Google AI Overviews is a new Google search results feature that offers natural language results in the form of answers and links to webpages for users to further explore the answers. AI Overviews shows when the user intent is to quickly understand information, especially when that information need is tied to a task. For example, when you perform the search “What is Drip Coffee?”, you can see this result.
AI Overviews typically appear in Google Search results when Google identifies that a user seeks a quick understanding of information drawn from various sources, including the web and Google’s Knowledge Graph.
What Types of Websites Does AI Overviews Link To?
Generally, Google AI Overviews link to informational websites, such as publications or blog posts. For example, a Google AI Overview might link to a blog post on punthaicoffee.com, a website for a coffee business.
The results may also link to a blog post on kitchenaid.com which is a coffee product website.
Google AI Overviews may also link to Wikipedia.
How To Optimize for Google AI Overviews?
To optimize for Google AI Overviews, brands should focus on writing informative blogs that address users’ questions—a strategy likely already part of most SEO-focused brands’ efforts. Additionally, building authority through link-earning remains essential, as Google tends to prioritize credible websites as sources in AI Overview results. For brands already investing in SEO, these practices align with their existing strategies and require no major adjustments.
Search queries that are highly product- or service-specific are less likely to trigger Google AI Overviews, so there’s no need for additional optimization specifically for those results.
For example, when you search for “Hotel Downtown Calgary”, you’ll see traditional Google search results.