AI overviews are machine-generated summaries that appear above traditional search results. They provide quick answers to user questions, often without a click. According to Forbes, many businesses are seeing up to a 60% decrease in organic traffic due to these "no-click searches." This means that ranking on page one is no longer enough—your content needs to go one step further.
To appear in AI overviews, your content must be clear, well-organized, and written to answer real user questions—quickly and directly. These overviews, increasingly used by Google and other platforms, summarize content from high-authority websites at the top of search results. If your content isn’t structured for inclusion, you risk losing visibility to competitors who are.
To appear in AI overviews, your content must be structured to be easy to read, easy to extract, and directly relevant to user search intent. These summaries rely on clear formatting to identify which content best answers the question. That means every element on the page—from headings to paragraph structure—needs to support scannability and understanding. The goal is to help readers and AI tools find the most useful, trustworthy response with minimal effort.
This section covers the core formatting principles that make your content more likely to be featured in AI overviews. These aren’t SEO tricks—they’re best practices that improve clarity, build trust, and ensure your information gets seen.
Every main section should start with a complete answer to the heading above it. Think of your content like a well-structured FAQ: users arrive with a question, and your first sentence should clearly and completely give them what they came for. This technique supports both user expectations and how AI tools scan pages for quick takeaways.
Following that initial sentence, use the rest of the section to explain, add context, or expand with relevant details. AI tools often pull that first sentence as the core summary; if it's vague or buried, your content won’t be selected.
AI overviews rely heavily on headings to understand the structure of your page. Clear, descriptive headers help both readers and algorithms find the information they’re looking for. The best way to do this is to write your H2s and H3s as search queries.
Good headings match your audience's language when they type into a search bar. For example:
Avoid vague or decorative headers like “Game-Changing Tools” or “Why It Matters.” Those don’t signal specific intent and are harder for AI to parse. By aligning your headers with user search behavior, you increase your odds of being featured in both AI overviews and traditional featured snippets—and you help guide your readers to exactly what they need.
Short, focused paragraphs make your content easier to read—and easier for AI to extract. Aim for 2–5 sentences per paragraph, with one clear idea per block. This creates a smooth reading experience and ensures nothing important gets buried.
Other ways to keep your content focused include:
Clean formatting helps your audience stay engaged and helps AI systems understand your message
Bullet points are powerful tools for breaking down information, but they only work if readers (and search engines) understand the list. Always include a short introduction that frames the list and explains its relevance.
Without context, a list becomes just a series of disconnected phrases. But with even one or two sentences of setup, a list becomes much more useful and extractable.
Tables and step-by-step instructions are excellent tools for organizing content that compares options or outlines a process. AI systems can easily extract this kind of structured content because it’s logical, easy to follow, and inherently scannable.
These formats are especially valuable in technical or strategic content. When you're helping users take action—like aligning your SEM strategy with buyer intent—clarity of structure makes the advice more actionable and more visible.
Structuring content for AI visibility is part of a broader trend in marketing evolution. AI isn’t just reshaping search—it’s transforming campaign planning, audience targeting, and performance analysis.
From dynamic ad placement to real-time personalization, AI is helping marketers work smarter and faster.
Businesses already use AI to improve campaign efficiency and boost ROI through advanced analytics. Well-structured content supports these systems and makes your expertise easier to surface across channels.
If you want your content to appear in AI-generated summaries, format it like something worth quoting. Answer questions directly. Use clean, intentional structure. And make every section valuable on its own.
This approach won’t just help your rankings—it will help your audience trust you faster.
Want help optimizing your content and strategy for the AI era? Let’s talk.
McClatchy Media helps businesses reach the right audience through AI-driven insights, localized marketing, and custom digital solutions. We’ll make sure your content stands out—wherever customers are searching.