In May 2024, Google launched AI overviews in the US—how was it different to what existed before?
Instead of listing links as answers, AI overview (AIOs) summarizes answers with key points at the top, followed by organic results.
Liz Reid, VP and Head of Google Search, highlighted the positive response on AI overviews, stating, “People like that they can get both a quick overview of the topic and links to learn more.”

You can see in the screenshot below how AI Overviews has summarized trends in a concise, easy-to-digest format, saving users time.
AI overviews have now been rolled out globally to more than 100 countries and continue to expand as Google’s confidence in its AI capabilities grows.

Along with optimizing your content for a ‘Featured Snippet’ position, you may also want to optimize your content for AI overviews.
Because: AI overviews → Organic Traffic → Leads → Conversion
Read on to find out how to optimize your content for Google AI overviews through Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), the difference between SEO and GEO, and how to leverage it to bring organic traffic to your site. Plus, a bonus section answering the most talked about query: Is SEO DEAD?

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, is a content strategy focused on helping AI systems easily understand and synthesize information to generate AI responses.
Let’s understand GEO better:
In late 2022, large language models – you may better know them as Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc. – paved the way for a new kind of response to queries. When you typed in a query, you got summarized replies, like conversing with a human.
This new method of responding to user queries disrupted Google’s traditional ‘search-a-query-find-multiple-links’ search pattern (although these are still available and in no way less than before).
Since then, Google has come up with an update that mimics chatbot-like summaries with key points to the queries called the AI Overviews.

So, along with the traditional search engine optimization, your content now needs to be optimized for AI systems that generate these responses, called Generative Engine Optimization.
Should you worry about ranking in AI overviews?
Short answer: Yes.
Here’s why:
Notice the links on the right-hand corner of the screenshot above? These are the sources (website links) used for the AI response.
Google AI Overview includes links to source websites and a credible source panel on the right for additional information. Apart from text, AIOs also include images, charts, graphs, and third-party links. Like so:

Consequently, getting featured in Google AI Overviews has multiple benefits:
It gives a huge visibility boost - you get positioned at a prime location at the top of search results.
Being cited in AIOs is perceived as a boost of authority.
Users are more likely to click on the AI Overviews connected links driving significant traffic to your website.
Your site can show up twice on page 1 (overview + regular listing)
According to the Surfer SEO Study, only 52% of AI responses are from TOP 10 organic results. This means even if your site isn’t ranking on the top page, you have an almost equal chance to get featured in AIO.
How to get featured in AI overviews?
So, what should you do to get featured in the AI Overviews?
Though Google has never divulged its exact ranking strategies, observations, Google’s statements, and studies from the Surfer SEO reveal ways to improve your chances:
Despite numerous updates, Google always prioritizes helpful, reliable, people-first content that meets their E-E-A-T guidelines.
Focus on creating in-depth, high-quality, and audience-first content that aligns with these guidelines.

AI overview prioritizes context over keywords.
Like in the above screenshot, not only does AIO point out the colours adults prefer, it also explains the reasons behind their preference.
Give enough context for your search intent and explain them comprehensively with examples.
Use simple, easy-to-understand language that the AI can understand. Break your content into structured sections with a logical flow that adds to the relevance.
Make images, infographics, tables, and bullet points part of your content. This not only makes your piece easily digestible but also increases your chances of getting pulled in the AIOs.
Answer the search intent with specific questions clearly and directly with actionable steps – like the featured snippets method. For example, the sources cited for “What food is good for heart health” answer this question straight to the point.
Since 52% of cited sources rank in the Top 10, focus on improving your SERP ranking.
Quick facts about AIOs
AIOs are primarily triggered by informational queries like “what is” and “how to”, followed by comparative and complex open-ended queries with multiple right answers.
They do not replace featured snippets (yet). Although AIOs are longer – averaging 157 words and more – while featured snippets are about 50 to 60 words.
AIOs link multiple sources for the query as opposed to the featured snippet’s only one.
Difference between SEO and GEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a strategy used to make your website show up higher in SERPs for user queries. It is like flashing your store sign in neon to attract customers on a busy street.
On the other hand, the newer Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is about making your content work well with AI tools. It is like making your store easy to find for agents (AI robots) to understand and recommend to others.
Let’s look at both side-by-side:
Aspect | Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) |
Main Goal | Rank higher in Search engines like Google | Get better results from AI tools and chatbots |
Target | Human searchers using search engines | AI systems and language models |
Content Focus | Keywords, links, and readable content | Clear structure, factual information, and context |
Success Measure | Higher search rankings and more website visits | Better AI understanding and more accurate AI responses |
Key Techniques | Using relevant keywords, building quality links, creating meta descriptions | Using clear headings, providing context, structuring data logically |
Tools Used | Google Analytics, SEO software, keyword research tools | AI content analysis tools, prompt engineering |
Time to See Results | Months (usually 3-6 months or more) | Immediate to short-term (days to weeks) |
Primary Audience | Human readers and search engine crawlers | AI models and their training systems |
How does GEO differ from SEO in practice?
For SEO optimization you’ll be prioritizing keyword density, meta description, backlinks, and other technicalities.
For GEO you need to focus on contextual depth, structured content and schema markup for AI comprehension. Let’s take an example:
If you are writing on “Heart-healthy foods”, for GEO you will:
Step 1: Start with a concise, bullet-point summary: Example:
Leafy greens (spinach, kale): Rich in nitrates that improve blood flow.
Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel): High in omega-3 fatty acids for reducing inflammation.
Step 2: Expand with context under each point
Example:
Leafy greens like spinach and kale are rich in nitrates, which lower blood pressure and improve circulation. Include studies or data to support this.
Step 3: Use schema markup like FAQ schema or HowTo schema. Example:
FAQ: “What are the best heart-healthy foods?” Include structured data to help AI identify the main points.
Step 4: Include tables or visuals. Example: A simple table comparing the benefits of leafy greens vs. fatty fish for heart health.
Step 5: End with actionable insights: Example: “Include at least one serving of leafy greens and fatty fish weekly to improve heart health.”

GEO pitfalls to avoid
While you keep creating awesome content that the GEO can lap up, here are a few pointers to keep in mind:
Don't sacrifice quality for AI optimization.
Avoid keyword stuffing – only 5.4% of AI overviews contain exact query matches. Stuffing keywords doesn’t do much either for generative engines or SEO.
Not optimizing your content for common questions related to the topic. It may reduce your visibility in AI-generated results.
Not updating the links and data in your content. It reduces credibility, potentially reducing your chances of getting featured.
AI might not be able to read your content without proper schema markup – a set of code that helps search engines understand the content of a website.
Bonus section: Is SEO dead?
No. It’s the opposite.
The Surfer SEO study points out –
52% of sources mentioned in Google's AI overviews rank in the top 10 search results – which means traditional SEO ranking still matters significantly
For 69% of searches, domains featured in top 10 have higher average traffic than those cited in AI overviews, and 71% of the time, top 10 domains rank for more keywords
Rather than SEO being redundant, AIOs have created an additional opportunity for visibility while still relying heavily on traditional SEO signals to determine source credibility and relevance.
What's next for GEO and Google overviews?
AI is still evolving.
Google is training its AI to provide more accurate and organised results for complex, open-ended queries with multiple right answers. It is also testing ads in AIOs for select queries, connecting people to businesses right at the top.
However, AI overviews could significantly reduce website click-through rates and organic traffic as users get immediate answers without needing to visit source websites.
The best way to survive these continuous updates is to keep creating helpful, relatable content with enough contextual relevance. Remember: Creating audience-first content sustains all algorithm updates.
Interested in this topic? Reach out to Disha for more writing and her services via LinkedIn or check out her portfolio.
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