AI Overviews: How Best-Of Pages Get Included

2026-01-18•7 min read

Key Takeaways

•AI Overviews synthesize multiple sources: Your page may contribute partial answers
•Headings drive extraction: Clear H2s matching search intent get pulled
•Evidence blocks matter: Specific data and quotes are more likely to be cited
•FAQ sections are goldmines: Direct Q&A format matches AI Overview structure

Google AI Overviews (formerly SGE) synthesize answers from multiple web sources. Best-of pages are frequently cited because they directly answer comparison and recommendation queries.

What AI Overviews Pull from Best-Of Pages#

AI Overviews don't reproduce entire pages—they extract specific elements that answer the user's question:

Top recommendations and rankings
Key differentiators between products
Pricing information
Pros and cons summaries
Direct answers from FAQ sections
Specific claims with evidence

Optimizing Headings for Extraction#

Headings signal content structure to AI. Use question-format headings and explicit labels.

Effective Headings

What is the best CRM for small business?
Top 5 Project Management Tools Compared
Notion vs Asana: Which is Better?
Best Value: [Product Name]

Weak Headings

Our Thoughts
More Options
The Details
What We Found

Creating Extractable Summaries#

AI Overviews often pull from summary sections. Structure these for easy extraction:

1
Quick picks at the top
Bulleted list with "Best Overall," "Best Value," etc.
2
One-sentence verdicts
After each product review, include a single-sentence conclusion.
3
Comparison table
Structured data that AI can parse and reproduce.
4
TL;DR section
A "Bottom Line" section summarizing your recommendations.

FAQ Sections for AI Overviews#

FAQ sections are particularly valuable because they match the question-answer format AI Overviews use. Optimize them by:

Use actual questions people search for
Provide direct answers in the first sentence
Keep answers concise (2-4 sentences)
Include specific data or examples
Add FAQ schema markup

Evidence Blocks That Get Cited#

AI Overviews prefer specific, verifiable claims over vague statements.

Pros

"In our testing, Notion loaded 40% faster than Asana"
"Pricing starts at $12/user/month (as of January 2026)"
"Based on 500+ user reviews analyzed"

Cons

"It's really fast"
"Affordable pricing"
"Users love it"

Freshness Matters

AI Overviews favor recent content. Include visible "Last updated: [Date]" and update regularly to maintain visibility.

Frequently Asked Questions#

How do I check if my content appears in AI Overviews?

Search queries your content targets while signed out. AI Overviews appear at the top of results for eligible queries. Note that they don't appear for all searches.

Can I opt out of AI Overviews?

Currently, there's no direct opt-out. However, pages that don't provide clear, extractable answers are less likely to be included.