Being featured in these AI Overviews is like receiving a special spotlight for any business or website. It allows more people to see your brand. But here’s the trick: your competitors want that spotlight too!
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about how to “snoop” on your rivals – meaning, how to check what your competitors are doing in these AI Overviews. We’ll learn how to get the inside scoop so you can make your own brand shine brighter and stay ahead of the game.
What Are These AI Overviews Anyway?
Let’s start with the basics. AI Overviews are short answers or summaries that Google’s smart computer programs create. They appear at the very top of your Google search results. Instead of just a list of blue links, you get a direct answer.
How do they work? Google uses its own powerful AI technology, like Google Gemini, to create these summaries. Gemini is like a super-smart brain that can read and understand tons of information from all over the internet. It then puts the most important parts together for you.
These AI Overviews can show up in different ways. You might see:
- A simple answer box: Just a few lines of text directly answering your question.
- Bulleted lists: Easy-to-read points for steps or facts.
- Pictures and videos: Sometimes these are included right in the summary.
- Product lists: If you’re searching for something to buy, you might see a list of products.
- And other bits of helpful content!
They’re designed to give you quick, useful information right there on the search page.
Why It’s Smart to Watch Your Rivals in AI Overviews
So, why should you care if your competitors are showing up in AI Overviews? It’s super important for a few big reasons:
- Getting Noticed (Brand Visibility): If your brand is mentioned or shown in an AI Overview, it’s like getting free advertising at the very top of Google. You want that! If your competitors are there and you’re not, they’re getting seen more.
- Looking Good Online (Reputation Management): What AI Overviews say about a brand can really shape how people see it. If a competitor is consistently featured as a top answer, it builds their trust and reputation. You want to know if that’s happening.
- Staying Ahead (Competitive Positioning): The way AI Overviews work changes how websites get noticed on Google. Before, it was all about being #1 in the regular search list. Now, an AI Overview can be above that #1 spot. You need to know how your rivals are adapting so you can adapt too.
- Website Visitors (Organic Traffic Impact): When an AI Overview gives a direct answer, people might not click on any website. This can mean fewer free visitors (organic traffic) for websites. If your competitors are grabbing all the AI Overview spots, it could mean they’re taking away potential visitors from your site.
Knowing what your competitors are doing helps you plan your own steps better.
Handy Tools to Spy on AI Overviews
Good news! There are special tools that can help you track what’s happening with AI Overviews, both for your own website and your competitors. Think of them as your secret spy gadgets.
Here are some popular ones mentioned recently (as of July 2025):
- Otterly.AI: This is a newer tool specifically made to track how your brand and content are used in Google AI Overviews, plus other AI search tools like ChatGPT. It helps you see where your brand is mentioned and where links come from.
- Ahrefs (with Brand Radar): Ahrefs is a big name in website analysis. Their “Brand Radar” feature can now track how often your brand is mentioned in AI answers from different AI search tools, including Google’s. It helps you compare your brand’s visibility with others.
- Semrush: Another very popular tool for websites. Semrush allows you to see if your website or your competitor’s website is showing up in AI Overviews for certain keywords. You can filter search results to just see the AI summaries.
- SEOmonitor: This tool helps you track AI Overviews every day and see how the content in those summaries changes over time. It’s great for seeing who’s featured and how your competitors are doing.
- SE Ranking: This tool lets you track the presence of AI Overviews for your keywords and see which websites are being used as sources in those AI summaries. It helps you compare your performance with rivals.
- Authoritas: This tool helps you track AI Overview rankings and figure out which competitors are appearing there.
- Advanced Web Ranking: This tool can also help you see if your content is being picked for AI Overviews and how it impacts your visibility.
- ZipTie: This is another newer tool focused on tracking your success in AI search engines like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. It helps you compare with competitors and find opportunities.
How to Make Your Content Better for AI Overviews
Once you’ve done your homework on your competitors, it’s time to improve your own articles. Here are simple ways to make your content more accountable to be featured in AI Overviews:
- Be Super Clear and Direct: Answer the main question or topic right at the start of your article, in the first few sentences. Think of it as giving the “punchline” first.
- Write Like an Expert (and Show It!): Make sure your content is accurate, well-researched, and shows you really know your stuff. Link to other trustworthy sources if you use their info.
- Organise Your Content Well: Use clear headings, short paragraphs, bullet points, and numbered lists. This makes your article easy for both people and AI to read and understand.
- Use “Hidden Tags” (Structured Data): This is like adding invisible labels that help AI understand the different parts of your content. For example, if you have a “Questions and Answers” section, you can use special code (FAQ markup) to tell Google’s AI exactly what those questions and answers are. This makes it easier for the AI to pull them into an overview.
- Listen to Feedback: Pay attention to what people ask in comments or on social media. This can give you ideas for how to make your content even more helpful and complete.
Conclusion
So, understanding how to perform competitive analysis focused on AI Overview results is no longer just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-do. By regularly checking what your competitors are doing in these new AI summaries, you gain valuable insights. You learn what kind of content Google’s AI favours, and you can use that knowledge to make your own website better.
This isn’t about giving up on getting visitors to your website. It’s about being smart, watching the game, and adjusting your plays. By doing your homework and making your content super clear and helpful, you not only enhance your chances of showing in AI Overviews but also make your entire website much stronger and more useful for everyone. This is how you stay ahead in today’s fast-changing online world.
If all this talk of AI Overviews and competitive analysis feels a bit overwhelming, you don’t have to tackle it alone! We’re here to help. Contact us at Rankingeek Marketing Agency today for SEO services that will help you understand these changes and make sure your brand stands out in the new world of AI search.
