Google’s AI Overviews Are Changing the Game—

Here’s How to Keep Winning

By Dipa Gandhi

 

 

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When Google rolled out AI Overviews (formerly known as SGE), many home service contractors saw their visibility shift overnight. The traditional blue links are now competing with AI-generated summaries that dominate the top of the search results page. These AI Overviews pull information from multiple sources to answer search queries instantly—without always driving traffic to your site.

This has raised one critical question:

**How do you get your business featured in AI Overviews—**especially when you depend on organic visibility to generate leads?

Let’s break it down.

The Game Has Changed for Contractors

In the past, ranking on page one of Google meant higher visibility and more calls. But now, AI Overviews are often the first (and sometimes the only) thing searchers see. This is particularly challenging for service area businesses who don’t have a physical storefront and rely on online lead generation.

Here’s what’s happening:

• AI Overviews pull content from top-ranking sites to create their own summaries.
• They favor trustworthy, structured, and information-rich content.
• Traffic to individual business websites may drop if the overview answers the query completely.

For example, a homeowner searching for “how to unclog a toilet without a plunger” might get a complete solution directly from the AI Overview—without ever clicking on a plumbing website.

Now, if that solution includes your business’s name or content, you’ve got a chance at visibility. If not, you’re invisible.

Why Traditional SEO Alone Isn’t Enough Anymore

One landscaping company in Phoenix invested heavily in SEO: blog posts, service pages, location pages—the whole strategy. They saw solid traffic for years. But once AI Overviews launched, they noticed a 25% drop in clicks for their “xeriscaping tips” blog post. Their content was still ranking on page one, but it was no longer the first thing users saw.

That’s because AI Overviews were pulling snippets from better-structured, more authoritative sources. Their site was missing schema, lacked internal linking, and didn’t use concise answers—making it less appealing for Google’s AI to feature.

Get AI to Choose You: What Actually Works

AI Overviews don’t work like the old-school 10-blue-links search results. You need to teach Google’s AI that your site is the authority. Here’s how to do that:

1. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Google relies on structured data to understand your content. Without it, you’re invisible to AI.

• Add schema to blog articles, FAQs, reviews, and services.
• Use the “HowTo” schema for step-by-step guides (great for home service tutorials).
• Use the “Service” schema to describe your offerings clearly.

2. Create Answer-First Content

AI Overviews prioritize clear, concise answers.

• Start each blog post or section with a direct, 1–2 sentence answer.
• Follow with supporting details and examples.
• Use H2s and bullet points for scannability.

Example: Instead of starting a blog with “Here are some tips to…” say:
“To unclog a toilet without a plunger, pour hot water and dish soap into the bowl and wait 10–15 minutes.”

3. Establish Topical Authority

AI pulls from sources that demonstrate deep, consistent knowledge on a topic.

• Cover your niche thoroughly. If you’re a roofer, don’t just talk about shingle repair—cover roof ventilation, flat roofs, seasonal prep, and insurance claims.
• Interlink between posts to create a knowledge hub.

4. Win Trust Signals

Google favors trusted sources. Build that trust with:

• High-quality backlinks from industry sites or local chambers of commerce.
• Expert author bios (especially for blog content).
• Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) info across directories.

5. Monitor What AI Overviews Show

Search for your top services and see what sources AI is pulling from.

• Note what kind of content appears: is it FAQs? Tutorials? Lists?
• Adjust your content to match the format that’s getting featured.
• Use tools like Google Search Console and AI monitoring platforms to see changes in visibility.

Real-World Win: The Electrician Who Got Featured

A mid-sized electrical contractor in Tampa updated their site to include structured data, added how-to blog posts (like “How to Reset a Tripped Breaker”), and made sure each post led with a crisp, actionable tip.

Within 6 weeks, their traffic to those posts bounced back—and one of their tips started showing up in Google’s AI Overview for “how to fix a tripped breaker.” That led to more local awareness, brand recognition, and eventually, more booked jobs.

Don’t Get Replaced by AI—Get Quoted by It

AI isn’t trying to shut out small businesses. It’s trying to serve users better. If you position yourself as a helpful, authoritative, and clear voice in your field, AI will treat your content as a source—not a footnote.

To recap, here’s your action checklist:

✅ Add schema markup to your site (especially “HowTo” and “Service”).

✅ Lead content with clear, direct answers.

✅ Build deep, topic-rich content in your niche.

✅ Earn trust with local links and consistency.

✅ Watch AI Overviews to spot content gaps.

The future of SEO isn’t just about getting clicked—it’s about being quoted. If AI chooses your words, your business stays top of mind.