What are Google AI Overviews?
They are short, AI-written answers that sit above or among the normal results for some searches. Google describes them as a way to get the gist of a complicated topic quickly, with links to explore further.
To build one, Google may use a “query fan-out” technique, running several related searches across subtopics and then pulling the results together. That means a page can be cited for a question it does not rank highly for on its own.
How do AI Overviews affect clicks?
They tend to reduce clicks to ordinary results. In a Pew Research Center study of 900 US adults’ browsing in March 2025, people who saw an AI summary clicked a traditional result on 8% of visits, against 15% when no summary appeared. Links inside the summary itself were clicked on just 1% of those visits.
Google, for its part, says clicks from results pages with AI Overviews are higher quality, meaning people are more likely to spend time on the site they visit.
How do you get your page into an AI Overview?
Google says there are no extra requirements and no special optimisation. A page must be indexed and eligible to appear with a snippet. Beyond that, the usual advice applies:
- Let Googlebot crawl the page and make sure it is indexed.
- Answer the question clearly near the top of the page.
- Cover the related subtopics a searcher would ask next.
- Keep facts current and make the important content visible as text.
- Make sure any structured data matches what is visible on the page.
How do AI Overviews show up in Search Console?
They are counted in your normal Performance report, not in a separate one. An AI Overview takes a single position in the results and every link inside it is given that same position. Clicking a link in it to your page counts as a click.
| Query | Your page in AI Overview | Reported position | Clicks |
|---|---|---|---|
| how to descale a kettle | Yes | 1 | 38 |
| descale kettle with vinegar | No | 6.2 | 14 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I opt out of AI Overviews?
You can limit what Google shows from your pages using nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet or noindex. These also affect your ordinary search snippets, so use them with care.
Is AI Overviews the same as AI Mode?
No. AI Overviews appear on a normal results page. AI Mode is a separate, conversational search experience for more complex questions. The same eligibility rules apply to both.
Do I need schema markup to appear?
No. Google states there is no special schema.org structured data needed for AI Overviews. Structured data can still help Google understand a page.
Do AI Overviews appear for every search?
No. They appear on a minority of searches. In Pew’s March 2025 sample, 18% of Google searches produced an AI summary.