-T principles: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Use credible sources and ensure accuracy, especially for topics in health or finance. Also, provide a unique perspective, expert commentary, and well-researched data.
Make sure your content aligns with search intent—whether it be informational, navigational, or transactional. Use plain and natural language, and you will have a better chance of standing out.
You can also structure your content for AIOs. Use concise, answer-oriented sections (similar to featured snippets) that include bullet points, numbered lists, and clear headings. AIOs often feature lists, so structuring your content in this manner can be beneficial.
The Technical Stuff
Ensure that your site meets SEO compliance and that Google can index and crawl your pages. I cannot stress this enough; I've seen clients and peers overlook this crucial step. The hard work you put into your content will be meaningless if your site cannot be indexed. You can check this in Google Search Console.
While you're there, make sure to validate your schema markup. Yes, adding schema to your page is vital for Google to understand your content. If you haven't done this yet, you're missing out on substantial potential.
Finally, ensure you are not blocking Googlebot or using non-indexable file types.
Done All This? Now What?
Now we wait. Time is often the hardest part, especially if you want to stand out.
If you've followed all these steps correctly, over time, your page can rank higher. And the higher it ranks, the more likely it is to be featured in an AIO. You can also use on-page SEO techniques to enhance your page, such as keyword optimization, internal linking, and addressing related questions.
But like all things in SEO, this will take time—conservatively, expect 2-3 months for noticeable results.
The Bottom Line
Like it or not, AI is here, and AIOs are not going anywhere. Despite not being perfect and having many nuances, we must adapt to target AIOs.
