What Are Google AI Overviews (And How Do You Optimise Your Content for Them)?

If you’ve recently Googled something and noticed a summary popping up before you even clicked a link, you’ve already met Google’s latest game-changer: AI Overviews.

And if you’re a business owner or marketer wondering why your website traffic has taken a bit of a dip? Yep — AI Overviews might be the culprit.

But don’t panic. In this article, I’ll walk you through:

• What Google AI Overviews actually are
• Why they matter to marketers and small business owners
• Three simple, strategic ways to optimise your content using Generative Engine
  Optimisation (GEO)

Let’s dive in — because smart marketers adapt early.

What Are Google AI Overviews?

Google AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear above the standard
search results. They aim to give users a quick, synthesised answer to their question —before they click any links.

You’ll often see:

• A bold summary paragraph
• A “Here’s a more detailed breakdown” section
• A short list with links or icons to the original sources

In theory, it’s convenient. In reality, it can mean your website gets used to build the answer… without your brand ever getting noticed or clicked.

How AI Overviews Differ from Traditional Search Results

Let’s keep this simple:

This isn’t just a formatting change. It’s a fundamental shift in visibility. Google is no longer just curating information — it’s summarising it for users.

Why You Should Care (Especially as a Small Business)

• Your hard-earned traffic might drop (and already is for many).
• Your authority might be overlooked if you’re not cited.
• You’re competing in a different way now — to be part of the answer, not just the options.

This is not the time to abandon content creation. But it is time to change your approach.

This is where Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) comes into play.

What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?

GEO is the new way to optimise your content so that Google’s AI wants to pull from it.

Think of it as SEO 2.0 — not just about rankings and backlinks, but about making your content useful, skimmable, and structured for summarisation.

Just like this article!

3 Ways to Optimise Your Content for Google AI Overviews

Here are three smart (and achievable) ways to start using GEO to your advantage:

1. Structure Your Content Like a Pro

AI loves well-organised content. So give it the formatting it craves:

• Use H2s and H3s to break up sections
• Add bullet points and numbered lists
• Keep paragraphs short and skimmable

Action Tip: Review your blog posts and turn chunky paragraphs into scannable sections. If it looks like an outline, you’re on the right track.

Bonus: Ask “So what?” at the end of each paragraph. That’ll keep your message clear, valuable, and tight.

2. Showcase E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Yes, this still matters, a lot.

Google still looks for signs that you're a credible source:

• Include author bios with experience in the subject,
• Use reputable outbound links,
• Share real examples, case studies, or personal stories.

Action Tip: Add a short author box to your blogs if you don’t have one — and make it clear who’s behind the content.

Bonus: Regularly update your articles with new stats, tools, or tips. Fresh content ranks better and is more likely to be pulled into AI Overviews.

3. Write in Question and Answer Format

AI Overviews often answer questions. So make your content a go-to resource by:

• Using FAQs at the end of blog posts
• Writing headlines as questions when appropriate
• Answering customer queries directly and clearly

Action Tip: Use tools like AnswerThePublic or Google’s People Also Ask section to find real questions your audience is asking.

Bonus: Add a short summary or TL;DR at the top of your posts for extra scannability (and to boost AI pickup).

This Isn’t About Gaming the System

GEO isn’t some sneaky SEO trick. It’s about:

• Making your content easier to understand
• Helping AI summarise accurately
• And still delivering real value to real people

It’s a win-win.

If you’re already creating helpful content, GEO just helps you frame it better — for both humans and machines.

Final Thoughts - Adapt to Stay Visible

The click isn’t dead. But it is evolving. Your content still matters — your blog posts, your FAQs, your thought leadership — they all still drive visibility.

But only if you adapt to how information is now being surfaced.

Because those who adapt fastest? They’ll become the go-to experts in their space.

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