Google AI Overviews and AI Mode are two different AI features in Google Search. Both can build an answer from multiple searches and display links to web sources, but they serve different user situations.
AI Overviews appear in the standard search results when Google’s systems determine that a generated summary adds value to the normal search experience. AI Mode is a separate, more conversational experience in which the user can ask more complex questions, compare options and continue with follow-up questions.
For website owners, the most important point is this: Google does not require special AI schema, a separate AI file or a new type of technical optimization. To be eligible as a supporting link, a page must be indexed and capable of appearing in Google Search with a snippet. The usual SEO principles then apply — accessibility, clear structure, useful content, internal links and accurate data.
| Feature | AI Overviews | AI Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Where it appears | On the standard search results page | In a separate AI interface within Google Search |
| Main purpose | A quick summary of a more complex question | In-depth research, comparison and follow-up questions |
| Does it always appear? | No. Google displays it only when it determines that it adds value | The user opens AI Mode and starts a conversation |
| Does it use multiple searches? | It may use query fan-out | It uses query fan-out to divide the question into subtopics |
| Does it display links? | Yes, to supporting web pages | Yes, to supporting or relevant web pages |
| Are there special SEO requirements? | No | No |
| How is it reported? | In Search Console under the Web search type | In Search Console under the Web search type |
According to the official documentation, AI Overviews and AI Mode may use different models and techniques. For this reason, the same question may produce a different answer and different sources in the two features.
Yes. In Google’s current Help Center lists, Bulgaria is included among the supported countries, and Bulgarian is listed among the supported languages for both AI Overviews and AI Mode.
This does not mean that an AI Overview will appear for every search. Google states that the feature is shown only when its systems determine that the generated summary is more useful than the standard results on their own.
Availability and the interface may vary depending on:
Testing should therefore be carried out in the actual market and language of the business, rather than relying only on screenshots from the United States or English-language tools.
An AI Overview is a generated summary on the standard search results page. It may present the main points of a complex question and provide links that allow the user to explore the topic in greater depth.
Google states that AI Overviews are often not triggered. Whether one appears depends on whether the systems determine that the feature provides additional value compared with the standard results.
The absence of an AI Overview for a particular query is therefore not proof of an SEO problem. Google may simply have decided that the normal results are sufficient.
Google describes AI Mode as an AI search experience for questions requiring more in-depth research, reasoning or comparison.
The user can:
When a user asks a follow-up question, Search Console reports it as a new query with its own impressions, clicks and position data.
Query fan-out means that Google can divide a complex question into several subtopics and perform multiple related searches.
For example, the question:
Which heating system is most suitable for a 160 sq. m house in a mountainous area when comparing price, maintenance and winter running costs?
may be divided into separate searches for:
This has an important consequence for content. A page should not simply repeat one key phrase. It should solve the main task and cover the necessary subtopics, or lead through clear internal links to their owner URLs.
Query fan-out is not a reason to create a separate article for every variation. You must first determine whether the subtopic belongs to the existing owner page or has its own separate intent.
According to Google, a page must meet two main conditions:
There is no separate AI index and no special registration process for AI Overviews or AI Mode.
At the same time, meeting the technical requirements does not guarantee:
Google explicitly states that indexing and display are not guaranteed even when a page meets the technical requirements and policies.
Google recommends the same core practices that apply to Search as a whole.
Check whether Googlebot is blocked by:
A page that Google cannot crawl reliably cannot serve as a stable supporting source.
Check:
noindex directive;200 OK;If the page cannot appear with a snippet in Search, it does not meet the eligibility requirement for a supporting link.
Google explicitly includes internal links among the applicable SEO practices for AI features.
Internal links should show:
Do not use competing anchor texts pointing to several pages for the same topic.
Google recommends making key content available in text form.
Do not leave the main answer only in:
Images and videos can supplement the text, but they should not hide the most important information.
A strong page should explain:
Publishing generic text that repeats familiar definitions without practical value is not enough.
Structured data can help Google understand the type of content, but it must describe information that is actually visible on the page.
The markup should not:
For local and product queries, Google recommends keeping the information in Google Business Profile and Merchant Center up to date.
Check the consistency between:
Google explicitly states that there is no special Schema.org markup that must be added for AI Overviews or AI Mode.
Existing schema types should be used only when they apply to the actual content.
Google states that you do not need to create new machine-readable or AI text files in order to participate in these features.
A file such as llms.txt is therefore not an official requirement for inclusion in Google AI Overviews or AI Mode. It does not replace indexing, internal links, useful text or technical accessibility.
The AI features are part of Google Search. Googlebot is the crawler control used for Search content.
Google-Extended has a different role. It is used to manage the participation of content in the training and grounding of some other Google generative AI systems. Google explicitly distinguishes this from controlling content in the AI features of Search.
There is no official rule stating that the FAQ format increases the likelihood of inclusion.
Use an FAQ only when:
Determine what the user wants to solve, rather than focusing only on the phrase they use.
For a product comparison, this may include:
For a service, it may include:
The main URL should contain the most complete answer to the specific task.
Related pages may:
Do not create several similar pages simply because the question can be phrased in different ways.
For every significant claim, clarify whether it is:
When there is no official confirmation, do not present an assumption as a ranking factor.
Useful content explains when the advice does not apply.
For example:
Data from both features is included in the Performance report under the Web search type. There is no separate standard filter that isolates all traffic from AI Overviews or AI Mode as an independent channel.
A click to an external page from an AI Overview or AI Mode is reported as a click.
A click that remains within Google and only refines the query is not an external click to the website.
For an impression to be recorded for a link in an AI Overview, the link must be displayed through scrolling or expansion within the view.
This means that the presence of a URL in a hidden or unexpanded section is not necessarily reported as an impression.
An AI Overview occupies one position in the search results. All links within it receive the same position.
Average position should therefore not be interpreted as the internal order of the individual sources within the AI block.
When a user asks a follow-up question in AI Mode, Google treats it as a new query. The new answer generates its own impressions, clicks and position data.
Google states that data from active Search Labs experiments is not included in Search Console.
This is important during manual testing. An appearance in an experimental interface may not be visible in the reports.
Monitor:
These signals do not independently prove presence in an AI feature because they are combined with the rest of the Web search traffic.
Monitor:
Use a limited set of genuine business questions and record:
| Field | What to Record |
|---|---|
| Query | The exact wording |
| Date and market | Date, country, language and device |
| Feature | AI Overview or AI Mode |
| Cited URL | The exact page, not only the domain |
| Context | Which claim or subtopic the URL supports |
| Competitors | Which other sources are displayed |
| Accuracy | Whether Google presents the information correctly |
| Repeatability | Whether the result appears in subsequent checks |
Do not change your strategy after one screenshot. Compare trends and groups of closely related queries.
Google states that AI is integrated into Search. Standard Googlebot controls are used for crawling.
Use noindex only when the page should not appear in Google Search at all.
This also removes the possibility of the page being used as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
The following may be used:
nosnippet;data-nosnippet;max-snippet.These controls affect the amount of content Google may display from the page.
They should be used carefully. Because eligibility for a supporting link requires the page to be capable of appearing with a snippet, an overly restrictive setting may reduce visibility opportunities.
Blocking Google-Extended is not the same as opting out of AI Overviews or AI Mode in Search.
For AI features in Search, the main controls remain Googlebot and the standard Search preview directives.
This increases the risk of cannibalization. If the existing owner page solves the same problem, improve it first.
Markup should not be selected only because it appears “AI friendly”. Use the schema type that matches the actual content.
A large number of short pages without independent value does not create a useful architecture.
A service page should explain the service and the conversion path. An informational article should solve the specific question in depth and lead naturally to the service.
All links within one AI Overview receive the same position. The metric does not reveal which source appears visually first within the block.
Traffic is also affected by:
Do not draw causal conclusions without sufficient data.
Before looking for special tactics, check:
200 OK and the complete content?GEO and AEO are industry concepts related to visibility in generated and direct answers. Their definitions and the differences between them are explained in the GEO and AEO guide.
Google AI Overviews and AI Mode are specific features within Google Search. They use Google Search infrastructure, Googlebot, standard Search controls and Search Console reporting.
ChatGPT Search is a separate system with different crawlers and a different citation interface. Its mechanics are explained in the article How ChatGPT Chooses Which Websites to Cite.
This distinction is important. One universal technical setting does not control every AI search interface.
Google states that there are no additional requirements or special optimization. The core SEO practices, technical requirements and Search policies apply.
Not as a requirement for Google AI Overviews or AI Mode. Google explicitly states that no new AI text files or machine-readable files are required.
No. Use the applicable structured data types and make sure the markup matches the visible content.
No. Google-Extended is not the control for AI features in Search. Googlebot, noindex and snippet controls are used for Search.
Yes. A click to an external page from an AI Overview or AI Mode is reported as a click. The data is included under the Web search type.
No separate standard search type is provided. The data is mixed with the rest of the Web search traffic.
An AI Overview occupies one position and all its links receive the same position. This does not show the internal order of the sources.
No. Indexing and snippet eligibility are conditions for eligibility, but Google does not guarantee display or inclusion.
When a website does not appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, the reason may be technical, content-related or architectural.
As part of AI search engine optimization, we review:
We do not promise guaranteed inclusion. The goal is to remove verifiable obstacles and prepare the website so that the correct pages are eligible, clear and useful supporting sources.
Sources checked on 13 July 2026.
