Study Reveals How to Rank in Google’s AI Overviews

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google’s search results. They pull information from multiple sources to answer a user’s query directly, with source links shown alongside.

Instead of listing blue links like traditional SERPs, AIOs give a conversational answer on the left and display cited sources on the right. For publishers, getting featured here means unmatched visibility even if your page isn’t in the top 10 results.

Why Ranking in AI Overviews Matters

If your page is cited in an AI Overview, it’s the first thing users see above organic links, videos, and even featured snippets.

According to Surfer SEO and Ahrefs:

  • 52% of AIO citations come from the top 10 search results.
  • That means nearly half of citations are from outside the first page.

Translation? Even if you’re not ranking #1, you can still earn visibility at the very top.

What We Studied

To understand how publishers are getting cited in AIOs, we analyzed:

  • Ahrefs’ study of 300,000 keywords
  • Surfer SEO’s analysis of 405,000 AI Overview results
  • SE Ranking’s research on 100,000 keywords post-AIO rollout

We also included findings from our own optimization work with publisher clients.

11 Ways to Boost Your Chances of Getting Cited in AI Overviews

1. Add More Context to Your Articles

Google favors content that gives direct, well-structured answers in plain English. Only 5.4% of AIOs use exact-match keyword, meaning context matters more than phrasing.

What to do:

  • Answer queries fully and clearly, especially for informational topics.
  • Use Ahrefs to identify AIO-triggering keywords and build complete answers around them.
  • Supplement with questions from Google Autocomplete and People Also Ask.

2. Use Long-Tail Keywords

AI Overviews tend to show up for longer, specific queries not broad ones. Ahrefs found that AIOs trigger most often on 3–4 word phrases, like:

“can dogs eat cinnamon”
“best time to visit Iceland”

How to find them:

  • Explore “Questions” in keyword tools like AnswerThePublic.
  • Use Google’s Autocomplete suggestions for natural-sounding phrases.

3. Add Structured Markup (Schema)

Schema markup helps Google understand your page layout, topic, and context all of which are critical for AI systems.

 Recommended Schema:

  • FAQ schema → for question-answer content
  • Article schema → for blog posts
  • Breadcrumb schema → for clearer site structure

Implementing these can increase your chances of being cited or linked within an AIO.

4. Strengthen Your On-Page SEO

Strong traditional SEO still plays a role 52% of AI Overview sources come from pages ranked in the top 10.

Tips:

  • Use relevant keywords in H2s and subheadings
  • Write compelling meta descriptions
  • Align content with E-E-A-T best practices

5. Prioritize Low-Difficulty Keywords

Most AIO-triggering keywords have surprisingly low competition. Ahrefs puts their average keyword difficulty at just 12.

Strategy:

  • Use filters in Ahrefs or SEMrush to find informational queries with KD < 20.
  • These keywords may not bring massive traffic alone but they’re much easier to win.

6. Build Brand Credibility

AI Overviews tend to favor domains that are already trusted. If your brand has low visibility or authority, your chances drop.

We’ve seen strong results from:

  • Brands mentioned in major publications
  • Authors with real-world authority or credentials
  • Consistent positive presence across Reddit, Quora, and forums

Action Steps:

  • Invest in digital PR (not just link-building).
  • Monitor your brand mentions and sentiment across platforms.

7. Optimize for Mobile SEO

AIO visibility is mobile-first 81% of citations are from mobile-indexed pages.

Key mobile optimizations:

  • Responsive design that adjusts across screen sizes
  • Fast load times (use PageSpeed Insights)
  • Clean, scannable layouts with minimal clutter

8. Use Scannable Formatting

AI models prefer content that’s structured in a way machines and humans can parse quickly.

What works best:

  • Bulleted lists and numbered steps
  • Short paragraphs (2–3 lines max)
  • Clear H2s and H3s that match search intent
  • Visuals to break up long text (charts, screenshots, etc.)

9. Prioritize Simplicity

AI doesn’t reward complicated writing. The clearer your copy, the higher your chance of being cited.

Tip:

  • Use Hemingway or Grammarly to edit for clarity.
  • Aim for an 8th-grade reading level or below especially on info-first topics.

10. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Authoritative links still influence whether your content is trusted and whether it’s selected for citation.

Tactics:

  • Run guest post campaigns targeting niche sites with real audiences.
  • Use link-building tools to find broken link opportunities in your niche.
  • Build deep links to specific content pages not just your homepage.

11. Keep Content Fresh and Updated

Google favors up-to-date information, especially for topics that evolve.

Maintain content relevance by:

  • Adding the current year to titles (when appropriate)
  • Refreshing stats, screenshots, and references every 3–6 months
  • Republishing with updated publish dates when relevant

Do AI Overviews Affect Traditional SEO?

Yes. AIOs shift the SEO game from ranking to citation. You might still rank #1 and get less traffic if the Overview pulls an answer from somewhere else. On the flip side, even if you rank #8, you might be the only source linked in the AIO and your traffic jumps.

Need Help Optimizing for AI Overviews?

Ranking in Google’s AI Overviews isn’t about tricking algorithms, it’s about making your content easy to cite, scan, and trust. At MagicBid, we work with publishers to structure, simplify, and optimize content so it performs in both traditional SERPs and AI-powered results.

You can reach out to us at support@magicbid.ai for a quick review of your site’s AI visibility potential or to get help implementing these strategies.

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