Google’s latest AI Search moves and what they mean for GEO
Google added AI Overview examples to the Search Quality Rater Guidelines and confirmed there is no AI Overviews filter in Search Console. Treat GEO as core. Strengthen source signals with precise headings, citations and helpful content. Use clear facts and short bullets so models can quote you cleanly.
AI results are changing how people find brands. In the last week, Google updated its quality rater guidelines with AI Overview examples and debunked rumours about a new Search Console filter. This article explains what changed, how it affects Generative Engine Optimisation, and the practical steps you can take now.
Google added AI Overview examples to the Search Quality Rater Guidelines and confirmed there is no AI Overviews filter in Search Console. Treat GEO as a core discipline, focus on source-level signals, and use on-page clarity, citations, and helpful content to earn inclusion in generative answers. Track impact with proxy metrics.
What actually changed
Google’s 11 Sep update to the Search Quality Rater Guidelines adds examples for AI Overviews and clarifies YMYL definitions. While raters do not control rankings, guideline changes signal what “high quality” should look like when AI summaries appear. Expect greater scrutiny of expertise, freshness, and source support in sensitive topics.
At the same time, a widely shared screenshot suggesting a new AI Overviews filter in Search Console was fake. Google confirmed there is no such filter in the Performance report. You cannot currently break out clicks or impressions that originate from AI Overviews in Search Console. Plan your measurement accordingly. Search Engine Roundtable
Why this matters for GEO
GEO is the practice of ensuring your content is cited, quoted, or selected as the source for AI answers across Google and other generative engines. Google continues to expand AI-led search experiences such as AI Mode and AI Overviews, which means marketers must optimise for inclusion, not just blue links.
Beyond Google, OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search now shows product recommendations inside its search experience. Generative engines are becoming shopping and discovery layers. GEO must therefore span Google and non-Google surfaces, with structured product data and clear claims that a model can extract and verify.
What to do this week
Tighten your source signals. Use precise H1s, descriptive subheads, and schema where relevant. Cite primary sources inside the article. Add a short, answer-first paragraph near the top that a model can lift with minimal editing. This aligns with how raters assess helpfulness and how AI Overviews compose answers.
Cover YMYL with care. If you touch finance, health, legal or safety topics, show real expertise, date your guidance, and link to official references. Thin summaries are less likely to be used or may be down-weighted in sensitive areas. Search Engine Land
Optimise for citation. Add clear, attributable facts. Use definitive phrasing, figures, and definitions. Include tables or bullets that can be quoted intact. Generative systems favour concise, well-structured claims that are easy to copy and link. This helps with inclusion in AI Overviews and alternative engines.
Strengthen product data. If you sell products, enrich product pages with complete schema, prices, reviews, and images. This increases eligibility for generative shopping panels in ChatGPT Search and improves extractability for Google.
Measure with proxies. There is no AI Overviews filter in Search Console. Track query sets that commonly trigger AI Overviews in your niche, then watch branded search demand, assisted conversions, scroll depth, and click distribution by query. Pair this with periodic manual SERP sampling and share of citation checks. Search Engine Roundtable
Plan content for AI Mode journeys. AI Mode allows follow-up questions and deeper reasoning. Build cluster content that anticipates follow-ups, then cross-link with plain anchor text. The goal is to stay in the conversation when users progress from a summary to specifics.
GEO checklist for the month
Publish one authoritative explainer per key topic, with an extractable 40–60 word summary and two cited sources.
Add last updated dates and authorship to all evergreen guides.
Expand FAQs with short, direct answers that models can quote.
Mark up products, FAQs and articles with appropriate schema.
Run a weekly audit of AI Overview appearances for your priority queries and log which pages win the citation.
FAQs
Can I see AI Overviews data in Search Console?
No. Google confirmed the circulating screenshot was fake. There is no AI Overviews filter in the Performance report. Use proxy metrics and manual SERP checks for now. Search Engine Roundtable
Is GEO only about Google?
No. ChatGPT Search is adding shopping features and product discovery. Treat GEO as cross-engine. Structure data and claims so any model can extract, attribute, and link back
What is GEO?
GEO (Google’s AI-powered Search Generative Experience, sometimes called “Google AI Overviews”) is the feature in Google Search that generates AI-written summaries at the top of search results. Instead of only showing a list of blue links, GEO provides an AI-created answer that pulls in information from multiple sources, along with links to supporting pages.
How should I measure AI Overviews impact?
Measuring the impact of AI Overviews requires looking beyond traditional rankings. Key approaches include:
Traffic shifts: Track changes in organic clicks and impressions for queries that now trigger AI Overviews.
Visibility: Use SEO tools (e.g., Semrush, Sistrix) to monitor whether your pages are being cited or linked within Overviews.
CTR analysis: Compare click-through rates before and after GEO rollout for affected keywords.
Attribution: Assess branded vs. non-branded traffic to see if AI Overviews are filtering intent differently.
Content positioning: Review how your content surfaces in supporting links and whether it aligns with AI-summarized answers.
Because Google doesn’t currently provide direct reporting on GEO in Search Console, a combination of SEO tool tracking, analytics, and keyword monitoring is the best way to measure its impact.
How will AI Overviews affect click-through rates from Google?
Early evidence suggests AI Overviews can reduce clicks for simple informational queries (since answers are given directly), but they may increase click-through for deeper content, trusted sources, or “learn more” links. Impact varies by industry and query type.
Do AI Overviews pose a risk for misinformation?
Yes. While Google is refining safeguards, AI systems can sometimes misinterpret or hallucinate. This is especially sensitive for YMYL content, which is why Google emphasises higher standards of expertise, accuracy, and transparency in these areas.
Author information
With 15 years of hands-on SEO and digital marketing experience, agency director Ash is the driving element behind our digital team. Ashley heads our digital execution team, delivering innovative strategic and tactical marketing initiatives and campaigns; helping propel our clients’ growth and success.
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