What does Google AI Overviews mean?

Google AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that can appear directly in Google Search results. Their goal is to quickly summarize key information for a query and offer links to sources where the user can explore the topic further. Google shows them mainly for queries where generative AI can provide a more useful summary than regular search results. AI Overviews draw on information available in Google Search and can combine insights from multiple sources. For websites and e-shops, they represent a new space for gaining visibility alongside traditional organic results, which is why optimization for AI search is also being addressed.