An AI Overview is the summary Google places at the top of the search results using Gemini, with links to the pages the answer comes from. Want to be listed there as a source? Then you rewrite one page: a clear definition, short lists and hard facts. Budget an afternoon of work per page.
No code. No plugin. Just discipline in your sentences. Google picks sources that already rank well and that answer a question in a few sentences. Below, you'll build exactly that, step by step, in plain language at B1 reading level.
Key takeaways
- AI-overzicht is the official Dutch name for Google AI Overviews; the feature runs on Gemini and was previously tested as Search Generative Experience (SGE).
- According to a benchmark by SEO Clarity, 99.5% of AI Overviews cite at least one URL from the regular top 10, and half link directly to the result in position 1.
- Google sets no extra technical requirements: your page has to be indexed and allowed to show a snippet in the search results.
- According to SE Ranking, niche queries with fewer than 10 searches per month show an AI Overview in 5.81% of cases; broad terms with more than 100,000 searches do so far less often.
- A citable passage opens with a 40- to 60-word definition that still holds up without the rest of the page.
What does a mention in an AI Overview get you?
A mention puts your brand name and a link in the block Google shows above all ten blue links. So you're seen before your competitor in position 1, even if you're in position 4. For a single page, the change takes roughly two to four hours.
What you actually get:
- Visibility above the fold. Google places the AI Overview above all ten blue links, so above the result in position 1 too. If you're in position 4 and the block names you as a source, the searcher sees you before your competitor in position 1.
- A source link with your domain. Next to or below the summary, Google shows the pages it used.
- Trust. Anyone Google names as a source comes across as an authority.
- A foundation for other AI answer engines. The same clear passages are also picked up more easily by ChatGPT and Perplexity.
An honest caveat. An AI Overview often answers the question right on the results page. Some searchers then don't click through. That's called zero-click. Still: if the answer is going to be there, you want it to be your answer. Not someone else's.
This is the core of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). SEO makes sure you rank. GEO makes sure AI systems cite you. You need both, because Google almost always pulls sources for the AI Overview from pages that already perform well.
Step 1: how do you write a definition Google can lift?
Open your page with one sentence in the form "X is a Y that does Z". Put that sentence directly below the title, with no introduction. Keep the whole answer between 40 and 60 words. That way Google can lift the block word for word without changing anything.
Most beginner pages open with a run-up. "More and more businesses are wondering…" or "In this article we explain…". That's noise. An AI system looks for the sentence that answers the question. If it only appears in paragraph three, it grabs a different source.
Here's how to write the definition:
- Name the topic literally. Write "A VAT return is…", not "This is…".
- Give the category. Is it a scheme, a tool, a method, a document?
- Say what it does or who it's for. One concrete characteristic.
- Add one specific detail. A number, a deadline, a condition.
- Read the sentence in isolation. Does a stranger get it without context? Then it works.
Avoid words that point back to something earlier, such as "this", "as mentioned" or "above". An AI cuts your passage out of the page. Whatever was above it doesn't come along.
Keep your sentences short. B1 level means: everyday words, one idea per sentence, no convoluted clauses. That isn't dumbing down. It's precision.
Step 2: why do numbered lists work better than long paragraphs?
Numbered lists give each item its own line, and an AI Overview can take those lines over one for one. A 150-word paragraph with five steps buried in it has to be parsed by a model first. A list of five numbered lines doesn't. Use numbers for sequences and bullets for standalone features.
Take the longest paragraph on your page. Count how many separate points it contains. Three or more? Then it becomes a list.
Rules of thumb we use ourselves:
- Numbers for steps, rankings and processes. "First this, then that."
- Bullets for conditions, benefits or features with no order.
- One action per line. Two verbs in one line? Split it.
- Start each line with the most important word. In bold, if it's a key term.
- Seven lines at most. More? Make two groups with a subheading.
Don't put a filler sentence like "Below you'll find the steps" above a list. Put the point in the paragraph before it, and let the list do the work.
Tables work the same way. Comparing two options, prices or deadlines? A three-column table is quicker to read for people and machines alike than three paragraphs.
Step 3: which facts and examples make your page citable?
A citable page contains verifiable details: numbers, dates, names of rules or tools, and a concrete example. "Fast" isn't a fact. "Within 5 working days" is. AI answer engines would rather pick a source with an exact figure than one with a vague promise.
Go through your text and highlight every vague word. Think "many", "often", "fast", "cheap", "ideal". Replace each one with something you can prove.
| Vague | Citable |
|---|---|
| "We deliver fast." | "Orders placed before 4 p.m. ship the same working day." |
| "Lots of customers choose this plan." | "The plan includes 3 users and 10 GB of storage." |
| "The scheme saves you money." | "You pay no VAT as long as your turnover stays below the scheme's threshold." |
| "It takes a while." | "The application takes 2 weeks on average." (only if you actually measure that) |
Never make up a number. Don't have an exact figure? Then write honestly in qualitative terms, or name the source of the figure. One invented statistic can cost you your credibility in a single stroke.
On top of that, add one real-world example. A scenario with a genuine situation: "A freelancer running an online shop for handmade candles…". Examples show you know the subject. That's exactly the signal of experience and expertise Google looks for.
Finding the right keywords helps here too. Choose questions with a clear intent. According to SE Ranking, specific low-volume queries show an AI Overview more often than broad terms.
Step 4: how do you check whether your page stands a chance?
Check three things: is your page in Google's index, is Google allowed to show a snippet of it, and does it rank in the top 10 for your question. According to Google's guidelines on AI features and your website, there are no extra technical requirements on top of regular SEO.
Here's how to go about it:
- Look up your URL in Google Search Console with the URL Inspection tool. Does it say "URL is on Google"? Good.
- Check your meta robots. A
nosnippettag excludes your page from snippets, and therefore from the AI Overview. - Request reindexing after your rewrite via the same URL Inspection tool.
- Search for your question in Google yourself. Does an AI Overview appear? Which sources are in it?
- Note your position. If you're outside the top 10, ranking is your biggest job first.
That last step often gets forgotten. According to the SEO Clarity benchmark, at least one source in 99.5% of AI Overviews comes from the top 10. So GEO without an SEO foundation doesn't work. A 7-step SEO audit shows you where your page is stumbling technically.
After that, don't just measure Google. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the same question. Note for each system whether your brand is mentioned. That's your baseline.
Which beginner mistakes block an AI Overview?
The five mistakes we see most often are: an introduction with no answer, marketing speak instead of facts, everything in one long paragraph, a page that doesn't rank, and a nosnippet tag left over from an old test. Any one of these on its own can be enough to get you skipped.
Answering only in paragraph three
You first write about the market, then about yourself, and only after that about the question. An AI Overview doesn't wait. Put the answer at the top.
Superlatives instead of facts
"The best solution for every business" isn't information. An AI system can't do anything with it. Worse: it sounds like advertising, and advertising rarely gets cited.
One page, ten topics
A page that explains what something is, what it costs, how it works and why you're the best all at once doesn't answer any single question sharply. One page, one main question. Sub-questions get their own subheading.
Subheadings that say nothing
"More information" or "Our vision" helps nobody. Write headings as questions people actually type: "How much does a VAT return cost?"
Machine-translated pages
Do you operate in several countries? A literal translation reads awkwardly and misses the search terms local people use. An AI Overview in German cites a German source that reads naturally, not a clunky translation. Native content wins. You'll find more pitfalls in our list of AI SEO mistakes.
Example: from woolly text to a scannable AI answer
Take an accountant with a page about the small business scheme (kleineondernemersregeling, KOR). The old version opens with 80 words about "running a business with fewer worries". The answer to the question "what is the KOR?" is there, but hidden in paragraph two. After the rewrite, it's in the first sentence.
Before:
"We're happy to help you find out whether this scheme suits you, so you can focus on what really matters." That's marketing speak instead of an answer to the question "what is the KOR?": it sounds like advertising, and advertising rarely gets cited.
No definition. No amount. No condition. An AI Overview can't get anything out of this.
After:
The small business scheme (KOR) is a VAT exemption for entrepreneurs in the Netherlands with a turnover of no more than €20,000 per calendar year. If you join, you don't charge your customers VAT and you don't file VAT returns. You also can't reclaim VAT on your own purchases.
Below that comes a short list:
- Check your turnover. Do you stay below €20,000 a year?
- Run the numbers on your purchases. Do you buy a lot with VAT? Then you lose that refund.
- Register with the Belastingdienst. You do this before the period in which you want to use the exemption.
The difference at a glance:
| Feature | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Definition in first sentence | No | Yes |
| Concrete figure | None | €20,000 turnover threshold |
| Drawback stated | No | No VAT refunds |
| Steps | In running text | Numbered list |
| Marketing speak | 3 sentences | 0 sentences |
The new version's answer block is 52 words long. Right within the 40-to-60 limit. You can cut it out and it still holds up. That's the test.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn off the AI Overview in Google?
No, Google treats the AI Overview as a fixed part of Search. You can, however, click the "Web" tab after searching; then you'll only see regular text links. That's stated in Google Search Help's explanation of AI Overviews.
Do I need to add special structured data for an AI Overview?
No, there's no separate markup for the AI Overview. Google uses the same index and the same signals as for regular results. Structured data such as FAQPage does help Google understand your page, but it isn't a requirement.
How long before my rewritten page shows up in an AI Overview?
That depends on when Google recrawls your page and how well it ranks. Using "Request indexing" in Search Console speeds up the first step. A mention is never guaranteed, even if you do everything right.
Does this approach work for ChatGPT and Perplexity too?
Yes, largely. Those AI answer engines also prefer to pull short, factual passages from pages. Perplexity also shows its sources as numbered links by default, so you can quickly see there whether you're being cited.
Start with your best-ranking 'what is' page
Pick one page today that's already in the top 10 for a "what is" question. Rewrite the first 60 words into a standalone definition, turn your longest paragraph into a list, and replace every vague word with a fact. Then request reindexing and note what changes over the next few weeks.
Does it work? Then repeat it for the next page. And the next. In one language, that's doable. In five markets at once, it becomes a full-time job.
That's where UPGeoSEO comes in. The platform learns your brand voice, plans your keywords per market and writes native content in each language. No awkward translation. You approve, we publish straight to your site. Then we measure whether you're actually being cited in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. With honest numbers, not inflated vanity scores. That way your GEO runs on autopilot, without your brand sounding like AI slop.
