Google AI Overviews SEO: getting cited and clicked

14 min

When a customer looks for a service provider on Google, the usual list of links is no longer always the first thing they see. For some searches, Google first displays a summary written by its artificial intelligence. These are AI Overviews, placed at the top of the results, and AI Mode, a separate conversational interface that gives a longer answer (Abondance).

On 15 October 2026, Google announced a new series of changes to the way these answers display source sites (Google). For SEO in Google's AI Overviews, the question is therefore no longer just “Am I ranking well?” It becomes: “Am I cited, and does my link make people want to click?”

What Google changed on 15 October

Google presents these new features as a way to help users click through to the original sites (Google). The details published by Google list five updates (Blog du Modérateur):

More links in the body of the answer. These clickable words, inserted within the sentences, are becoming more numerous and will appear more often at the top of the answer, where attention is highest (Abondance).
A section reserved for official sites. When only one or two sites can answer a question or complete a task, Google groups them at the top of the answer, with a sentence explaining what each one is for (Blog du Modérateur). The example Google chose: a refund request to an airline. This format is still being tested, with no rollout date (Siècle Digital).
More visible related links. The articles suggested at the end of the answer, for those who want to dig deeper, get a thumbnail and a more clickable design (Google).
News carousels in new countries and new languages, which Google does not name. They highlight the sites the user has chosen as “preferred sources” (Blog du Modérateur).
Clickable creator names on AI Mode videos. However, this link first leads to a profile page hosted by Google, not to the creator's site (Abondance).

What this changes for an SME

For many businesses, Google remains the place where customers compare options before calling: an accounting firm, a caterer, a car parts supplier. If the AI summary already answers their question, they will not necessarily scroll down to the standard links. The link cited in the answer then becomes the only one they see.

The first measurements point in this direction. According to an Ahrefs study cited by Blog du Modérateur, in France, sites for which more than one query in five triggers an AI summary lost 23% of their click-through rate in the nine days following the rollout, without dropping in the rankings (Blog du Modérateur). On the media side, Chartbeat estimates that news sites lost 40% of their traffic from Google between July 2025 and July 2026 (Abondance).

Another lesson: ranking well does not guarantee being cited. Data collected by The Black Room on 25,000 queries shows that publications that rank well in Google, such as Le Monde or Radio France, are almost never featured in AI Overviews (Blog du Modérateur).

The “official sites” section deserves your attention. Searches such as “prices”, “opening hours”, “book an appointment” or “track my order” for a specific business call for an official page. If yours does not exist or is unclear, Google may rely on a directory, a Facebook page or a forum instead.

And in Côte d'Ivoire? As early as 2025, Alphabet reported more than two billion monthly users of AI Overviews in over 200 countries (Abondance). However, Google does not say where the new displays will arrive first (Blog du Modérateur). The most reliable approach is to check for yourself: on your phone, type the three searches that bring you customers, and note whether an AI summary appears and which sites it cites.

SEO in Google's AI Overviews: the checklist

The good news: there is no secret recipe. Google states that no specific technical requirements apply to appearing in AI Overviews or AI Mode beyond standard SEO, and that these features draw on the same index as regular search (Target Internet). According to a summary of Google's guidelines, there is also no need to create an llms.txt file or to rewrite your content in a special style for AI (DEV Community). Be wary of offers that sell this kind of shortcut.

What makes the difference is the basic quality. Here are the points to check, in order.

The technical foundation

Your important pages are indexed. In Search Console, the URL Inspection tool shows whether Google knows about the page. A page missing from the index will never be cited.
The site loads quickly on mobile. A visitor arriving from an AI answer has already read a summary: a slow page gives them a reason to leave. See the most common causes of slow loading times.
Every key page is reachable in two or three clicks, with clear internal links. Confusing navigation hinders visitors as much as it hinders crawlers.

Content

One page, one question. A page called “Delivery in Abidjan and the rest of the country” is better than a paragraph lost in “About us”.
Answer first, details second. The first two or three sentences give a direct answer. Google aims to place its links next to the paragraphs they support (Siècle Digital): a clear-cut passage is more likely to be the one that gets cited.
Precise, dated facts. Price ranges, lead times, areas served, opening hours, terms. Show the date of the last update, and check that the same information appears on your Google listing and your social media.
Subheadings that actually say something, and lists for steps. A reader in a hurry can find their way around, and so can a machine.

What makes people want to click

What the summary can’t offer. An online quote, a simulator, photos of your work, a catalogue with prices, a real customer case study. If all your content fits into a three-line summary, users have no reason to visit.
A sharp, representative image on every key page. Related links are now displayed with a thumbnail (Google). Google doesn’t say how it chooses it, but a page without a proper image starts at a disadvantage.
A precise, honest page title. It is often what decides the click.
A way in once visitors arrive. A WhatsApp button, a quote request, a clickable phone number. Without a visible call to action, a hard-won click leads nowhere.

“Official” pages

One page per task: ordering, booking an appointment, pricing, contact, after-sales service. The company name and full contact details are clearly displayed. This is the kind of page Google’s new section aims to highlight (Blog du Modérateur).

Structured data, the invisible code that describes a page to search engines, remains useful for rich results but is not required for AI features (DEV Community).

What we still don’t know: how many clicks

Google promises a “more clickable” design, but still provides no click data in its AI-specific reports (Abondance). When asked by Search Engine Roundtable, it replied that it would add metrics over time, with no timeline and no commitment on clicks (Abondance). Nor has it put a figure on the increase in embedded links (Leptidigital).

In practice, the Search Console report on generative AI performance shows impressions per page but not clicks, while the standard Performance report shows clicks (Leptidigital). Leptidigital recommends identifying pages that gain AI impressions without gaining clicks: these are the first ones to rework (Leptidigital).

Add a tool that costs nothing. Ask every new contact how they found you, and write down the answer. Within a few months, you will know whether AI answers bring you customers, without waiting for Google’s figures.

Where to start this week

List the five questions your customers ask before buying, then check that each one has its own clear page on your site. Type these questions into Google and note who is cited today instead of you. If you would like an outside perspective to audit these pages and prioritise fixes, our Digital Strategy & Marketing team can take care of it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay Google for my site to be cited in AI Overviews?

No. According to Google, there are no special requirements beyond standard SEO, and AI answers draw on the same index as regular search. Your pages are selected based on their quality and their relevance to the question asked.

My site ranks well on Google: why isn’t it cited in the AI summary?

Ranking and being cited don’t always go together. Data collected on 25,000 queries showed that well-ranked media outlets were almost never featured in AI Overviews. A page that answers a question directly and precisely is more likely to be cited than a general one.

How can I tell whether my site appears in Google’s AI answers?

The Search Console report dedicated to generative AI shows impressions per page, but not clicks. Supplement it by typing the searches that bring you customers yourself, on mobile, and by asking every new contact how they found you.

Are these new displays already visible in Côte d'Ivoire?

Google has not specified which countries are affected by these changes, and the format reserved for official sites is still being tested. The safest approach is to check directly with your own searches, from Abidjan, and to repeat this check regularly.

Should I add an llms.txt file or structured data to get cited?

According to Google’s guidelines as summarised by the trade press, an llms.txt file is not necessary for Google Search. Structured data remains useful for rich results but is not required for AI features. It is better to focus first on the content and structure of your pages.

Sources

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Google AI Overviews SEO: how to get cited and clicked