What are AI Overviews and AI Mode?
AI Overviews are the AI-written summaries that appear above the usual results for many Google searches, with links to the pages they draw from. AI Mode is a separate, chat-like search experience where you can ask follow-up questions. Both are built on Gemini and both pull from Google's search index.
Their reach is large. In July 2025 Sundar Pichai said AI Overviews had more than 2 billion monthly users across over 200 countries and territories and 40 languages.
How do AI Overviews change clicks?
Pew Research tracked the browsing of 900 US adults in March 2025. When a search showed an AI summary, people clicked a traditional result 8 percent of the time, compared with 15 percent when there was no summary. Only about 1 percent of visits included a click on a link inside the summary itself, and people were more likely to end their browsing session altogether.
Two conclusions follow. If your page ranks well but isn't cited in the overview, you may get less traffic than you used to for the same position. And if it is cited, your brand gets seen by people who might never have clicked, which is why brand visibility inside the answer is now worth measuring in its own right.
What does Google say it takes to appear?
Google's guidance on AI features is short. There are no extra requirements: a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown with a snippet. You don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special schema. Google recommends the same basics as for regular search:
- Let Googlebot crawl the page, and make sure your CDN or host isn't blocking it.
- Make content easy to find through internal links.
- Offer a good page experience on desktop and mobile.
- Put important content in text, not only in images or scripts.
- Support text with good images and video where they help.
- Keep Merchant Center and Business Profile information up to date if you have them.
Practical steps to make your pages easy to cite
- 1Check you're eligible for a snippet
A nosnippet tag or a very short max-snippet setting can keep a page out of AI Overviews. So can noindex. Check templates for leftovers from old experiments.
- 2Answer the question early
Put a direct two- or three-sentence answer near the top, then the detail. Summaries tend to lift specific, self-contained passages. Our guide on writing content AI assistants quote shows how.
- 3Be specific
Numbers, names, prices, steps and comparisons give an overview something concrete to use. Vague introductions don't.
- 4Cover the follow-up questions
AI Mode encourages follow-ups. Pages that answer the next obvious question, in clear sections with question-style headings, have more chances to be used.
- 5Build authority beyond your site
Overviews cite sources Google already trusts on a topic. Mentions in reviews, roundups and industry press help, as our piece on brand mentions vs backlinks explains.
Can you keep content out of AI Overviews?
Yes, with the same controls as regular snippets: nosnippet, data-nosnippet on specific sections, max-snippet or noindex. Be aware that these also limit how the page appears in normal results. Google-Extended is a separate control that covers use of your content for Gemini training and grounding in other Google products, not Search's AI features.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my website into Google AI Overviews?
Make sure the page is indexed and eligible to show a snippet, that its key content is in crawlable text, and that it answers specific questions clearly. Google says no special optimization or markup is needed.
Do I need schema markup for AI Overviews?
No. Google says no special structured data is required. If you use structured data, keep it consistent with the visible page.
Do AI Overviews reduce website traffic?
They can. In Pew Research's 2025 study, people clicked a regular result 8% of the time when an AI summary appeared, against 15% without one.
How can I tell if my site appears in AI Overviews?
Search Console doesn't separate AI Overview traffic; it's counted under Web search. You can check the queries yourself or use an AI visibility tool that tracks which brands and pages are cited.
Does blocking Google-Extended remove me from AI Overviews?
No. Google-Extended controls use of content for Gemini training and grounding in other products. Search's AI features follow normal Search controls like nosnippet and noindex.