AI Search · 9 min read · October 19, 2026
How Google AI Overviews Choose Their Sources (and How to Become One)
AI Overviews now sit above the classic blue links for many searches. Here is what the cited pages have in common and how to structure your content to be one of them.
By Ryan Pereyra, Founder & Agency Owner, RPM National
The short answer
AI Overviews pull from pages Google already considers relevant and trustworthy for the query, then favor passages that answer the question clearly and directly. There is no separate application or tag. Strong SEO fundamentals plus answer-first writing is how you get cited.
Answer the question in the first two sentences
Cited passages tend to state the answer plainly before adding nuance. Put a short, direct answer under each question-style heading, then support it with detail, examples and steps.
Headings phrased the way people ask, like “How much does a water heater replacement cost?”, help Google match your section to the query.
Be the page with the specifics
Generic summaries are easy for AI to write on its own. Pages that add something, such as local pricing ranges, a checklist from real jobs or a comparison table, give the model a reason to cite you instead of paraphrasing everyone.
Measure what you can
Search Console reports AI Overview impressions and clicks together with regular results. Watch for queries where impressions rise while clicks stay flat, then strengthen those pages with clearer answers and stronger calls to action so the visitors who do click are ready to buy.
Ryan Pereyra’s take
“Clients worry that AI Overviews will steal their traffic. Some of that is real for simple informational questions. But when someone is choosing a provider, the businesses that get named in the overview are the ones that win the call. Our job is making sure that is you.” — Ryan Pereyra, RPM National
