Key takeaways
  • Google says there are no special requirements for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Normal SEO is the entry ticket.
  • To be cited, a page must be indexed and eligible to show a snippet. Check that first.
  • ChatGPT search needs OAI-SearchBot allowed in robots.txt. Perplexity needs PerplexityBot.
  • You don't need llms.txt or special "AI schema." Google says so in writing.
  • You can measure it: Search Console's generative AI reports are open to all sites since August 31, 2026.

How AI Overviews pick their sources

An AI Overview isn't a separate index. It's built on Google Search. To appear as a supporting link, Google says a page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet. Those are the same requirements as a normal result.

AI Overviews and AI Mode can also use what Google calls "query fan-out". They run several related searches across subtopics, then pull supporting pages for each one.

That's good news for smaller sites. You don't need to rank #1 for the main keyword. A page that clearly answers one sub-question can still earn a link.

And AI Overviews don't show on every search. Google only shows them when they add something to the classic results, so many searches have none.

What you don't need (despite what you've heard)

A lot of "AI SEO" advice sells things Google has said in writing are unnecessary:

  • No llms.txt or "AI text files." Google's documentation says you don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files or markup to appear in these features.
  • No special schema. There's no AI-specific structured data to add. Normal structured data that matches your visible content is what counts.
  • No separate "AI version" of your content. Write for people. The same page serves classic results and AI answers.
  • Don't block Googlebot to "protect" content. AI is built into Search, so your robots.txt rules for Googlebot control both. Block it and you leave Search entirely.
Worth knowing: Google-Extended is a separate control. It limits AI training and grounding in some of Google's other systems. It is not the switch for AI Overviews.

The 8-point checklist

This is what I run on every site before talking about "AI visibility." Most of it is classic SEO done properly.

  1. Confirm you're indexed. Run URL Inspection in Search Console on your key pages. Not indexed means not eligible, for blue links or AI answers.
  2. Remove accidental snippet blocks. Look for nosnippet, max-snippet:0 or noindex left behind by a theme or plugin. More restrictive settings limit how your content can appear.
  3. Check your host and CDN. Google names robots.txt, CDNs and hosting as places where crawling gets blocked. Aggressive "bot protection" sometimes blocks the good bots too.
  4. Answer first, then explain. Open each section with a direct one- or two-sentence answer. Fan-out searches are specific, and a clear answer is easy to cite.
  5. Cover the follow-up questions. People ask AI Mode longer questions, then follow up. Answer what a buyer asks next: price range, timeline, areas served, how it works.
  6. Keep key facts in text. Prices, services, hours and locations belong in page text, not only in images or PDFs.
  7. Add real images and video. People now search with photos too. Original photos of your work, products or premises beat stock images.
  8. Make structured data match the page. If your schema says one thing and the page shows another, fix it. Google's guidelines require markup to match visible content.

Not sure where your site stands on these? My free SEO checker covers robots.txt, sitemap, schema and the basics in about 30 seconds.

ChatGPT, Perplexity and Copilot

Google isn't the only AI your customers ask. The others also respect robots.txt, and each has its own crawler:

  • ChatGPT search: allow OAI-SearchBot. OpenAI says sites that block it won't be shown in ChatGPT search answers. Changes take about 24 hours to apply.
  • GPTBot is different. It collects content to train OpenAI's models. You can block it and still appear in ChatGPT search. That's a business decision, not an SEO one.
  • Perplexity: allow PerplexityBot. Perplexity says it surfaces and links sites in results and isn't used to train models.
  • Microsoft Copilot: draws on Bing. Verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools and submit your sitemap. You can import everything from Search Console in a couple of minutes.

A simple robots.txt that keeps all of these open looks like this:

User-agent: *
Allow: /

User-agent: OAI-SearchBot
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml

For local businesses: your Business Profile is your AI profile

Google lists an up-to-date Business Profile and Merchant Center as AI best practices. For a local business, the profile is often where an AI answer gets your hours, location and services.

  • The same name, address and phone on your profile, website and directories
  • Hours, services and service areas filled in completely
  • Fresh photos, and recent reviews with replies

Last week I audited a wholesale supplier's site in the UAE. It had no robots.txt, no sitemap, a share image that returned a 404, and two different office addresses on the same website.

Each of those gives Google, or any AI, a reason to trust the information less. The technical fixes took one afternoon. The address question needed the owner.

How to measure it

You can finally see this in data. Google launched generative AI performance reports in Search Console in June 2026, and since August 31, 2026 they're available to all websites. They show:

  • Impressions: how often your URLs appeared in AI features in Search and Discover
  • Pages: which URLs appeared
  • Countries, devices and dates: where, on what, and when

These impressions are also counted in your overall Performance report, so don't add the two together.

Then look past impressions. Google says clicks from results pages with AI Overviews tend to be higher quality: visitors spend more time on the site. Judge AI visibility by what happens after the click: calls, WhatsApp messages, form fills and sales.

My monthly routine: check which pages the generative AI report shows, then check whether those pages produce leads. Pages with impressions but no leads usually need a clearer next step. See my post on website conversion mistakes.

Where to start

If you do only three things this week: check indexing in Search Console, make sure robots.txt allows Googlebot, OAI-SearchBot and PerplexityBot, and rewrite your top five service pages so each section opens with a direct answer.

If you'd rather have it done properly, that's what my SEO service covers, from technical fixes to content. Or message me on WhatsApp and I'll tell you honestly what's holding your site back.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay to appear in AI Overviews?

Not as a cited source. Ads can show above or below AI Overviews, and inside them in eligible markets, but the source links are chosen organically.

Do I need to rank #1 to be cited?

No. Because of query fan-out, AI features pull supporting pages for several related searches. A page that answers one specific question well can be linked without ranking first for the main keyword.

Should I add an llms.txt file?

Not for Google. Google says you don't need AI text files, new machine-readable files or special markup to appear in AI features. Spend that time on content and crawlability.

Will blocking GPTBot remove me from ChatGPT?

No. GPTBot collects content for training OpenAI's models. ChatGPT search uses OAI-SearchBot, so keep that one allowed.

How long does it take to appear?

There's no separate approval or queue. If a page is indexed and eligible for a snippet, it can be used whenever an AI answer is shown for a relevant search. Competitive questions take the same steady work as ranking.

Keep reading: SEO for small businesses: 7 things that move the needle · Google Ads vs SEO: where to invest first

Sources: Google: AI features and your website · Google: succeeding in AI search · Google: generative AI performance reports · Google Ads Help: ads and AI Overviews · OpenAI: crawlers · Perplexity: crawlers