AI Overviews Are Changing Ecommerce SEO: How to Stay Visible
Berry van Es
Senior SEO Specialist
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You search for a product on Google, and before you even click on a webshop, Google provides the answer itself. Convenient for shoppers, frustrating for webshops. AI Overviews are changing the game, but those who adapt can actually gain market share. In this post, you’ll learn how to stay visible as search rapidly evolves from a directory of links to an engine that delivers direct answers.
TL;DR
AI Overviews are transforming search from a list of links to an answering machine.
Structure your content for retrieval: use question-based headings, direct answers, and expert signals.
Classic SEO tactics (title tags, meta descriptions) have less impact on AI-driven results.
Use question-based titles, direct answer boxes, follow-up questions, and expert signals.
Track which sources AI Overviews cite to understand your true visibility, not just your organic rank.
Adapting now is crucial to maintain and grow market share as search evolves.
What Are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews (AIOs) are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results. These overviews synthesize information from multiple sources and provide concise, contextual answers to users’ questions, often without requiring a click.
Unlike classic features such as knowledge panels or People Also Ask, which are based on existing content and user queries, AIOs use generative AI to create new summaries. This means users get what they need immediately, and the traditional click-through to a webshop is no longer guaranteed.
When do you see AI overviews?
Currently, you see AI overviews mainly for informational searches. Think of questions like "Which running shoes are best long distance?" For direct purchase queries like "buy Nike Air Max size 42," you see them less often. But this is changing rapidly. Google is getting better at understanding when people want to buy something. Soon you'll probably see more AI overviews for product searches too.
For online stores, this means your products or brand can appear in such an overview – or your competitor's can.
Why are AI overviews important for you?
Fewer clicks to your site: when search engines like Google already provide the answer, people are less likely to click through. This means your website may get fewer visitors, even if you rank high in Google.
More competition for attention: multiple brands can appear in one AI overview simultaneously, so it's no longer just about getting the first spot, but about standing out among all the other brands.
Users want quick answers: customers want to know where they stand quickly. If your information isn't clear enough, they might choose a competitor instead.
Long-tail keywords become more important: users are asking more complex questions, and Google is now capable of delivering nuanced, contextual responses directly in the search results.
Numbers don’t lie Research has shown that:
AI Overviews now appear in 13% to 54% of Google searches, depending on the source and region (WordStream, Sixth City Marketing, Search Engine Land).
On mobile, AIOs can cover up to 48% of the screen, and up to 76% when combined with other features (WordStream).
Click-through rates drop by about 35% when AIOs are present (WordStream).
About 40% of sources cited in AIOs would not appear in the top 10 organic results, showing that classic ranking is no guarantee for AI visibility.
Common Myths About AI/LLM Optimization
Optimizing for exact prompts/queries: LLMs look for comprehensive, natural answers, not keyword matches.
Blocking AI bots with LLMs.txt or robots.txt: AI can still use your content if it’s cited or summarized elsewhere.
Adding LLMs.txt improves rankings: It only signals crawling preferences; it doesn’t boost SEO or AI Overview presence.
Classic SEO tactics are enough: LLMs and AI Overviews use different signals, focusing on semantic relevance and answer quality.
Backlink anchor text and keyword density: LLMs value depth, clarity, and authority over anchor text or keyword repetition.
How to Structure Your Pages for AI Overviews and LLMs
To maximize your chances of being cited in AI Overviews, structure your content for retrieval:
Page Structure Checklist
Title Tag: Use a question or clear topic (e.g. “Best running shoes for long distance?”)
H1: Frame as the main user question
Direct Answer Box: Place a concise 1 to 3 sentence answer after the H1
Table of Contents: Add for longer content
Follow-Up Questions: Use H2/H3s for related queries
Images with Alt Text: Ensure all images have descriptive alt text
Outbound Links: Link to authoritative sources
Internal Links: Use clear, relevant anchors
Call to Action: Guide users to the next step
TL;DR Summary: Place at the top for quick scanning
Structured Signals: Add expert bios, related questions, schema markup
Tip: In sensitive industries (health, finance, legal, education), reinforce trust with clear author bios, reliable sources, and specialized schema.
How to Track Your True Visibility in AI Search
Classic rank tracking tools only show your position in organic results. To understand your real visibility, you need to know if AI Overviews and chatbots are citing your brand or content.
What to track:
Which sources are cited in AI Overviews for your target queries?
Are you being referenced as an authority, or is it your competitor?
How often does your content appear in AI-generated answers?
Example: A running shoe retailer tracks the query “best running shoes for flat feet.” Their product page is not in the top 5 organic results, but is cited in the AI Overview. This insight helps them focus on optimizing for AI visibility, not just classic rankings.
Tools: Solutions like Brainvine and others can monitor which sources are cited by AI Overviews and chatbots, giving you a clearer picture of your true search presence.
What Can You Do to Stay Visible and Stand Out?
Answer user questions directly: Use clear headings and provide concise answers.
Write detailed, helpful product descriptions: Address common questions and concerns.
Implement structured data: Use Schema.org markup to help search engines understand your content.
Prioritize user experience: Ensure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate.
Monitor and adapt: Regularly check which queries and AI features cite your content, and adjust your strategy as needed.
Conclusion
AI Overviews are fundamentally changing how people search and shop online. Search is becoming less about finding links and more about getting direct answers. By focusing on clear, structured content and tracking your visibility in AI-driven results, you can maintain and even grow your market share as the search landscape evolves.
Adapt now, and you’ll be ready for the future of ecommerce SEO.
