8 Steps To Rank in Google AI Overviews

Our research of 405,576 searches showed that Google AI Overviews (AIOs) appear in roughly 47% of all Google searches, with the number being as high as 70% for informational queries. It's clear that Google is betting on AI, so you need to go beyond traditional search results and optimize for AI-powered engines, as well.

How does Google select sources for AI overviews?

Google uses a process called retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to create AIOs for the given queries. Here's a quick run-through of how it works:

1. The algorithm retrieves candidate pages and ranks them semantically
2. Large language models (LLMs) organize and prepare the response
3. Google's generative AI writes the response and cites its sources

How does query fan-out work?

Query fan-out breaks a single query into multiple sub-queries to cover as much related information as possible. It helps search engines understand the query on a deeper level and gather enough context for a comprehensive response.

For example, if I Google "What is the best CRM for small businesses," the algorithm might research stuff like:

• The pricing of popular CRM platforms
• Specific features tailored to small businesses
• Key considerations when choosing a CRM

Our query fan-out research showed that most queries trigger up to around five fan-outs. More importantly, we saw that a page's chances of being cited increase by 161% if it ranks for at least one of those fan-outs on top of the main query.

Where do citations actually come from?

For better or worse, citations don't necessarily come from SEO-friendly sites. Our AI citations study showed that YouTube (23.3%), Wikipedia (18.4%), and Google.com (~16.4%) account for around 58.1% of all AIO sources.

AIOs also rely heavily on forums and social media platforms, most notably:

• Reddit
• LinkedIn
• Quora
• Facebook
• Instagram

1. Use query fan-outs for deep topical authority

Topical authority showed up as a concept way before AI, but it's more relevant than ever. Due to query fan-out, sites with comprehensive coverage of a topic are much more likely to rank for multiple queries and get cited by AIOs.

The best way to cast a wide net with your content is through topic clusters. For example, if your main page is about cloud storage solutions, it can cover some general information but be supported by dedicated cluster pages, each covering a topic like:

• Types of storage
• Cost comparisons
• Security best practices
• Migration tips

2. Write direct, self-contained answers

Google's AI evaluates individual passages on a page to see if they can stand alone as a useful answer. This is known as passage-level extraction, and it gave birth to the concept of an "answer capsule"—a short, precise answer to a query that does not depend on the surrounding content.

3. Target long-tail, informational queries

AIOs overwhelmingly favor informational, question-based queries. Specifically, you're looking for queries with 5–7 words on average.

4. Include facts and stats on your pages

We saw that cited pages contained 38% more key facts on average than non-cited pages. Pages with 10+ key facts were cited at more than double the rate of pages with fewer than 5.

5. Structure content for AI extraction

AI engines love well-structured formatting, and AIOs are no different. Research showed that 78% AIOs contain lists. Write short, scannable paragraphs and use bullet points, numbered lists, and visual hierarchy to organize information.

6. Add schema markup

Schema markup helps you climb traditional rankings and indirectly boosts your chances of being cited in AIOs. This is especially the case with types of schema that can impact general AI visibility.

7. Build brand mentions across the web

A major shift from SEO to any AI optimization strategy is the focus on mentions over backlinks. Strong off-page signals and branded web mentions show the strongest correlation with AI Overview visibility.

8. Continue SEO best practices

Google Search Central has explicitly stated that there are "no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews" beyond following standard Google Search Essentials. Maintain strong on-page SEO signals to ensure pages are properly indexed and accessible to search engines.

How to track AI Overviews

AIO visibility is a new visibility layer, so monitoring often requires dedicated tools. An easy way to track your AIO visibility is to Google your target query and see if an AIO shows up. You can also use a dedicated tracking tool like Surfer AI tracker to monitor your visibility.

Turn these tactics into AIO visibility

AI Overviews appear for plenty of queries, so there's a lot you can do to optimize for the most relevant ones. Here's a quick refresher alongside the concrete steps you should take: