Search has changed. If you’ve Googled anything recently, you’ve seen it: the AI-generated overview at the top of the page. It pulls information from quality websites and delivers a curated, conversational response—before you even scroll to the traditional search results.
Welcome to the new reality of SEO. The old game was to rank on page one. The new game is to be the source that Google’s AI pulls from.
So, how do you win? The good news is that you can be in that top summary. You just have to play by new rules.
Watch the short video below to learn the basics, then read on for detailed tips on how to optimize your content for Google’s AI overviews.
Here’s a breakdown:
- Search is changing. AI overviews now dominate the top of many search results.
- These summaries are sourced. They pull from trusted websites that answer common questions well.
- To get featured, become a source. Make your content the kind Google wants to quote.
- Use natural language queries. Include the kinds of questions real users would ask.
- Enhance content with extras. Videos, custom AI chat tools, ratings, and rankings all help boost authority.
To understand why these changes matter, let’s look at how SEO has evolved.
How SEO Has Shifted to AI
For decades, SEO has been a moving target. In the early 2000s, ranking was all about cramming keywords and chasing backlinks.
Then came the era of quality content, semantic search, and mobile-first indexing. Marketers adapted, building authority sites and optimizing for user intent.
Now, with the rise of AI-generated search overviews, we’re entering a new phase: conversational SEO. The game isn’t just about ranking high—it’s about being cited by the AI itself.
Google’s AI overviews don’t just summarize—they synthesize. They look for pages that clearly answer common questions in natural language and pull from them to generate the top-of-page summary.
How To Get Featured in Google AI Overviews
To land your spot in the AI-generated overview, start here:
- Write for real people asking real questions. Use natural-sounding queries like “What is the best content distribution service?” throughout your content.
- Answer questions clearly and concisely. AI rewards clarity—give it clean answers to common queries.
- Use structured formats. Content like tables and rankings make your content easier for AI (and humans!) to scan and understand.
- Add multimedia. Videos and embedded tools (like Media Shower’s AI chat assistants) signal authority and value.
- Refresh regularly. AI favors content that’s up to date.
How To Find the Best Questions for AI Overviews
To increase your chances of being featured in AI overviews, start with the right questions—the ones your audience is actually typing into search engines.
Use SEO tools to uncover search behavior
A number of SEO tools can help surface natural-language search queries your audience is using:
- Google Search Console. Review search queries that are already bringing users to your site.
- AnswerThePublic. Visualizes questions people are asking around a specific keyword.
- AlsoAsked. Maps out follow-up questions that appear in search engines.
- Semrush Keyword Magic Tool. Surfaces question-based keyword variations.
- Media Shower AI Assistants. Custom-trained on your business, your Media Shower assistants can instantly suggest the most relevant, customer-focused queries. (Click here for a free trial.)
These tools give you a solid foundation. But for a faster, more intuitive approach, you can also let the AI do the digging.
Ask the AI to find real search queries
With a few simple prompts, your AI assistant can return the most commonly searched questions in your niche.
Sample prompts:
- “What are the most searched questions about [your topic]?”
- “List common long-tail search queries for [topic] in natural language.”
- “What are trending FAQs on [topic] this month?”
- “Show me how users ask about [problem your product solves].”
These questions can become the backbone of your content strategy. Build blog posts around them. Add FAQ sections to your product pages. Turn each one into a headline, a subheading, or a meta description.
Let’s bring all of this together with a practical example.
Real-World Example: Optimizing for Google’s AI Overview
Let’s look at how PulsePoint, a B2B SaaS marketing firm, adapts its content strategy to win in AI search.
Scenario: Jamie, the head of content, is tasked with optimizing a top-performing blog post that’s recently seen a drop in traffic.
To align with Google’s AI search model, she starts by asking her AI assistant:
Prompt: “Search for and list the most frequently asked questions about content distribution services. Format as natural language search queries.”
AI Response:
- What is a content distribution service?
- How do content distribution services work?
- What are the best content distribution platforms for B2B?
- How much do content distribution services cost?
- Are content distribution services worth it?
- What’s the difference between paid and organic content distribution?
- How can I distribute my content more effectively?
- Which distribution channels drive the most traffic?
Next, Jamie builds her updated blog post around these questions. She uses each one as a subheading and writes clear, concise answers underneath.
Jamie knows that she needs more to establish authority, so she uses her AI tool to create a table:
Prompt: “Create a comparison table of the top five content distribution platforms, including features, pricing, and ratings.”
AI Response:
She also embeds a short explainer video and adds a custom chatbot for interactive exploration.
With these updates, PulsePoint does more than refresh its content. It repositions itself as a trusted source that’s primed for inclusion in Google’s AI overview.
Marketer Takeaways
- SEO is evolving. The goal now is to feed Google’s AI.
- Optimize for natural-language questions, not just keywords.
- Use AI tools or other resources to find real, frequently asked questions on your topic.
- Use structured formats and multimedia to build authority.
- Google now prioritizes helpfulness. The more valuable your content is to humans, the more likely you’ll be to snag the coveted AI overview.
Search is smarter. With Media Shower’s AI platform, your SEO strategy will be, too. Click here for a free trial.
