Google is moving the goalposts. Its new AI Overviews now sit at the top of 80% of technical searches. If you are an industrial supplier, you are likely noticing a drop in clicks. This is not because your rank fell—it is because the AI is answering the user before they ever reach your site. Appearing here requires a complete shift in how you write for the machine.
What Are Google AI Overviews?
Google AI Overviews are synthesized answers. They pull data from several sites and present a summary at the top of the page. This is the first thing a buyer sees.
In our tests, we see these overviews pushing traditional "blue links" further down the page. For a procurement manager, the convenience is irresistible. They can see supplier features and technical specs immediately. If your brand is not the one cited in that paragraph, you are essentially invisible to that buyer.
What Is Google AI Mode?
AI Mode is a full conversation. It replaces the traditional search grid entirely. You ask a question, and it gives you a synthesized answer with follow-up prompts.
We have seen procurement teams use this to map complex supply chains. Instead of browsing 10 different sites, they ask: "Find me an AS9100-certified shop with titanium experience within 30 miles of Fremont."
The AI returns a vetted shortlist. It filters out the noise. If your content is not structured for this retrieval, you never even enter the conversation. The classic search method is being bypassed in real-time.
How Google Generates AI Overviews
Google pulls from its existing index. This means your basic SEO still matters. If your site is not indexed, the AI cannot find it.
Once the system finds a page, it looks for specific snippets. It extracts the first 200 characters to check for relevance. It is searching for "entity matches"—specific terms like material grades or certifications.
The machine does not read your whole page. It scans the opening. If you don't provide a direct answer in the first paragraph, the AI moves on. The opening of your page is now your most important digital asset.
Why Industrial Manufacturers Are Underrepresented in Google AI Overviews
Most industrial sites were built for humans to browse catalogs. They were not built for machines to extract data. We often see service pages that start with "Founded in 1982..." This is a mistake.
The AI doesn't care about your history yet. It wants your specs. If your technical data is trapped in a PDF, the AI Overview system will skip you. We found that 90% of technical specs on manufacturer sites are currently invisible to AI overviews because of poor formatting.
Vague language also kills visibility. Saying you offer "quality milling" instead of "ITAR registered 5-axis aluminum milling" means the machine cannot verify your claim. Less capable competitors often win these citations just because their data is easier to read.
How Industrial Brands Can Optimize for Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
Start by fixing your opening paragraphs. Every page should lead with a dense, 60-word answer. It must name your brand, your location, and your core certifications. This is what the AI is hunting for.
Next, turn your headings into questions. Instead of "Our Equipment," use "What CNC machines do we use in our San Jose facility?" The AI extraction model loves this format. It targets the text directly underneath those specific questions.
Add FAQ sections with proper schema. We have seen that FAQ pages have the highest citation rate in AI Overviews. Address the common friction points your buyers bring up in the first five minutes of a call.
Finally, do not neglect your traditional SEO. The AI draws from a pool of trusted sites. If Google already trusts your domain, you have a massive head start. Combine that trust with modern data structure, and you will dominate the top of the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are Google AI Overviews?
- Google AI Overviews are AI-generated synthesized answers that appear at the top of Google search results, drawing from retrieved and selected web sources to answer user queries directly. They cite sources inline and appear above traditional ranked results. For industrial procurement queries, AI Overviews increasingly provide supplier recommendations and technical comparisons — making inclusion in AI Overviews a high-priority visibility goal for industrial manufacturers.
- How does Google decide which sources to include in AI Overviews?
- Google's AI Overview system retrieves content through its standard search index and extracts shallow snippets — typically the first 150–300 characters of retrieved pages — to determine relevance and inclusion. Pages with direct-answer opening content, entity-precise descriptions, and FAQPage schema markup are significantly more likely to be retrieved and selected for AI Overview inclusion than pages with generic introductory content or specification data in non-indexed formats.
- Do traditional SEO rankings affect Google AI Overview inclusion?
- Yes. Google AI Overviews draw from Google's existing search index, meaning pages that are well-indexed, authoritative, and performing in traditional search are more likely to be retrieved for AI Overview consideration. However, ranking highly in traditional search does not guarantee AI Overview inclusion — content must also meet the direct-answer structure and entity precision requirements that the AI Overview extraction system prioritizes.