Cracking the code: How to get your brand to show up in Google’s ‘AI overview’

When it comes to improving Google search visibility in the age of AI, content is as important as ever – but it needs to satisfy users quickly.

Whilst there are currently a lot of studies and research around optimising for these types of searches, our findings indicate that, almost always, one of the strongest influences for large language models (LLMs) is traditional website visibility itself.

Meaning, if you perform well in traditional search, you typically have a good opportunity to do well in LLMs -at least for the moment, anyway.

Here are some key pillars to help further optimise your marketing strategy within Google’s AI search engine:

Technical SEO requirements 

While some may argue that SEO is dead, it still remains a crucial element for improving a website’s performance. Ensuring that factors like site speed, navigation, and internal links are set up for crawlability is key to boosting search engine rankings. As more users turn to mobile devices for their searches, mobile optimisation has become essential, such as following Google’s best practices for images and videos to enhance their visibility in search results.

Beyond the standard technical optimisations, one key aspect that often goes overlooked is schema. Schema is a backend code that helps search engines understand specific elements on a page without disrupting the user experience. It acts as a language for search engines, guiding them in interpreting content accurately.

For example, while a dollar sign ($) may indicate a price, it may also be interpreted as a typo or something else entirely. By using schema to clearly define it as “price,” search engines can quickly identify it as the correct price for a product, avoiding any ambiguity. This precise structure ensures that search engines can properly understand and categorise content, ultimately improving visibility and search performance, helping with queries like “what are the best running shoes for under $100 available at Bondi Junction Westfield”.

Google merchant basics

A business’ appearance matters, at least when it comes to Google Search! E-commerce sites have the benefit of being able to include review stars, shipping costs, free returns and even current discounts – yet some of the largest retailers still aren’t taking advantage of this.

When your product is up against thousands of others – having a high-quality image and need-to-know information that stands out and is easily digestible is crucial. That way when it appears at the top of searches, it will help potential customers make informed decisions, increasing chances of conversions.

Publisher relationship building

If an everyday person is looking to get into running, they might enter a search term such as ‘Best running shoes for beginners’. This type of consumer may be overwhelmed by the amount of options available, and will greatly benefit from information that will assist them in their purchasing decision. Additionally, pages that directly answer these search queries are more likely to show up in Google’s AI overview than products – so this is where link building and digital PR comes in.

Link building is an essential aspect of SEO that involves a blend of digital PR strategies and relationship building with strategic publishers. This is one of the best ways to reach new customers, diversify your link profile, and build customer trust.

For example, retailers who sell running shoes will want to be included in product roundups and gift guides of the best running shoes, which ideally feature clean links to the product landing page. These informative articles are also more likely to get picked up by Google’s crawlers and be featured in an AI overview – while helping potential customers make informed purchase decisions.

TL;DR

Consumers are increasingly turning to search engines and AI tools like ChatGPT to get answers to their questions – whether it’s “How do I unclog a drain?”, “What’s the cheapest way to fix my bike?”, or “Can I order a dress online for delivery tomorrow?”.

Each of these questions presents an opportunity for your business. That’s why having clear, informative sections on your website, like ‘how to’ guides and FAQs, is essential to address customer concerns and common problems.

Instead of focusing solely on the product, leading your strategy with the problem your business is solving allows you to create content that’s both helpful and impactful. This, combined with a solid digital strategy, results in a comprehensive campaign that positions your brand at the forefront of your market.

Matthew Forzan

While long-form content has traditionally been key to ranking in search engines, the rise of AI-driven overviews and large language models (LLMs) is shifting the focus toward shorter, more succinct answers. However, this doesn’t mean abandoning long-form content altogether. It means offering concise answers up front, such as a TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) summary, with detailed content available for those who want more information.

Incorporating author profiles, timestamps, and other E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) signals further strengthens your content, helping you rank higher across various search experiences. By balancing brevity with depth, you can create content that meets the needs of a wide audience while ensuring strong performance in search results.

In summary

Traditional marketing and technical SEO is not dead, but your strategy needs to keep evolving in order to garner desired results and high rankings within search engines.

Whether you want to show up in Google’s AI overview, or have leads generated via Chat GPT, keep optimising your website content for users, continue to provide them with the best answers to their queries – and you will likely see some wins.

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topics ai google overview search

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