My Journey with Google AI Overviews: How We Finally Cracked the Code for Binaryvast
I still remember the first time I saw a Google AI Overviews (AIO) pop up for one of our target keywords. It was a mix of “Wow, this is cool!” and “Oh no, there goes my organic traffic.” If you’ve been in the digital marketing game as long as I have, you know that Google loves to move the goalposts. Just when we got comfortable with Featured Snippets and “People Also Ask” boxes, AI Overviews arrived to change the rules again.
At Binaryvast, we didn’t just sit back and watch. We spent months testing, failing, and eventually succeeding in getting our content cited in those shiny new AI boxes. I want to share that experience with you today because, honestly, the secret to ranking in AI Overviews isn’t just about “better SEO”—it’s about a completely different way of talking to both humans and machines.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to rank on AI overviews based on what’s working for us right now in 2026. No “advanced” jargon, just real-world advice that actually gets results.
What Exactly Are AI Overviews (And Why Should You Care)?
Before we dive into the “how-to,” let’s clear up what we’re fighting for. An AI Overview is that synthesized summary at the top of the Google Search results. It pulls information from multiple websites to give the user a quick answer.
For a long time, people thought this would “kill” SEO. But here’s what I’ve seen: being cited as a source in an AI Overview is like getting a VIP pass. When Google says, “According to Binaryvast…” or links to our guide as a supporting source, the trust level of that lead is 10x higher than a standard blue link.
Why You Need to Focus on AEO Now
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. It’s the cousin of SEO. While SEO focuses on ranking for keywords, AEO focuses on providing the best possible answer to a specific question. If you want to know how to rank on google ai overviews, you have to stop thinking about “ranking” and start thinking about “answering.”
Step 1: How to See Rankings on AI Overviews
One of the most common questions I get from our clients at Binaryvast is: “How do I even know if I’m ranking there?”
Unlike traditional search results, Google Search Console (GSC) doesn’t give us a specific “AI Overview” filter (at least not yet). All the clicks and impressions from AI Overviews are currently lumped into your standard “Web” search data. This makes it tricky, but not impossible.
1. Manual Checking (The “Old School” Way)
I still spend 15 minutes every morning doing manual searches. Open an incognito window, type in your target long-tail questions, and see if the AI Overview triggers. If it does, look at the “source carousels” (those little link cards). Is your site there?
2. Using Specialized Tools
Since manual checking doesn’t scale, we use tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or thruuu. These tools now have “AIO” or “AI Overview” indicators. They will show you a little robot icon next to keywords that trigger an AI response and tell you if your domain is cited.
3. Heuristic Analysis in GSC
If you see a sudden spike in impressions but a dip in CTR (Click-Through Rate) for a specific query, there’s a good chance an AI Overview has taken over that spot. AI provides the answer right there, so fewer people click—but the ones who do click are usually very high-intent.
Step 2: The “Answer-First” Framework (How to Rank on AI Overviews)
If you want to know how to rank on ai overview in google, you need to change your page structure. In the past, we used to write long, “fluffy” introductions to build suspense. Stop doing that.
The AI is looking for a “Citation-Ready” answer. Here is the framework we use at Binaryvast:
- The Direct Answer (The Hook): Within the first 50–100 words of your page, answer the main question directly. If your keyword is “how to set up a Google Ads campaign,” your first paragraph should be a 2–3 sentence summary of the steps.
- The “Key Takeaways” Block: I love adding a bulleted list near the top of the article. It’s like serving the AI its favorite meal on a silver platter. It makes it incredibly easy for the Gemini model to “scrape” and summarize your content.
- Logical Subheadings: Use H2 and H3 tags that are actually questions. Instead of a heading like “Campaign Setup,” use “How do I set up a Google Ads campaign for a small business?”
Step 3: Mastering Searcher Intent
When people ask how to rank on google ai overview, they often forget about intent. Google’s AI is obsessed with matching the “Why” behind a search.
There are four main types of intent, but AI Overviews absolutely dominate the Informational and Comparison stages:
| Intent Type | Example Query | How to Rank |
| Informational | “What is a good ROAS for Meta Ads?” | Provide a clear definition and a range (e.g., 2x to 4x). |
| Comparison | “Google Ads vs Meta Ads for lead gen” | Use a table! AI loves structured data like tables. |
| How-to | “How to see rankings on ai overviews” | Use numbered lists for step-by-step instructions. |
| Best/Top | “Best digital marketing agency in India” | List criteria for what makes an agency “the best.” |
At Binaryvast, we always analyze the existing AI Overview before we write a single word. If the AI is showing a table, we make a better table. If it’s showing a video, we add a high-quality video to our blog post.
Step 4: The Power of E-E-A-T (The Human Touch)
Google is very careful about what it puts in the AI box. It doesn’t want to spread misinformation. This is where E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) comes in.
To rank, you can’t just repeat what everyone else is saying. You need to show Experience.
For example, when I write about Google Ads, I don’t just say “bid on keywords.” I say, “When we were managing a budget of ₹5 Lakhs for a client at Binaryvast, we noticed that manual bidding actually outperformed target CPA in the first two weeks.”
That “I” or “We” and the specific story tells Google that this content wasn’t just churned out by a basic bot—it was written by someone who has actually done the work.
Step 5: Technical Stuff (Keep it Simple)
You don’t need to be a coder to understand how to rank on ai overview. But you do need to make sure your “house” is in order.
- Speed is King: If your site takes 10 seconds to load, the AI crawler might move on to a faster source. We make sure all our client sites at Binaryvast are lightning-fast.
- Schema Markup: Use “FAQ Schema” and “How-to Schema.” This is basically a “translator” for the AI, helping it understand exactly what your content is about.
- Crawlability: Make sure you aren’t accidentally blocking Googlebot in your robots.txt file. If Google can’t see you, the AI can’t cite you!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
In our journey to figure out how to rank on ai overviews, we made a few mistakes. Here’s what you should avoid:
- Keyword Stuffing: The old days of “mentioning the keyword 50 times” are over. If it doesn’t sound natural, the AI will ignore it.
- Being Vague: “Digital marketing is important” is a useless sentence. “Digital marketing increases lead conversion by an average of 22% when using multi-channel attribution” is a fact the AI can use.
- Ignoring Mobile: Most AI Overviews are triggered on mobile devices. If your site looks messy on a phone, you’re out of the game.
How Binaryvast Can Help You Win the AI Search Game
Let’s be honest—the world of SEO is changing faster than ever. Keeping up with how to rank on google ai overviews while also running a business is a full-time job.
At Binaryvast, we live and breathe this stuff. We don’t just “do SEO”; we build topical authority that makes search engines (and AI) trust your brand. Whether you are struggling with Google Ads, Meta Ads, or simply want your website to show up in those coveted AI boxes, we’ve got the experience to make it happen.
We’ve helped dozens of clients move from being “invisible” to being the “top answer” on Google. If you want to see your brand mentioned in the next AI Overview for your industry, we should talk.
Let’s Get Started!
Don’t wait for your competitors to claim the AI real estate. The “First-Mover Advantage” is real.
- Visit our website: https://binaryvast.com/
- Have a specific question? Shoot us an email at hello@binaryvast.com
- Ready to scale? Fill out our Contact Form and let’s hop on a call.
Final Thoughts
Ranking in 2026 isn’t about “tricking” the algorithm. It’s about being the most helpful, clear, and authoritative source on the web. By focusing on direct answers, structured formatting, and real human experience, you’ll find that how to rank on ai overviews isn’t a mystery—it’s just a new way of being useful to your audience.
Good luck, and remember: the best time to start optimizing for AI was yesterday. The second best time is today!