How To Boost Your Site With Google’s AI Overviews
On May 14th, 2024, Google officially launched AI Overviews, a new generative AI-powered search feature. Many marketers had anticipated this launch since Google announced its plan to integrate AI into search, giving birth to a feature previously known as the Search Generative Experience (SGE). The difference between AI Overviews and SGE became apparent once the feature rolled out in the US. However, it can be accessed worldwide through VPNs.
This represents a significant shift in search, but with some familiarity, especially for those who have experimented with SGE in Search Labs. The AI Overview sits above the traditional search results and provides a summary answer generated by AI, supported by linked websites that offer corroborative information.
What is Google’s AI Overview?
In a nutshell, it is software that uses generative AI to provide direct answers to user queries, accompanied by links to websites that support or validate the information. AI Overviews build upon the foundation laid by traditional search, incorporating advancements in AI to deliver more concise, relevant responses to user queries.
Currently, the feature operates in a few distinct ways. Sometimes, users are presented with a concise answer, with an option for users to “Show more” by clicking buttons that reveal additional insights or corroborative links. In some cases, the AI might even generate images to support the query, particularly for visual-based searches.
Google has limited AI Overviews for sensitive categories, such as financial advice. Initially, AI was restricted from responding to searches categorized under “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL), but more recently, it has started providing AI-generated answers for health-related queries, backed by Med-PaLM 2, a large language model specialized in medical knowledge.
How to Rank in Google’s AI Overviews
With this prominent feature in Google search, the key question for businesses and SEOs is: how can your website rank in this space? Here are the essential steps:
- Match Your Content to the Query To have your content featured in AI Overviews; it needs to be highly relevant to the specific query. Your information should closely align with the intent behind the search phrase, ensuring that your content addresses the query comprehensively and directly.
- Prioritize Simplicity and Readability: Websites that concise and have easy-to-read content are favored. Break your content into digestible sections, use short paragraphs, and write in straightforward language. AI-generated results often reference paragraphs that make singular, clear points.
- Get to the Point Quickly Google’s AI Overviews emphasize immediate answers. Make sure your content provides a quick, direct response early on. Summarize your key points within the first few sentences or paragraphs to improve your chances of being featured.
- Leverage Traditional SEO Techniques Websites, already ranking well in organic search results have a higher chance of being picked up in AI Overviews. Continue SEO by using authoritative content, quality backlinks, robust user experience, and website speed. However, being ranked organically doesn’t guarantee AI Overview inclusion, so additional steps are necessary.
- Submit Changes through Google Search Console If you’ve made improvements to your content, you can expedite the process of appearing in AI Overviews by requesting re-indexing through Google Search Console. This method can sometimes lead to your content appearing in AI results within hours.
Two Primary Ways to Gain Traffic from AI Overviews
- Carousel Links Websites can appear in the highly visible “carousel” link section at the top of the AI Overview. Carousel positions are likely to garner more organic traffic as they’re the most prominent.
- Dropdown Links AI Overviews also feature links in dropdown sections, offering more context to the AI-generated answer. These are often the same websites that appear in the carousel, though being listed in a dropdown can also generate visibility.
Ranking Behavior
Ranking in AI Overviews is achievable, but it requires following a structured approach. Google tends to favor pages that present simple, well-structured information. They also prioritize high-quality backlinks, user experience, and relevance to the query, just like traditional SEO.
In some cases, you might notice that older, less-optimized paragraphs are referenced in results, even if you’ve added more relevant content later. To resolve this, consider removing older content that could be “confusing” the AI.
FAQs
What is Google AI Overviews, and how does it differ from traditional search results? Google AI Overviews use generative AI to provide a direct answer to the searcher’s query. Unlike traditional results, which rely on a list of links, AI Overviews synthesize information and highlight corroborative sources.
Is AI Overview available outside the US? While AI Overviews are officially available in the US, users from other countries can access the feature using a VPN set to the US.
How can I get my website to rank in AI Overviews? Make sure your content is concise, easy to read, and directly answers the search query. Additionally, improving your traditional SEO rankings can also help, but specific steps like getting featured in a carousel or dropdown are essential.
Can I request that my site be featured in AI Overviews? No, Google automatically determines which websites to feature. However, submitting your updated pages for re-indexing through Search Console can expedite the process.
What types of searches trigger AI Overviews? Various types of queries, ranging from general information to visual or image-based searches tend to dominate. However, they are limited for some sensitive categories like financial advice.
Just A Web Company Is Here To Help
Navigating search features like Google’s AI Overviews can be challenging. That’s where Just A Web Company comes in. Our team of experts can help optimize your content to rank in these new types of results, ensuring your business stays ahead of the competition in the evolving landscape of search. Reach out today and let us help you achieve the results you need to grow!
