Generative AI in Search: How AI Overviews Are Changing the Game

The way people search for information online is quickly evolving. With the rollout of AI Overviews (AIOs), the way users discover and engage with content has fundamentally changed. If your brand hasn’t started thinking about AIOs, now’s the time. These AI-generated summaries are reshaping how consumers search, absorb information and make decisions, creating both new challenges and big opportunities for businesses.

With more than 88% of AIO-triggered searches being informational, consumers are relying on AI to get a snapshot of your brand or products. This shift means the content in these summaries, along with the sources it originates from, can make or break your visibility. One of the biggest factors? Earned media. Mentions in trusted third-party publications are increasingly shaping how search engines perceive and present your brand.

So how do you show up in AI Overviews?

Brands must now think beyond traditional SEO. The new rules of visibility include the following:

• Credible thought leadership: Publishing expert perspectives in authoritative outlets not only builds trust in your brand but also helps “train” the AI model to associate your brand with specific areas of expertise.
• Optimized websites: Structured data, fast load times and strategic content such as FAQs and How-To guides make it easier for AI to understand and cite your site. 
• Consistent earned media presence: Press coverage, interviews and product reviews across a variety of credible sources all increase the chances of being included in AIOs. Earned media now plays a direct role in how your brand appears (or doesn’t) in search.

Along with this, AIOs pull from multimodal sources, such as videos, images and audio, making it vital for brands to diversify how they tell their story online. If your site lacks visual content, you could be missing out on a key visibility boost. 

In an environment where zero-click searches are becoming the norm, your brand’s first impression may happen before a user ever visits your site, and it may come from content you didn’t even create. That’s why earned media, thought leadership and technologically sound websites matter more than ever.

For communicators, marketers and brand strategists, AIOs represent both a risk and a remarkable opportunity. Done right, your content can surface at the exact moment a potential customer is seeking information. But if you’re not proactive, your competitors — or worse, inaccurate third-party summaries—may be telling your story for you.

Download the full presentation to learn how to optimize your content, elevate your thought leadership and earn coverage that drives AIO visibility.