By Lara Fayad, Founder of Solvo Creations
You cannot “rank” in a Google AI Overview the way you rank in search. Google’s AI Overview generates an answer and cites a handful of sources, so the goal is to be one of those cited sources. And the old assumption that a top-ten ranking gets you there no longer holds.
Here is the shift in one number: the share of AI Overview citations coming from pages that rank in the top ten has fallen from roughly 76 percent to about 38 percent, according to Ahrefs. Ranking well still helps, but it is no longer the ticket in. This guide covers how Google actually chooses sources for AI Overviews, and a practical checklist to improve your odds.
How does Google choose sources for AI Overviews?
An AI Overview breaks a query into sub-questions and pulls the best answer it can find for each, from anywhere it trusts, not only from the top of the results. That is why citations now come from well beyond the top ten. The pages it favours tend to answer a specific sub-question directly and early, are cleanly structured, come from a recognised and trusted source, and stay current. In short, relevance to the exact question and clarity of the answer often beat raw ranking position.
| Timeframe | AI Overview citations from top-10 pages |
|---|---|
| Earlier baseline | 76% |
| 2026 | 38% |
A checklist to get cited in AI Overviews
You cannot force a citation, but you can make your page the obvious one to quote. Work through this checklist on any page you want represented in AI Overviews.
- Answer the specific question directly and near the top of the section, before any preamble.
- Frame headings as the real questions people ask, and keep each answer tight and self-contained.
- Cover the subtopics thoroughly, since Overviews pull per sub-question, not per page.
- Structure for extraction with clear headings, short paragraphs, lists, and tables.
- Add schema markup and keep formatting clean so the answer is easy to lift.
- Build brand authority and mentions, so Google recognises you as a trusted entity.
- Keep the page fresh and accurate, and still aim to rank well, since ranking helps even when it is not enough. Our guide to AI Overviews and B2B visibility goes deeper on this.
How is this different from answer engine optimisation?
It is the same discipline, focused on one surface. Ranking in AI Overviews is about Google’s generated answers specifically, while answer engine optimisation is the broader practice of being cited across all answer engines, including ChatGPT and Perplexity. The habits overlap heavily, so work done for one tends to help the others.
How do you track AI Overview visibility?
Search for the questions your buyers ask and note whether an AI Overview appears and whether you are cited in it. Use rank-tracking tools that now flag AI Overview presence, watch for shifts in click-through on pages where an Overview shows, and monitor referral traffic and branded search. Because Overviews vary by query and user, sample a representative set of your priority questions rather than checking one.
Where Solvo Creations fits in
At Solvo Creations, we optimise B2B content to be cited in Google AI Overviews and across AI search, not just to rank on a page most buyers scroll past. You can see how we work or get in touch to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
Not in the traditional sense. An AI Overview generates an answer and cites sources, so the goal is to be cited, not to hold a ranking position. You improve your odds by answering the specific question clearly and building authority.
No longer. The share of AI Overview citations from top-ten pages has fallen from about 76 percent to 38 percent, so Google now cites pages well beyond the top results if they answer the specific sub-question better.
Answer the exact question directly and early, structure content for extraction with clear headings and lists, cover subtopics thoroughly, add schema, and build brand authority and mentions. Ranking well still helps, but clarity and relevance matter more.
It overlaps with SEO but is not identical. Classic SEO targets a ranking and a click; AI Overview visibility targets being cited inside Google’s generated answer. Good SEO supports it, but structure, direct answers, and authority carry extra weight.
Search your buyers’ key questions and note whether you are cited, use rank trackers that now flag AI Overview presence, and watch click-through, referral traffic, and branded search. Sample a set of priority questions, since Overviews vary by query and user.
| About the author: Lara Fayad is the founder of Solvo Creations, a Dubai-based B2B growth partner that helps companies, founders, and B2B brands build visibility across search, social, and AI platforms. She writes about the practical side of SEO, GEO, and B2B growth for the people who have to make it work. |