While Google’s AI overviews aren’t entirely new – they’ve been showing up on SERPs for a few years now – Google is still refining exactly how they work, which means that SEO strategies are still evolving alongside them. The goal is no longer just about ranking on page one, although that is still important. It’s about being one of the trusted sources that Google’s AI algorithm chooses to reference in the overview.

But with the algorithm still adjusting, how do you optimize for ranking in the AI overview? The following tips can help you create an SEO strategy to rank in the AI overview and survive the evolving SEO landscape changes.

Tip #1: Answer the Question Immediately

This tip is actually beneficial both for AI algorithms and for human users. AI tends to prioritize content that gets straight to the point. For example, if someone searches for “How do AI Overviews work?” Google is looking for content that clearly and directly explains the answer right away, not a 300-word intro about the history of search engines before finally getting to the explanation.

Start your content with a concise answer in the first few sentences and then expand. Alternatively, you could include a summary or key takeaways at the top of your content. As long as the first thing is a clear answer to the question posed by the title, you can benefit both Google, because it’s easier for the algorithm to extract your response, and because it can help users know right away whether they’ve come to the right place.

Tip #2: Structure Content for Extraction

The above advice doesn’t just apply to the beginning of your content; it also applies throughout your content. Google’s AI overview doesn’t pull just from the top of a page, which means that each header and subheader offers another opportunity to ask a question and immediately answer it concisely.

Breaking up your content into sections makes it a lot easier for human readers to understand and find what they’re looking for. But it also makes it easier for AI to parse your content and pull it into an overview. For the same reason, bulleted lists and step-by-step instructions are also AI-friendly.

Tip #3: Write in a Clear, Neutral, Informational Tone

AI Overviews tend to pull from content that sounds factual and authoritative. That doesn’t mean your content has to be boring, but you do need to avoid aggressive sales language, clickbait headers, or overly promotional content. What the AI algorithm is looking for is trustworthiness, not marketing.

This style of writing actually makes you read more like an authority on your topic to readers as well. Most people don’t like to be sold to. And while clickbait titles do get traffic, they don’t help establish you as a trusted authority.

Tip #4: Build Topical Authority, Not Just One Page

Speaking of authority, the best way to be considered a trusted source is to demonstrate that authority consistently in all content about that topic, not just on one page.

Instead of publishing one blog post about a topic, build a content cluster:

• Core pillar page
• Supporting subtopics
• FAQs
• Related guides
• Comparison posts
• Etc.

The more depth and coverage you provide, the stronger your topical authority signals become. This also helps readers to trust your brand and associate it with useful content about topics they’re interested in.

Tip #5: Strengthen E-E-A-T Signals

EEAT has been a major part of SEO content strategy for a long time. It’s what Google uses to determine whether content is high-quality, and it’s been used to determine rankings for years. Although it shouldn’t be new to anyone familiar with the SEO space, it’s important to keep in mind because not only is it important for users, but it’s also something that AI uses to select which content it uses in its summaries.

Tip #6: Optimize for Conversational Queries

AI Overviews are often triggered by natural, question-based searches. People on mobile or using voice search frequently search in a more conversational tone. Long-tail keywords and headers phrased as questions are good ways to capture this kind of traffic. This strategy isn’t necessarily new, but it works for AI overviews as well.

Optimizing for AI Overviews Is Similar to Optimizing for Users

In many ways, optimizing for the AI overview is very similar to optimizing for users. High-quality, easily skimmable content that also answers the user’s question right away will keep users coming back to your content. At the same time, these are all things that Google’s algorithm looks for in putting together the AI overview. Overall, focusing on the best possible content and structuring it so that it’s easy to read and navigate will help make it ideal for both AI and for users.