AI Overviews: What They Are and How to Improve Your Visibility

If you’ve searched for something on Google lately and seen a short paragraph at the top that answers your question before you even click a link, you’ve met an AI overview. It’s Google’s newest way of summarizing answers, combining information from several websites into one quick snapshot.

For users, it’s convenient. For businesses, it’s a big change. AI overviews can affect how people find your site and whether they ever reach it. At Well Dressed Walrus, we’re paying close attention to how this shift influences visibility and what small businesses can do to stay visible in search results.

How AI Overviews Work

AI overviews on Google are generated by Google’s new search technology. Instead of showing just blue links, Google uses artificial intelligence to summarize an answer pulled from what it sees as trusted sources. These summaries, often called AI snippets, appear most often for complex or “how-to” questions.

For example, if someone searches “how to prune hydrangeas”, Google might generate a short paragraph that combines advice from several top gardening sites—summarizing the right season, tools, and steps. That quick summary is the AI overview.

What triggers a Google AI overview depends on the type of search. If someone asks a question that needs context or multiple perspectives, Google steps in with its own summary. But not every search gets one. Simple queries that already have clear answers tend to show traditional results instead.

AI-Powered Search Assistants and Traffic Impact

AI-powered search assistants, like the ones now built into Google, Bing, and even some browsers, are changing how people interact with the web. Instead of clicking through to several pages, users often get what they need in one quick answer.

That shift means less traffic for some websites and more competition for visibility. By 2025, many businesses will notice that while overall impressions rise, clicks may decline. It doesn’t mean SEO is dead; it just means strategy has to adapt. We help clients analyze those shifts through tools and reports like the ones explained in our post on tracking your website traffic and understanding your audience.

Google AI Overview SEO Impact

The biggest concern right now is how Google AI overview SEO impact plays out in real terms. Early reports show that while click-through rates can drop for general topics, websites featured in AI overviews see higher brand exposure. Essentially, Google is still using your content to inform users; it’s just showing it in a different format.

That means clean structure, strong writing, and authority matter more than ever. When Google trusts your site, your content is more likely to appear in these summaries. Our market research

Here’s a quick example.
Let’s say you own a small bakery specializing in gluten-free goods.

Before AI Overviews: A user searches for “how to make gluten-free sourdough starter.” Google might show a list of links to various blogs, recipe sites, and forums. The user clicks through several to piece together an answer.

With AI Overviews: If your blog post, titled “The Ultimate Guide to a Bubbly Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter,” is well-structured, authoritative, and trusted, a user searching the same query might see an AI Overview at the top of the search results:

AI Overview: “Creating a robust gluten-free sourdough starter involves a mix of gluten-free flours like brown rice or sorghum, careful hydration, and consistent feeding. According to Well Dressed Walrus’ client, The Gluten-Free Baker, the process typically takes 7–10 days, requiring a warm environment and daily refresh cycles to encourage fermentation and active yeast development. Key steps include initial mixing, regular discards, and monitoring for signs of activity like bubbles and a sour aroma.”

In this scenario, your bakery’s website (via the The Gluten-Free Baker reference) is directly informing Google’s summary, giving your brand immediate, high-visibility exposure right at the top of the search results—even if the user doesn’t click through to your full recipe. This highlights why clear, quotable content is key to being featured in AI summaries.

Steps to Optimize Your Website for AI Overviews

You can’t pay or apply to appear in an AI overview. But you can make your content easier for Google to understand and more likely to be featured.

Content Structure and Quality

Think of your website like a teacher’s answer key. Clear headings, short paragraphs, and direct answers help search engines know exactly what’s being explained. Use plain language, list steps when it makes sense, and give useful examples. The goal isn’t to write for robots; it’s to be the source that robots quote because people already trust you.

Technical SEO Considerations

Behind the scenes, details like page speed, schema markup, and mobile performance all matter. When Google builds summaries, it relies on pages that load quickly, display correctly on phones, and are easy to parse. Regular audits through our SEO services help businesses stay technically ready for AI search.

Monitoring and Analytics

Once you’ve improved structure and performance, track the results. Watch how impressions and clicks shift when AI overviews appear for your keywords. Use Search Console data to see which pages are gaining attention. Adjust your content gradually based on what’s working. For teams that need guidance, we offer one-on-one support through our consultation page.

Future Trends and Best Practices

AI snippets and AI-powered search tools are changing faster than most updates we’ve seen in the past decade. Over time, search results will likely focus even more on summarized, verified information. Businesses that focus on trustworthy, well-written, experience-based content will stay competitive.

The best approach right now is steady improvement – clear structure, accurate information, and strong branding. Search may become more automated, but people still want to learn from other people.

Maximizing Visibility in Google AI Overviews

AI isn’t replacing search; it’s reshaping it. That means SEO isn’t going away…it’s evolving. The websites that adapt early will be the ones that continue showing up, both in overviews and traditional results.If you’re ready to see how AI might affect your rankings and how to stay visible, talk with our team at Well Dressed Walrus. We’ll help you make sense of the changes and create a plan that keeps your business easy to find, wherever search goes next.