AI Overviews

Rolled out from May 2024 after an experimental phase branded Search Generative Experience, AI Overviews sit above the standard blue links and answer the query directly, citing the pages the answer came from. They appear automatically on many informational searches and push organic results further down the page.

For anyone publishing to the web, a share of searches now end without a click, so being one of the cited sources matters more than holding a particular position. YouTube pages get cited too, which is one reason creators bother with clear descriptions and accurate transcripts.