Google now shows AI Overviews at the top of many search results: an AI-generated summary with links to sources. AI Mode goes further, letting people have a conversation with Google Search. Both change how people find businesses, and how SEO works.
What AI Overviews are
An AI Overview is a summary that Google writes using its Gemini models and information from web pages. It appears above the normal results for many informational searches, with links to the pages it drew from.
AI Mode is a separate tab where users ask longer, follow-up questions, and Google builds a detailed answer from many sources.
Do they reduce clicks?
For simple informational questions, often yes. If the answer is right there, fewer people click. But:
- Commercial and local searches ("SEO company Colombo", "dentist near me") still lead to websites, Maps and businesses
- Being cited in an AI Overview can bring highly qualified clicks and builds brand awareness
- Users who click from AI answers often know more about what they want
The goal shifts from just ranking to being one of the sources AI systems cite.
How Google chooses sources
Google hasn't published a formula, but cited pages tend to:
- Already rank well for related searches. Normal SEO is the foundation.
- Answer the question directly and clearly
- Contain specific facts, numbers and examples
- Be well structured, with clear headings and short sections
- Come from trustworthy sources with clear authors and expertise
How to optimise for AI Overviews
1. Answer questions directly
Put a clear, two to three sentence answer immediately below a question heading. Then explain in more depth.
2. Be specific
"SEO in Sri Lanka typically costs Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 150,000 per month for small businesses" is far more citable than "SEO costs vary". See our SEO cost guide as an example.
3. Structure content well
- Descriptive headings that match questions
- Short paragraphs
- Lists and tables for comparisons and steps
4. Show expertise
Named authors, credentials, real experience and original data. See E-E-A-T explained.
5. Keep technical SEO solid
AI systems can only cite pages they can crawl and understand:
- Pages indexed and fast
- Content in HTML, not hidden behind JavaScript. See JavaScript SEO.
- Clear structured data about your business and people
6. Build your brand
AI systems learn which brands are associated with topics from mentions across the web: reviews, news, directories, forums and social media. Consistent mentions of your business alongside your services help.
Measuring AI visibility
- Search Console includes AI Overview and AI Mode clicks within normal web search data
- Manually check important questions in Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini to see who's cited
- Track branded searches; AI exposure often increases them
Beyond Google
ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot also answer questions and cite sources. Optimising for all of them is called generative engine optimisation. Read GEO explained.
Get help
Our AI search optimisation service audits how AI systems see your business and makes your content more citable.