It's been about one year since Google rolled out AI Overviews, one of the biggest changes the search engine has seen in years. Google has been testing generative search results with SGE (Search Generative Experience) for a few years now, and ever since the addition of AI Overviews, users have been seeing AI-driven answers at the top of search pages.
What do we know about AI Overview results?
There are a few basic facts we can discern from AI-summarized search results on Google:- Where they are placed: AI Overviews typically appear above not only organic search results, but sometimes even above ads as well.
- Where they're getting their content: AI Overviews contain hyperlinks to sources from which they got their generated information.
- What they are not: AI Overview is not conversational like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot chats. It is designed to reference web pages on the internet and compile information on your search query.
How does this impact my website?
While you have likely been using these overviews in your Google searches in the past year, what you may not have thought about is how this new search feature impacts your website's rankings, how AI might be using your website, and more. Here's a quick checklist to use when assessing your website for AI-readability:
- All images/graphics have alt text on them.
- All videos have descriptions or text transcripts available.
- Your website has detailed service pages (bonus points for FAQs).
What is alt text?
Alt text, short for alternative text, is exactly what it sounds like, its purpose is to provide an alternative text option for images that cannot be seen. It is considered best-practice, and even required in many cases, to develop your site to be more accessible by people with disabilities. You also want to consider people that might choose to read a webpage with a speech-to-text reader, like Siri. Now, an additional benefit of writing alt text is so that AI can understand what content is on your webpage.
Describing videos on your website
When it comes to videos on your webpages, they are usually considered a form of added information. You never want the main point or big secret at the end of your page content to be in the video. Not everyone has the time to read the page and watch the video, and AI can't.If your webpage content is not describing what topics or examples might be discussed in the video, you'll want to include that somewhere on the page. Remember, we're still designing webpages for humans, but there should be relevant information there if an AI crawls your page.
Make service pages your superpower
When it comes to service pages on your website, make sure they are providing detailed, comprehensive, and accessible content to your visitors. While we aren't suggesting you write a novel or two, you really don't want any stone left unturned. Don't give away company secrets, but be sure to sound knowledgeable and solution-oriented in your content. Here're a few dos and don'ts we recommend:Do:
- Do write about problems your potential customers might be facing
- Do write about how your services solve them
- Do answer common questions you hear from your customers
Don't:
- Don't just list your services as bullet points
- Don't leave your customers wondering what you can do for them
- Don't leave out common terms and search phrases your customers would use
If you or your content writer follows these guidelines and more, your website will not only be on the way to making more sense to your visitors, but it'll be able to teach AI about your services, meaning you could be the next AI Overview result at the top of a Google search!
Power up your website with a content writer
At Technical Resource Solutions, our web development knowledge doesn't stop at the code – we have content writers and creative thinkers on the team to ensure your website can be searchable, knowledgeable, and solution-oriented!Contact us to schedule a FREE website consultation to see how we can help your business succeed.