AI Overviews are Google's generative answers at the top of some results. They synthesise information from multiple pages and link out to sources. Appearing in them is strongly correlated with already ranking well for the query and with content that's easy to extract a clear answer from.
The playbook is AEO in practice: put a direct one-to-two-sentence answer near the top, structure the page with question-style headings, cover the topic thoroughly, add FAQ and structured data, and demonstrate E-E-A-T. Low competition, informational queries are where you can win a spot most easily.
Track which of your queries trigger an Overview and whether you're cited, and watch the click impact — Overviews can reduce clicks even when you're featured. This is the ranking-vs-citation shift in action, and a core reason to invest in GEO / AI visibility.