AI Overview
Google's AI-generated summary boxes that appear at the top of search results, synthesizing information from multiple sources.
Definition
AI Overviews (formerly SGE - Search Generative Experience) are Google's AI-generated answer boxes that appear at the top of search results for certain queries. These summaries synthesize information from multiple web sources to provide comprehensive answers directly in the search results.
AI Overviews represent a significant shift in search behavior, as users may get answers without clicking through to websites. Google cites source pages within the overview, making it crucial for content to be selected as a citation source.
Why It Matters
AI Overviews are fundamentally changing SEO strategy. Ranking #1 matters less if an AI Overview appears above all organic results. The new goal is to be cited within these AI-generated summaries.
Brands must now optimize for both traditional ranking and AI citation to maintain search visibility as AI Overviews expand to more query types.
Examples in Practice
When a user searches "best project management tools for small teams," Google's AI Overview generates a summary comparing options, citing specific product pages and review sites as sources.
A health information query triggers an AI Overview that synthesizes information from medical journals, hospital websites, and health organizations, with source citations displayed.