AI Overviews are a feature in Google search that uses generative AI (GenAI) to deliver short summaries of topics alongside links to relevant web content in response to certain search queries.
Appearing in a shaded box at or near the top of the Google search engine results page (SERP), these AI-powered answers aim to give users a quick overview of topics that, according to the company, would typically require multiple queries to flesh out. For example, unlike Google's featured snippets, which pull limited information from a single webpage to answer a specific query, AI Overviews combine data from multiple sources to offer a more comprehensive summary and direct links to more details.
How are AI Overviews displayed?
Overviews typically appear at the top of the search results, below paid listings and above organic search results. They can be expanded to reveal more details, including bulleted lists and images.
Google began rolling out AI Overviews for users in the U.S. on May 14, 2024. In its announcement of the new search features, Google revealed that AI Overviews will appear in search results when its systems identify that generative responses could be particularly useful, such as when users need quick answers and information from various sources, including the web and Google's Knowledge Graph, which is an informational database that Google uses to provide factual information in search results pages.
AI Overviews are currently available to users in more than 100 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK. AI Overviews are also available in many supported languages, including English, Hindi, Indonesian, Spanish and Portuguese.
To access AI Overviews, users must be logged in from a supported device with the latest Google search app or Google Chrome browser.
AI Overviews and SGE vs. traditional Google search
AI Overviews evolved from Search Generative Experience (SGE), a testing phase parent company Alphabet introduced in May 2023 as the latest advancement in its flagship product. Since Google's search engine was launched in 1998, it has largely been powered by a process where a web crawler visits websites to collect and index information. The indexed content is ranked by Google search engine algorithms, which are constantly evolving to help provide the most relevant information to users.
AI Overviews, in distinction, use a large language model (LLM) called Pathways Language Model 2 (Palm 2) to handle search queries and generate content. Palm 2 is trained on a large body of data and is a transformer neural network, also referred to as a transformer. The transformer model lets AI infer results and make suggestions to help improve user search results. The intent isn't to replace results from the existing Google index, but rather to supplement them.
Google isn't alone in integrating GenAI alongside search. Microsoft also experimented with the technology by integrating capabilities from ChatGPT vendor OpenAI into Microsoft Bing search. Known as Bing Deep Search, this GenAI feature was announced in December 2023, launched in February 2024 and was then briefly paused for testing purposes. In March 2024, Microsoft made the tool available to all users. The tool uses Bing's index to provide users with optimal AI-powered search results while applying the capabilities of GPT-4, the fourth iteration of OpenAI's Generative Pre-trained Transformer.
What do AI Overviews look like?
AI Overviews are presented similarly to any other Google search query, where a user types in a question or a set of terms for which they're seeking information.
With the traditional Google search engine, query results are returned to the user in an ordered approach based on Google's PageRank algorithms and might also be supplemented with sponsored search results.
With AI Overviews, a user query is also routed through the Palm LLM, which generates an AI-powered snapshot of key information relevant to the user's direct query. It also suggests the next steps and other directly related topics and questions that are commonly associated with the initial query the user first executed.
In the SGE testing phase of GenAI-enabled search, summaries included a conversational mode that was activated when users clicked on one of the suggested next steps. That function was removed from AI Overviews, meaning users can't engage with the summaries as they would with ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Users can go to Google's experimental version of its search engine, known as Search Labs, to see what new projects the company is working on. Participants must sign up to try new features.
Features of AI Overviews
The following are features of AI Overviews:
- Prominent display. As noted earlier, AI Overviews are typically placed at the top of the Google SERP, similar to knowledge panels. This prominent placement enables users to quickly access the information they need without having to scroll through multiple links.
- Link cards. Each AI Overview includes link cards that direct users to relevant webpages for more detailed information. These cards typically include the title of the source, a brief description and a link to make it easy for users to navigate to the original content.
- Concise summaries. The overviews present concise, AI-generated summaries that synthesize information from various sources so users can quickly absorb the core concepts of the topic. The summaries are generated through various sources, including Google's knowledge graph and other web content.
- Multistep reasoning. AI Overviews can tackle intricate search queries by connecting related information, offering more specific and nuanced results. For instance, searching for "affordable dog-friendly hotels near Yosemite National Park" could yield a list of hotels with details on pet fees, proximity to park entrances and available amenities.
- Dynamic elements. While AI Overviews vary based on the query and context, they can sometimes feature in-text links, source displays or interactive elements such as sliders and charts. They can also display real-time information, including stock prices, weather updates or live sports scores.
- Planning and idea generation. AI Overviews can assist with planning and idea generation by curating relevant information and resources. They can help users brainstorm, organize their thoughts and kickstart projects. For example, instead of just answering basic queries, AI Overviews can provide a detailed itinerary for a weekend trip to a specific city, including recommendations for accommodations, dining and activities.
Benefits of AI Overviews
AI Overviews offer several advantages that can enhance the search and user experience and provide valuable insights for content marketing, including the following:
- Provides quick access to relevant information. AI Overviews help users quickly grasp complex topics by offering concise, AI-generated summaries. Rather than sifting through multiple links, users can access synthesized information from sources such as Google Knowledge Graph and other relevant web content. This well-rounded view enables users to understand various perspectives and provides links to supporting resources for further exploration.
- Enhances online visibility. AI Overviews can help businesses boost visibility if their content gets featured in the summaries. It also presents opportunities for SEO and engagement for high-quality content, as websites that provide high-quality and relevant information are more likely to be included in the AI Overviews.
- Improves navigation. With features such as in-text links, rich media, source displays and interactive elements, users can easily explore related content and expand and dive deeper into their areas of interest.
- Reduces information overload. AI Overviews help mitigate information overload by summarizing key points, enabling users to focus on the most relevant information without feeling overwhelmed.
- Enhances user engagement. By presenting information in a clear and concise format, AI Overviews increase user engagement. Users are more likely to click on the provided links to explore further, as the summaries help them quickly identify relevant content.
How AI Overviews can negatively affect users
While AI Overviews offer many benefits, they can also have some negative effects on users.
The following are key challenges that users might face with AI Overviews:
- Reflects inaccurate or biased information. Although Google is continuously refining its AI models, AI Overviews can still reflect biases or inaccuracies, as they're generated based on the data and algorithms on which they're trained. If the underlying data contains biases or errors, those issues can be reflected in the AI-generated summaries, potentially leading to incomplete or misleading information. This can negatively affect the users' decision-making or their understanding of complex topics.
- Reduces website traffic. By providing concise summaries directly in the search results, AI Overviews can potentially reduce users' need to click through to websites. This could reduce website search traffic for some businesses, potentially harming their online visibility and revenue.
- Lacks context and nuance. While the condensed format of AI Overviews is helpful for synthesizing information in one place, it might not always capture the full context and nuance of a topic. Users can miss important details or alternative perspectives that could be crucial for a comprehensive understanding.
- Increases competition. As more businesses optimize their content for Google AI Overviews, the competition for a spot in these summaries will increase. This could make it more challenging for websites to stand out unless they consistently produce high-quality and relevant content.
- Provides less control over content. Websites typically don't have much control over how their content is presented in AI Overviews, which could lead to misinterpretation or oversimplification of complex topics.
What are some examples of ways businesses can use AI Overviews?
According to Google, the overall goal of AI Overviews is to continue directing users toward web content. As such, it's incumbent on businesses to ensure they have high-quality content. It's also likely a good idea for businesses to continue using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, as the new search experience will, to some extent, still deliver content that has been optimized for the main Google search engine experience.
Some examples of how businesses and users can use AI Overviews include the following:
- Sponsored advertisements. In October 2024, Google introduced new generative AI features that integrated ads into the AI Overviews for both desktop and mobile users. Businesses can place their sponsored ads directly within the AI-generated summaries, so users instantly see a product that fits their query without doing an additional search. For example, a search for "leather couch cleaning" might show a summary alongside a sponsored ad for a cleaning kit to streamline the user's experience.
- Shopping experiences. Google has revamped shopping in its new search experience. As such, AI Overviews can tap into the Google Shopping Graph, an AI effort that integrates more than 35 billion product listings and is constantly being updated with product information, reviews and seller information. When a user types in a shopping query, the AI-powered snapshot of key information pulls up relevant product information alongside product suggestions.
- Multiple languages. Powered by the multitask unified model, Google's AI Overviews can simultaneously process multiple languages and tasks. This enables wider user engagement, catering to users from diverse linguistic backgrounds and those with complex, multifaceted queries.
- Video searches. AI Overviews can further enhance user engagement by expanding into video search. Users can find relevant video content, even when the specific topic isn't explicitly mentioned. This opens up new possibilities for visual learners and those who prefer video content.
- Website design and search interfaces. Google's AI Overviews can influence website design and search interfaces. As AI Overviews improve content quality and relevance, organizations must adapt their websites and search interfaces to align with this evolving search landscape.
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