What are Google AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are summary answers generated with a Gemini model that Google shows at the top of the search results page. Alongside or inside the summary are links to the pages the information came from (citations). They don't appear on every search; Google mostly shows them for informational and multi-step questions.

#Why it matters

• The summary takes up a lot of space above the organic results. Even at position one, users may read the answer in the summary and not click, which can lower your click-through rate.
• Being cited in the summary is a separate visibility channel on top of your organic position.
• Sources come from Google's regular index, so the basic rule doesn't change: the page has to be crawlable, indexable and answer the question clearly. Googlebot access decides whether you can appear in AI Overviews; blocking Google-Extended doesn't affect it.

#Where you see it in SEOAsist

• The Tracked keywords table on Keywords has an AIO column: present means an AI Overview shows for that query but doesn't cite your site; cited means the overview cites your site.
• The AI Overview · present / cited card at the top totals this across tracked keywords.
• The data comes from the daily SERP check made through your DataForSEO connection.

Visibility in assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity is measured separately as AI visibility. More: Keywords.

#Example

The second row is an opportunity: there's an overview, but it doesn't cite you. Adding a short, clear size table to the page is worth a try.

#Common mistakes

• Thinking you must block Google-Extended to control AI Overviews (or the reverse).
• Blaming every click drop on rankings; an overview may have started appearing.
• Looking for special markup to get into the summary; there is no dedicated tag.