How To Optimize For Featured Snippets And AI Overviews

AI Overviews And Featured Snippets Are Changing The Search Game

In January 2025, featured snippets appeared for 18% of Google searches. By August 2025, about 83% of them were replaced by AI Overviews, a massive change within a short period. Now, marketers around the globe try to find how to optimize for featured snippets and AI Overviews, as choosing one of the two is not enough. Many of you may even wonder if it's worth spending time optimizing for featured snippets. Google AI Overviews may dominate the zero-click search landscape, but featured snippets are still important for your SEO profile.

Ranking in Google's featured snippets depends on different factors than landing a spot in AI Overviews. However, creating a holistic SEO strategy that tries to succeed in both is crucial to maintain online visibility and increase credibility. Unfortunately, both developments have caused and continue to cause disruption in the search landscape, with many websites noticing a huge organic traffic decline.

While this is terribly upsetting, you can fight back by making the appropriate changes and modifications. Let's see how.

In This Guide, You Will Find...

• What Are Featured Snippets And AI Overviews?
• The SEO Signals That Trigger Featured Snippets
• How To Start Your Optimization Journey
• Should You Prioritize AI Overviews Or Featured Snippets?
• How To Write With AI Overviews In Mind
• How eLearning Industry Gets Content Into Snippets And AI Overviews

What Are Featured Snippets And AI Overviews?

• AI Overviews Vs. People Also Ask

Zero-click search includes eight different types, including AI Overviews, featured snippets, people also ask, direct answer boxes, knowledge panels, shopping results, rich snippets, and local pack results. We won't analyze all of them right now, as the first three are the most popular right now. AI Overviews use Gemini AI to generate comprehensive answers taken from multiple sources around the web. For example, AI may use 2–3 sources to create an answer for your question, and these answers typically appear at the top of the page. That's why AI search optimization is essential for any business to stay visible.

Under AI Overviews, but not directly under them, we usually see a box called People Also Ask that includes similar questions to your original query. These questions have nothing to do with AI and a lot to do with Google's search algorithm.

• Featured Snippet Vs. Regular Search Result

Marketers are still looking into how to optimize for featured snippets even though Google favors AI Overviews. The difference is that featured snippets are taken from only one source, based not on AI but on a page's SEO performance. Basically, a page that ranks on the first page of the regular results is likely to appear as a featured snippet, too. Featured snippets may not be among the emerging marketing industry trends, but they still indicate a healthy and strong SEO profile.

The SEO Signals That Trigger Featured Snippets And AI Overviews

1. Formatting

The complete guide featuring snippets and AI Overviews begins with structure. Both of them love content that is easy to read and understand. This means clear headings, bullet point lists, tables, short paragraphs, numbered lists, and highlighted statistics. This way, AI doesn't have to go through text-heavy articles to locate one piece of information.

But how do you fit this in your SEO content strategy? It's easier than you may think. You can go to Google and type the long-tail key phrase you want to create content about. Check what the zero-click result looks like. It may be a short paragraph or a bullet point list. Choose the same formatting to appeal to the AI search engine.

2. Easy Language

It doesn't matter if you are in an overly technical industry with difficult terminology. Your content should still be easy to understand by even the most untrained reader. Surely, you can and should add relevant terms, but always explain them in simple words. Another tip to optimize for featured snippets and AI Overviews is to use short sentences and paragraphs. Another detail that is rarely discussed is first-person language. While you can use the words "I" and "we," it's best to use the term "you" for most of your content. The first person works well only when you need to share personal experiences.

3. Question-Answer Style Headings

In our extensive research and experience, we've noticed that question-style headings make it easier for Google and AI to understand what your content is about. This is especially true for the first heading of your article. So, start your articles with a "What is [keyword]" heading.

The sooner you answer your article's main question, the faster and easier AI detects it and uses it as a featured snippet or AI Overview. Ideally, you want to add the paragraph with the answer near the top of your article, either in the introduction or under it. This isn't only great for SEO AI optimization but also the logical flow for your content. Also, provide the main answer in a maximum of three sentences, keeping your text clear and concise.

4. Optimize Content That Already Ranks Well

Ranking in Google's featured snippets is easier when your content already ranks on the first page of Google results. From what we know, Google doesn't feature content that isn't on the first page. So, keep optimizing the articles that are already top 10 and those that aren't so they start climbing positions. How? Use clear headings and short, direct answers to the main question. Check website rankings regularly to see whether your changes have delivered any significant improvements.

For AI search engine optimization and the opportunity to rank in AI Overviews, make sure to update your top-performing articles. Google loves fresh content, as it shows you have topical relevance and authority. So, revisit your content every year to add new information, delete outdated material, and enrich your articles with images and videos.

5. Credible Source Citations

Another tip on how to optimize for featured snippets and AI Overviews is citing credible and trustworthy sources to back up your claims. While this doesn't necessarily help you land a featured snippet, it helps you rank higher. And the higher you rank, the more credible Google and AI search engines think you are, therefore increasing your mentions and citations. When we say credible sources, we mean government websites, official research sites, and well-known industry publications. You may even reference the institution that conducted the study you are mentioning. Avoid being vague at all costs.

6. Schema Markup

This is undoubtedly one of the most valuable on-page SEO factors that plays a massive role in AI content optimization. Schema markup helps AI search engines understand your content, increasing your chances of landing a spot in featured snippets and AI Overviews. Structured data like FAQs, Q&As, and how-to guides provide both concise information and clear structure. Also, tables are ideal when you want to present various statistics and data. Such improvements are valuable for voice search optimization, too, as voice assistants usually search for rich results.

7. E-E-A-T

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) may have shifted priorities, but one thing remains the same: Google analyzes your content and your entire website to check if you are authoritative and credible. Enforcing the basic EEAT (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) principles improves your reputation and tells Google that you are worth mentioning. Start by fact-checking your current content to ensure your information is accurate and backed by credible sources.

Additionally, add an author bio to show readers who your thought leader is, what their experience is, and why their perspective matters. Invest in digital PR by regularly writing guest posts on industry-specific publications like eLearning Industry and doing link building and backlink campaigns.

8. Internal Linking And Backlinks

As we already established, trust is monumental for Google snippets and AI Overviews because Google promotes only the most valuable information. Internal linking improves your website's crawlability, as it's easier for algorithms to understand your site's hierarchy and value. Additionally, internal links pass link equity within your site, increasing your authority.

Backlinks, on the other hand, act as votes of confidence, showing Google you are worth its trust. Plus, they pass topical context. The anchor text you use gives search engines signals about your page's content. A powerful link building plan increases your Google rankings and places you on the first page, boosting your chances of getting a spot as a featured snippet and in AI Overviews.

How To Start Your Optimization Journey

• Analyze Your Current Performance

The first step is to understand where you currently stand. Begin by reviewing your data in tools like Google Search Console to see which queries are already driving impressions and clicks. Take a closer look at whether your content is appearing in featured snippets, SEO snippets, or searches where AI-generated summaries are visible.

At the same time, evaluate your competitors' presence by conducting an SEO competitor analysis. Study which of their pages earn prominent placements, and uncover the SEO strategies they use and identify opportunities where your own content can improve or fill gaps. This analysis provides a roadmap for how to optimize for featured snippets and AI Overviews and ensures you're working with a clear sense of direction.

• Put User Experience (UX) First

Once you know your starting point, the next step is to make sure your website truly serves your audience. AI Overviews and snippets reward content that is clear, accessible, and useful. If you want to learn how to rank in AI search engines, your pages should be structured in a way that presents information in a simple and scannable format.

Readers should be able to find answers quickly, which is also key for how to be a featured snippet. Smooth navigation, mobile responsiveness, and fast loading speeds are essential to keeping users engaged. When visitors stay longer, interact with your site, and find what they need without frustration, it sends strong signals to Google and makes your content more likely to be chosen as the best answer.

• Help Google Study Your Website

Search engines need to understand your website just as much as your audience does. This process often begins with a technical SEO audit, which helps uncover hidden issues and ensures your site is fully optimized for crawling and indexing. Building strong internal links shows the relationship between your articles and emphasizes your most important pages.

Clear metadata and well-written titles help Google quickly interpret your content, while structured data markup such as FAQ or How-To schema provides additional context. When your website is organized in a way that highlights both authority and clarity, you make it easy for Google to identify your content as snippet-worthy and valuable for SEO and AI, increasing the likelihood of being featured in AI-generated summaries.

• Maintain Great Online Reputation

Unlike traditional listings, featured snippets combine the precision of structured answers with the authority of trusted sources, allowing your content to be showcased directly within AI-driven summaries. To win this much-needed spot, you must maintain an impeccable online reputation. This means encouraging online reviews from loyal customers. You can automate email sends a while after someone purchases your solution, prompting them to leave their review.

In this case, an online reputation management plan is necessary to keep track of all mentions and testimonials. You must always reply to both positive and negative comments to show you value every opinion. Especially with negative reviews, you must show a willingness to improve and own up to your mistakes.

Should You Prioritize AI Overviews Or Featured Snippets?

The search landscape is shifting quickly, and the debate often comes down to whether brands should aim for featured snippets or focus on AI Overviews. Featured snippets remain a proven way to dominate traditional results, offering concise, direct answers that build authority and attract clicks. At the same time, AI Overviews represent the new layer of discovery within AI-generated search results, where Google blends information from multiple sources into richer, contextual answers.

Thinking of this shift as GEO vs. SEO can be useful: SEO still matters for ranking in classic snippets, but GEO positions your content to be surfaced in the emerging AI-driven experience. Instead of treating these as separate goals, the smarter approach is to see them as complementary. Featured Snippets bring immediate visibility in familiar SERPs, while AI Overviews prepare your brand for the next era of search discovery.

However, if you feel like you have to choose, here are three aspects you should analyze before making up your mind:

• Goals

What are your online goals? Some businesses may be more interested in raising awareness and getting their name out there for more people to see. If this is the case, then you may find AI Overviews more valuable. This approach solves the dilemma of ChatGPT vs. Google, since optimizing for AIOs helps you appear on other AI search engines, too. If, on the other hand, you care more about clicks and website traffic, featured snippets are your go-to solution.

• Search Intent

Whether you're targeting informational, transactional, or commercial keywords, AI Overviews are present on all three. So, it doesn't matter if you want to promote your blog posts or your products, as AI Overviews can help you do both.

• Audiences

If you do a simple Google search for various industries, you will notice that some subjects get more AI Overviews than others. For example, almost every query on medical topics has an AIO. We can't say the same for home and gardening. So, do research regarding topics in your niche and check how often AI Overviews appear. Maybe featured snippets will be better for you.

How To Write With AI Overviews In Mind

Here are a few simple tips of how to optimize for featured snippets and AI Overviews:

• Start each key section with a direct, plain-language answer that could stand on its own, then expand into supporting details to give depth and context.
• Use headings that mirror natural search queries, such as "What is…?" or "Why does… matter?", since AI systems often look for clear question-and-answer formats.
• Keep your writing concise but comprehensive, blending short summaries with richer explanations so it works for both quick extraction and human readers.
• Build credibility by citing data, research, or expert sources where relevant, because AI-generated responses tend to favor content that comes from trustworthy references.
• Strengthen topical relevance by covering related concepts, synonyms, and connected questions, showing that your page offers a complete view of the subject.
• Ensure your content is easy to read and navigate, with smooth flow and formatting that keeps people engaged, since user interaction signals can boost visibility.

How eLearning Industry Gets Content Into Snippets And AI Overviews

• Strategic Content Consulting And SEO Optimization

On eLI, you can post your original or republished articles. But that's not all. Once you submit your article, our editorial team optimizes content with SEO best practices, formatting for AI readability, and schema-aware structure, increasing chances of ranking in Google snippets and being cited in AI-generated results. We also advise vendors on what to write based on current trends.

• Top List Inclusion Signals Authority

Have you ever appeared on a niche-relevant top list? eLearning Industry likes to shed light on eLearning and HR tech businesses that make a difference delivering top solutions. You can add your company name and we will then review your submission. Here are a few of the most popular top lists:

Which Are The Best Learning Management Systems For 2025?

The Best Onboarding Software For New Employees In 2025

The Best Employee Engagement Software For 2024

Top eLearning Content Development Companies (2025 Update)

The Best eLearning Authoring Tools And Course Creation Software (2025 Update)

• Review-Rich Directory Listings Improve Your Discoverability

Another invaluable tip on how to optimize for featured snippets and AI Overviews is to boost your credibility by generating more reviews and testimonials. At eLI, we have various PPC directories where you can create a listing. The more reviews you add to your listing, the higher visibility you receive. Listings with strong reviews tend to outperform generic directories like G2 or Capterra in niche searches. We ensure all reviewers are verified so you don't end up with fake reviews from people who never purchased from you.

• Lead Gen Campaigns With Multi-Channel Exposure

Our content marketing campaigns are designed for both SEO and brand exposure, featuring assets in high-performing placements: newsletter, homepage, social, and more. This layered visibility amplifies your chances of appearing in AI-generated citations and multi-source result boxes.

• We Advise You On What To Write Based On What Performs

Unsure what kind of content gets featured? We help clients define the right topics, titles, and angles to match search trends and audience expectations. Our premium content strategy might be exactly what you need.

• Link Building

When we talk about how to optimize for featured snippets and AI Overviews, we don't necessarily include link building and backlinks, as they do not directly help you. However, a solid SEO strategy starts with link building to establish authority and credibility.

• Media Kit Solutions

But if organic search isn't enough for you, we have plenty of other solutions you can leverage, including newsletter placements, exclusive email blasts, press releases, and many more. Check our Media Kit to discover new possibilities.

Key Takeaway

When thinking about modern visibility in search, it's not enough to focus only on traditional rankings. Marketers now need to ask not just what are featured snippets but also how those results interact with AI-driven summaries. Featured snippets are still valuable because they provide direct answers pulled from a single source, while AI Overviews rely on combining multiple perspectives to create a richer response. The challenge for businesses is learning how to optimize for featured snippets and AI Overviews simultaneously, since both require clarity, authority, and strong topical relevance.

Another overlooked factor is making sure your content can actually get indexed before expecting it to appear in advanced search features. Search engines need clear signals, proper structure, and consistent updates in order to treat your site as trustworthy. If your material is buried, unorganized, or invisible to crawlers, you'll struggle to appear in either snippets or overviews. The real key lies in balancing technical optimization with content that genuinely answers user questions.

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