Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) are AI-generated summaries displayed at the top of search results. They include links used to generate the summary and a separate panel for additional sources.
Their purpose is to surface information faster and easier, so readers don’t need to click through multiple results. While AIOs can promote “zero-click content” by directly answering queries—potentially reducing clicks to your site—their overall prevalence is not extremely high (only 17 million out of 2.2 billion US keywords rank for AI Overviews).
Still, they present a major opportunity for brands to gain traffic, visibility, and business. A study revealed that 40% of AIO sources rank beyond the top 10 search results, specifically in positions 11 to 20. AIOs can also drive more qualified traffic, since users who click through after reading a summary are often more engaged and further along in the buying process.
Here’s our playbook to help you rank in AI Overviews:
Step 1: Target Longtail Keywords
AI Overviews primarily appear for longtail keywords, which contain four words on median average, compared to two words for standard searches. This makes sense, as AIOs are designed to answer user questions, making AIO keywords more discursive.
How to find them:Â Start with a seed keyword (e.g., “Ozempic”) in Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer. Expand it using the “matching terms report” and search for question-related keyword modifiers like “how,” “when,” or “who.” You can automate this by clicking “presets” and selecting “questions.” Then, select “AI overviews” under the SER features filter and set the word count to four words to find relevant longtail keywords that trigger AIOs.
Step 2: Target Keywords with a Low Keyword Difficulty
Data shows that 71% of AIO keywords have a keyword difficulty (KD) score below 30, with a median average of 12—much lower than the 33 KD for non-AI results. This means you’ll typically need fewer backlinks to rank for AIO keywords (around 13 unique referring domains compared to 41 for non-AI keywords).
How to leverage this: Use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to uncover your competitors’ low-hanging fruit keywords. Enter their domain, go to the “organic keywords report,” switch on the “AI overview” SER feature, and apply a maximum keyword difficulty filter, for example, 30.
Step 3: Match Informational Search Intent
At the time of the study, 99.2% of AIO keywords were informational. This shows that AI Overviews are generated when users are seeking explanations or guidance, not direct purchases. Commercial and transactional keywords were less than 10% of all AIO SERs analyzed, though this may evolve as ads appear.
How to find them:Â Enter a broad keyword in Keywords Explorer, go to the “matching terms report,” and switch to the “AI overviews” SER filter. Set the intent filter to “informational,” and optionally exclude branded and local intents to refine your list.
Step 4: Optimize for Featured Snippets and People Also Ask Features
Analysis of 18 SER features revealed that AI Overviews trigger three SER features on average, with “People Also Ask” (PAA) and “Featured Snippets” being the most common. PAA boxes make sense given AIOs’ question-answering function. Featured snippets appear in over half of queries and are closely tied to AIO SERs, though snippets often prioritize exact-match phrasing, while AIOs are more intent-driven.
How to optimize:Â Return to the “matching terms report” in Keywords Explorer for your target keyword. Switch to “questions” and, from the SER features dropdown, select “featured snippet,” “AI overviews,” and “people also ask” to find keywords that trigger all three.
Step 5: Improve Your Brand’s Presence
AI Overviews gather data from across the web, so your brand could be included in sources you don’t control. The more visibility your brand has, the higher the chance of being cited in AIOs.
How to monitor: Use Ahrefs’ Brand Radar tool. After selecting your country, click “filter dataset.” Define a scope (e.g., “running shoes”) and search for brand mentions (e.g., “Nike”). You can click “suggest more” to auto-populate similar brands. Filter to view only references in AI Overviews, or keep the filter broad to monitor visibility beyond AIO SERs. The tool provides an interactive chart showing your brand’s AI search visibility against competitors, key topics you’re mentioned in, and what other sites say about your brand.
Step 6: Find AI Visibility Gaps and Fill Them
An AI visibility gap occurs when a competitor ranks in an AI Overview, but your brand does not.
How to find them:Â In Brand Radar, select a broad category and add competitors. Scroll down to the results table and look for AI Overviews that mention your competitors but not your brand.
What to do next:Â Once identified, study the context of these mentions and create content to target those gaps, or reach out to those sources to encourage inclusion of your brand.
Final Thoughts
This six-step strategy, based on a 300,000 keyword study, can help your brand capture more visibility in AI Overviews and reach millions of users worldwide.