How to Get Your Website Featured in Google’s AI Search

Let’s get something out of the way: there’s no magic switch to get your content into Google’s new AI Overviews. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless. In fact, if you’ve been doing SEO right, you’re already on the right path.

Google’s AI search experience (whether it’s Overviews, AI Mode, or whatever comes next) is just the next evolution of Search. And the playbook hasn’t changed much.

Good SEO Still Matters (Maybe More Than Ever)

There are no special tags or secret tricks to rank in AI Overviews. Google’s own documentation is clear: AI experiences rely on the same core ranking systems as regular search. That means:

• If your page ranks well in classic search, it can show up in AI Overviews
  
• If your site is crawlable, indexable and valuable, you’re in the running
  
• There’s no AI-specific schema or markup to worry about
  

In short, don’t chase gimmicks. Stick to the fundamentals.

Create Content That Deserves to Exist

This is the big one. Google wants to show content that’s actually helpful. Not “we rewrote the top 3 results and added AI fluff” helpful. Original insight, unique angles and people-first content win here.

Users are asking more specific, longer and layered questions. Your content should meet them where they are.

Think: “best high-protein snacks for teenage athletes with dairy allergies”, not “best protein snacks.”

So how do you stand out?

• Write like a real person, for a real person
  
• Include lived experience, case studies or first-hand knowledge
  
• Don’t regurgitate, you’re not ChatGPT
  

Make Sure Google Can Read It

This sounds basic, but if your content isn’t indexable, it won’t show up (AI or not). 

That means:

• Don’t block Googlebot in your robots.txt
  
• Make sure your page returns a 200 status
  
• Keep content accessible and avoid heavy JS rendering
  

Also, check that your page can generate a snippet. AI Overviews often rely on content that’s snippet-friendly.

You Can Say No (But Should You?)

If you don’t want your content to appear in AI-powered formats like Overviews, Google gives you tools to limit that visibility.

These are standard meta tags and HTML attributes you can add to your pages:

• nosnippet tells Google not to show any text snippet for your page in Search
  
• data-nosnippet blocks parts of your page from being shown as snippets
  
• max-snippet limits how much text Google can show in the snippet
  
• noindex tells Google not to index the page at all
  

These controls apply across all of Google Search, not just AI Overviews. So use them carefully. Blocking content from AI formats might also reduce visibility in regular search results.

UX Still Rules

Whether someone lands from AI or traditional results, they’re still landing on your site. Page experience matters.

Make sure your pages:

• Load fast
  
• Work on all devices
  
• Make it easy to find the main content (no pop-up hell)
  

Add Multimedia, but Make It Count

AI search is shifting toward multimodal results. That means your content isn’t just competing on words, it’s competing visually and across formats.

Use high-quality images, helpful diagrams or short videos that enhance the story. Don’t just throw in stock photos for decoration.

Also, expand beyond your site. Creating YouTube videos around key topics, joining relevant podcasts or having clips of your team discussing your area of expertise can help AI connect your brand across multiple platforms. The more quality signals and mentions your brand has out there, the more likely it is to show up in AI results.

Structured Data Is Still Helpful

Google doesn’t require AI-specific structured data, but it still uses standard schema to better understand your content. That can influence how your pages show up in both classic and AI-enhanced search.

Examples of helpful structured data:

• FAQPage or HowTo for instructional content
  
• Product and Offer for e-commerce pages
  
• Article, NewsArticle or BlogPosting for editorial content
  

Just make sure the information in the markup matches what’s actually visible on the page. No hidden tricks.

You can check Google’s structured data guidelines for details.

Keep Your Business Info Current

If you sell things or serve local customers, make sure your info is accurate not just on your site, but everywhere. This includes:

• Google Business Profile
  
• Google Merchant Center
  
• Directory listings like Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps and Yellow Pages
  
• Review sites, industry platforms and social profiles
  

Inaccurate or outdated info can hurt your credibility and limit how often you show up in local or product-related AI results.

AI Overviews Surface More Diverse Content

Unlike the usual “10 blue links,” AI Overviews often include a wider mix of sources. That doesn’t mean lower-quality pages sneak in. It means Google is trying to surface helpful answers from beyond just the top-ranking pages.

To be part of that mix, your brand needs strong content across multiple properties. That includes your website, blog, YouTube channel and any third-party sites that reference or quote your expertise. More quality content in more places gives AI more reasons to connect users to you.

The Bottom Line

AI search isn’t a side project. It’s where Google is going. You don’t need to reinvent your SEO strategy, but you do need to sharpen it. Focus on being genuinely useful, write for humans not algorithms, make your content easy to find and understand, and build a presence beyond just your homepage. The future of search belongs to brands that show up consistently and add real value.