Short answer
AI Overviews are AI summaries at the top of some Google results, and AI Mode is a separate chat style search. Both are built on Google Search, so the same SEO basics decide which pages get cited. They show up most on informational questions, and they reduce clicks, which makes your Business Profile and reviews even more important.
Key takeaways
- Google says there are no special requirements to appear in AI features beyond being indexed and snippet eligible.
- Semrush saw AI Overviews on 15.69% of queries in November 2025, down from a July peak of 24.61%.
- Whitespark found AI Overviews on 92% of informational local queries but 15% of pure local intent ones.
- Pew found people clicked a regular result on 8% of visits with an AI summary versus 15% without.
- Being cited helps: Seer saw higher click rates for brands cited in AI Overviews.
What are Google AI Overviews and AI Mode?
AI Overviews are short AI written answers shown above the normal results for some searches, with links to supporting pages. AI Mode is a separate tab where people can ask longer questions and follow up in a conversation.
Google's Search Central page on AI features, last updated December 10, 2025, says both may use a query fan out technique, issuing multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources. That means a single question like "how much does a tile roof repair cost in San Diego" can trigger several hidden searches, and pages that answer any of them can be cited.
How often do AI Overviews show up?
On a large share of searches, but not most, and the rate moves. Semrush tracked more than 10 million keywords through 2025 and reported in December 2025 that AI Overviews appeared on 6.49% of queries in January, peaked at 24.61% in July and fell to 15.69% in November.
In a Pew Research Center study of 900 US adults' browsing in March 2025, 18% of Google searches produced an AI summary. Different methods give different numbers, so watch the trend in your own Search Console rather than any one figure.
Do AI Overviews show for local contractor searches?
They show far more on question style searches than on pure "near me" searches. Whitespark manually ran 540 queries across six industries, including plumbers, in Houston, Phoenix and Denver, and published the results in May 2025.
- Informational queries, like why is my water heater leaking, showed AI Overviews 92% of the time.
- Hybrid queries, which mix a question with a place, showed them 97% of the time.
- Pure local intent queries, like plumber near me, showed them 15% of the time.
- The author calls the sample limited, so treat these as a snapshot.
How does Google choose which sources to cite?
Google uses its regular Search systems and quality signals. Its Search Central page says the best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI features and that there are no additional requirements or special optimizations needed to appear. A page must be indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet.
At Search Central Live in July 2025, Google's Gary Illyes said AI Mode and AI Overviews are just features of Search, built on the same Search infrastructure, as reported by Search Engine Journal. In December 2025, Google's Robby Stein said AI Mode has a very strong association to the quality work Google has done over 25 years.
AI Overviews and AI Mode at a glance
| Question | AI Overviews | AI Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Where it shows | Top of some normal Google results | A separate tab for conversational search |
| How sources are found | Google Search index with query fan out | Google Search index with query fan out |
| Special markup needed | No, per Google Search Central | No, per Google Search Central |
| Local details shown | Sometimes, mostly on question searches | Ratings, reviews and hours from Business Profiles and other sources |
| Where traffic shows | Search Console overall search traffic | Search Console overall search traffic |
How can a contractor get cited in AI Overviews and AI Mode?
Answer real customer questions clearly, prove you are qualified, and build your reputation across the web. Robby Stein listed five questions to judge content, as reported by Search Engine Journal in December 2025.
- Is your content directly answering the user's question?
- Is it high quality?
- Does it load quickly?
- Is it original?
- Does it cite sources?
What pages should a contractor build for AI search?
Build pages that answer the questions homeowners ask before they hire. Because of query fan out, one big question gets split into smaller ones, and each smaller answer is a chance to be cited.
- Problem pages, such as signs your slab has a leak or why pavers sink, with a clear answer in the first two sentences.
- Service pages that explain the steps of the job, the time it usually takes and what affects the scope.
- Area pages for the cities you serve, with local details like coastal salt air or older homes west of I 805.
- A credentials section with your CSLB license, insurance and warranty in plain text.
What else helps beyond your website?
Your Business Profile, reviews and mentions on other sites. Whitespark's May 2026 guide to AI Mode calls reviews one of the key sources AI Mode returns for local prompts, and reports that AI Mode summaries show ratings, review counts and hours from Business Profiles or other sources.
Brand mentions matter too. In a May 2025 Ahrefs study of 75,000 brands, branded web mentions correlated with AI Overview visibility at 0.664, compared with 0.218 for backlinks. For a Chula Vista painter or a San Diego pool builder, that means local news, supplier pages, community groups and review sites all feed the picture Google builds of you.
What do AI Overviews mean for calls and clicks?
Expect fewer clicks on the regular results, and more value from being cited and from your Business Profile. Pew found people clicked a traditional result on 8% of visits that had an AI summary, versus 15% of visits that did not. They clicked a link inside the summary on just 1% of visits.
Seer Interactive studied 3,119 search terms from 42 organizations and reported in November 2025 that organic click through rate on queries with AI Overviews fell 61% from June 2024 to September 2025. Brands cited in the overview earned a 35% higher organic click rate than brands that were not. Google's own page says clicks from results pages with AI Overviews are higher quality.
For contractors, the takeaway is practical. Track calls, form fills and direction requests from your Business Profile, not just website visits. Use call tracking and a CRM so you can see which channel brought each job. At WebSEO.pro we set this up for contractors across San Diego County, and our free audit shows where you stand in AI Overviews and AI Mode today.
Sources
- Google Search Central, AI features and your website, 2025-12-10
- Search Engine Journal, Google says no separate framework for GEO (Gary Illyes), 2025-07-23
- Search Engine Journal, Robby Stein names 5 SEO factors for AI Mode, 2025-12-18
- Semrush, AI Overviews Study, 2025-12-15
- Whitespark, The Prevalence of AI Overviews in Local Search, 2025-05-12
- Pew Research Center, Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears, 2025-07-22
- Seer Interactive, AIO Impact on Google CTR, September 2025 Update, 2025-11-04
- Whitespark, Guide to Google's AI Mode for Local Businesses, 2026-05-22