Google AI Overview is the first section we now see at the top of the SERP when performing certain searches. In this section, Google’s AI provides a direct, AI-generated answer to the query, along with links to reference websites from which it pulled the information. This addition of Google AI has introduced new challenges for brands, which we explore in the article linked at the beginning of this text, as well as how you can increase your chances of appearing in this section of Google.
One of those challenges is that website visibility in search results is reduced. On one hand, results appear lower in the SERP, and on the other, users no longer need to click on a page to get the answer. However, if you manage to be mentioned by Google’s AI as a reference source, you can gain much greater visibility. But how can you know if your website has been selected as one of those reference links that Google AI uses to generate its responses? In this article, we’ll help you find out.
What Types of Websites Typically Appear as Sources in Google AI Overview?
Although Google AI Overview leads to a decrease in web traffic by offering direct answers in the search results, it also increases the visibility of the websites it uses as sources, placing them above the rest of the search results. Specifically, they look like this:
In fact, Google has not provided any official information about how AI Overview selects its sources. However, a study conducted by SE Ranking in 2024 offers some interesting insights. For instance, it reveals that SEO-authoritative pages are predominant. The study shows that most websites cited by Google AI Overview rank within the organic top 10. That said, this doesn’t mean that lower-ranking pages in the SERP will never be mentioned by Google’s AI.
The tendency for Google AI to cite websites in the number one position is more common in certain sectors than others—such as food and beverage, finance, wellness and self-care, education, and technology.
The same study also found that websites appearing as featured snippets (rich snippets) have a higher chance of being cited as sources by Google AI. These two functionalities appear to be increasingly aligned, meaning that optimizing for one can directly benefit the other.
In conclusion, Google’s AI appears to favor large domains with strong authority, high organic visibility, and solid backlink profiles. Therefore, to appear as a source in Google AI Overview, a website needs to be an authority within its niche, produce high-quality content, maintain a robust backlink strategy, and cover a broad set of keywords organically. In this regard, emerging websites may face more challenges in gaining visibility in this section of Google. All of this leads us to conclude that organic SEO strategies remain highly relevant today.
Are There Tools to Track if a Website Appears in Google AI Overview?
Yes, fortunately, several keyword tracking tools have stepped up and developed features to help determine whether Google’s AI is choosing your site as a source when generating its content. Some of these tools include:
Ahrefs
In Ahrefs, you can enter your domain and see which keywords it ranks for in Google AI Overview results. Additionally, it allows you to track brand mentions within AI-generated summaries and see how the Artificial Intelligence compares your brand to your competitors.
SE Ranking
With SE Ranking, you can not only analyze your website’s presence in Google AI Overview but also assess your competitors’ presence and uncover the true intent behind the queries that trigger AI-generated overviews—helping you refine your SEO strategy.
Semrush
Semrush also allows you to identify the keywords for which Google AI has mentioned your brand and track how that presence evolves over time.
Free Alternatives to Paid Tools for Checking If Your Website Appears in Google AI Overview
If you don’t want to invest in paid tracking tools, you can also opt for manual tracking. While not as advanced, this method can still be useful for getting started with analyzing how Google’s AI perceives and displays your brand. It involves asking Google specific questions about your brand and your niche to detect whether you are being recognized and how you are positioned among its sources compared to your competitors.
Moreover, this manual analysis can be complemented with tracking tools, as it offers a more qualitative view of how the AI perceives your brand. Since queries that trigger Google AI Overview tend to lead to more zero-click behavior among users, understanding how your brand is presented may be more important than how often it’s cited as a source.
Below, we suggest a series of questions you can ask Google to see how its AI displays your brand. Before you begin, we recommend performing these queries in incognito mode to avoid personalized results influenced by your search history.
1. Does Your Brand Exist?
The most important thing is to determine whether your brand is visible to Google AI and whether it generates accurate information about it. You can ask questions like: “Why is [your brand] well known?” This will help you understand the image Google AI Overview presents of your brand to the public.
You can also ask industry-related questions such as: “What is the best brand for [insert market]?” If your brand doesn’t appear among the suggestions, it’s a sign that you need to improve your authority and web positioning.
2. How Are You Perceived Compared to Competitors?
“Is [your brand] better than [competitor]? What is the best alternative to [direct competitor]?” Asking questions like these and analyzing the AI’s responses will help you understand how the technology positions your brand within your sector—which may help or hinder your ability to attract clients.
3. How Do the Answers Vary?
We encourage you to repeat the same questions with subtle variations at different times of day to compare how the responses change, since Google generates fresh answers with each search.As SEO experts, at Pukkas we can help you improve your visibility in search engines—both in Google AI Overview and in traditional search listings. Get in touch with us if you want to boost your visibility in the SERP.
