Google AI Overviews
Google AI Overview is more than just a new feature—it marks the definitive entry of generative AI into the search experience. Now officially launched in Italy and other European countries, this system is set to dramatically reshape how users access information and how content appears in search results.
In this article, we’ll explain what AI Overview is, how it works, the impact on SEO, and how marketers and content creators can adapt to this major shift.
With the official launch of AI Overview in Italy and across Europe, Google marks a decisive shift in the evolution of online search. This isn’t just a new feature, but a structural integration of generative AI into the SERP. In simple terms, Google no longer just lists links based on relevance—it now generates synthetic answers by combining content from multiple sources into a ready-to-read summary, often enriched with multimedia elements.
For users, it’s a positive revolution: fewer clicks, less time spent, and faster answers. For professionals in digital marketing, content creation and SEO, it’s a paradigm shift that requires rethinking how organic visibility is achieved.
AI Overview relies on Google’s Gemini 2.0 language model to synthesize real-time information from multiple sources. The system uses a process called query fan-out, which breaks a question into subtopics, analyzes them separately, then recombines the insights into a structured answer. The output? A natural, original response with links, images, and graphs.
So when a user types a broad question like “how does metabolism work?”, instead of getting a list of links, they’ll see a well-structured summary covering different aspects of the topic drawn from reliable sources.
A frequent question among content creators is how content is selected for inclusion in AI Overviews. According to Google, no special action is needed from publishers. The system automatically evaluates if a generative response can help the user, especially for complex queries that require synthesis across multiple sources.
Links shown within AI Overviews are automatically chosen based on quality, reliability and topical relevance, not through manual tagging or special markup. These links help users explore further and discover content from publishers, creators, businesses, e-commerce platforms, and more.
Google also confirms that these links are logged in Search Console. Clicks, impressions, and positions from AI Overviews are included in standard performance reports. SEO professionals can track the impact of AI Overview traffic using existing tools.
If you don’t want your content to appear in AI Overviews, you can apply existing search preview controls, such as robots.txt or meta robots settings. However, Google emphasizes that browser extensions like Chrome plugins have no effect on how content appears in Overviews.
You can read Google’s official documentation on this topic at AI Overviews and your site.
While featured snippets extract a short piece of text from one source, AI Overviews blend content from multiple sources into a custom-written, longer summary. This isn’t copy-paste—it’s real-time rewriting and reorganization by AI.
This also changes how organic traffic is distributed: many users find what they need within the Overview and don’t click on any links. The “zero-click search” trend becomes even more pronounced.
According to Donato Paolino, SEO Specialist at Dopstart, “This is a bigger shift than the featured snippet introduction. It’s no longer about ranking; it’s about becoming the source chosen by AI.”
Paolino emphasizes that the SEO goal is now to thoroughly cover search intent, not just match keywords: “This is the era of conversational SEO.”
You’ll need more than good writing. Your content should:
Superficial or overly technical pages are less likely to be selected.
AI Overviews have a strong impact on informational queries like how-to guides, definitions, and tutorials. In these cases, users often find answers directly in the summary.
E-commerce is also affected, especially when relying on generic content. However, niche expertise and in-depth product analysis still attract clicks. Paolino confirms: “When users seek expert evaluation, they still visit trusted websites.”
The feature is not shown for all searches. Google shows it only when:
The rollout is gradual and ongoing. In Italy, it’s already active for many queries.
AI Overview is just the beginning. Google is also testing AI Mode, a more interactive experience that lets users ask follow-ups in a chatbot-like dialogue. The result is a new search paradigm that feels more natural and fluid.
We are entering a new era of real-time, visual, conversational search.
Want to improve your visibility in AI Overviews?
Book a free SEO consultation with Dopstart. We’re here to guide your success in the future of search.
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