Google's AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience) are now appearing for a significantly broader range of search queries following a quiet but substantial expansion in February 2025. While initially limited to complex, multi-part questions, AI Overviews are increasingly appearing for informational queries that would traditionally drive substantial organic traffic.

What Are AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google search results for certain queries. They pull information from multiple sources across the web and present a synthesised answer with citations. The goal, according to Google, is to help users "get the gist" before diving deeper into individual links.

What's Changed in the February 2025 Expansion?

Based on our tracking and community reports, AI Overviews are now appearing more frequently for:

  • Definition and "what is" queries (e.g., "what is a backlink")
  • How-to queries with clear procedural answers
  • Comparison queries (e.g., "Ahrefs vs SEMrush")
  • Some local queries in certain regions
  • Product research and review queries in select categories

Impact on Organic Traffic

The traffic impact of AI Overviews is nuanced. Early data suggests:

  • Queries where AI Overviews appear see reduced click-through rates for position 1–3 organic results by an estimated 20–30%.
  • Sites cited in AI Overviews often see a modest traffic boost from the citation link.
  • Transactional and navigational queries are largely unaffected so far.
Key finding: Being cited in AI Overviews — rather than just ranking below them — is the new goal for informational SEO. Positioning your content as a primary source is now more important than ever.

How to Adapt Your SEO Strategy

1. Write for Citation, Not Just Ranking

AI Overviews tend to cite pages with clear, authoritative, structured answers. Write content that directly and succinctly answers the core query at the beginning of the page, then provides depth and detail for readers who want to go further.

2. Use Structured Data

FAQ schema, HowTo schema, and Article schema help Google understand your content's structure and may increase the likelihood of being cited in AI Overviews.

3. Build E-E-A-T Signals

AI Overviews appear to prefer citing content from sources with strong E-E-A-T signals — clear authorship, demonstrated expertise, and a track record of accurate information. Invest in author credibility.

4. Focus on Unique Insights

Generic content that rehashes common knowledge is rarely cited. Original data, expert perspectives, and unique angles give Google reason to choose your content over the dozens of similar pages covering the same topic.

The Bigger Picture

AI Overviews represent a fundamental shift in how Google serves search results. The SEOs who thrive in this environment will be those who create genuinely authoritative, useful content — not those chasing keyword density or backlink volume. The future of SEO is about becoming a cited source, not just a ranked result.

Action item: Audit your top informational pages. Do they directly answer the core question within the first 100 words? Is the author clearly identified with relevant credentials? These two factors appear most correlated with AI Overview citation.