Google’s AI Overviews are one of the biggest changes to search in 2025. Instead of showing only traditional links, Google now gives users a short AI-generated summary right at the top of the results page.
For small businesses, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. If your content is chosen as part of an AI Overview, you can reach new audiences and build trust quickly. The key is to make your content clear, reliable, and easy for Google to understand.
Here is how to optimise for AI Overviews.
Write in clear and concise language
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AI is designed to summarise information. That means it prefers content that gets straight to the point.
Tip: Answer customer questions directly. For example, instead of writing a long paragraph about your service, start with one clear sentence that explains it, then expand with more detail.
Use subheadings that match common questions
Breaking up your content with headings makes it easier for both people and search engines to scan. If you phrase your headings as questions, you have a better chance of matching what people type into Google.
Example:
- “What is the best time to prune roses?”
- “How long does it take to bake sourdough bread?”
Stick to a few words, focus on the product or category name, and avoid unnecessary words like “the” or “and”.
Structure content in useful formats
AI Overviews often pull from content that is easy to scan. This includes:
- FAQs
- Numbered lists
- Bullet points
- Tables
If you can turn your information into one of these formats, you increase the chance of being included.
Add schema markup
Schema is a bit of extra code that helps Google understand your content. For example, FAQ schema tells Google that a section of your page contains questions and answers.
You do not need to learn code to use schema. Many website platforms and plugins make it simple to add.
Check who is already being cited
One of the best ways to learn is to see what works. Search a common question in your industry and look at the AI Overview. Which sites are being used? How do they present their answers?
Use this as inspiration for how you could improve your own content.
Final thoughts
Optimising for AI Overviews is about making your content clear, structured, and trustworthy. The businesses that win visibility are the ones that provide direct answers and present them in ways that both people and search engines can use.
In the next post in this series, we will explore how to build authority so that Google sees your business as a reliable source to include in AI-powered results.
