How Content Optimisation Secured a Spot in Google’s Generative AI Overview

Google’s new Generative AI Overviews (AIOs) are rapidly changing the search landscape in Australia. They’re influencing which content is seen first, how users navigate results, and what businesses need to do to stay visible.

As Google shifts attention towards AI-generated summaries instead of traditional rankings, many brands risk seeing their organic traffic fall. For brands that act early, though, there’s a real opportunity to strengthen their presence by appearing within these new summaries.

The following case study shows how we helped a client not only maintain their search visibility but also secure a leading position in an AI Overview by adapting their content to meet the needs of both AI and real users.

The Client Challenge

Our client, No Birds Car Rental, had created strong organic content but was not appearing in AIOs for a high-value query: “Can I hire a car on P plates?”.

Despite ranking well in traditional organic results, their page wasn’t being selected for the AI Overview. We approached the page as if we were rewriting it for a new audience — one that skims fast, favours clarity, and needs answers upfront.

The goal was simple. Make the content more precise, better structured, and more relevant to the user’s question without losing the human tone that builds trust.

Our Approach

We focused on two key areas to improve the chances of No Birds Car Rental appearing in the AI Overview for “Can I hire a car on P plates?”

1. Enhancing Fluency and Readability

• Simplified the language. We aimed for a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 8 or below, avoiding jargon and writing in plain English.
• Shortened sentences and paragraphs. Keeping sentences under 20 words and paragraphs to 2–3 sentences made the page more scannable.
• Structured with clear headings. We used descriptive H2s and H3s to guide both AI systems and human readers through the content.
• Used dot points and lists. Breaking down detailed information into bullet points helped improve clarity and quick extraction.

2. Structuring for Quick AI Extraction

• Answered key questions at the top. We positioned the most important information early in each section.
• Defined terms clearly. Any complex terms were introduced and explained at the beginning of the relevant sections.
• Introduced structured formats. We incorporated FAQS, tables, and clear lists to support AI-driven scanning.
• Highlighted important points. We used bold text sparingly to draw attention to key insights.

Throughout the process, we balanced natural readability with precision to ensure that both AI systems and users found the content useful.

The Outcome

After the optimisations were implemented, No Birds Car Rental achieved a featured position in Google’s Generative AI Overview for the search query “Can I hire a car on P plates”.

Their content wasn’t only cited first in the carousel but was also highlighted separately at the end of the AI Overview. This meant they stood out with a dedicated mention, while major competitors like Budget and Avis were grouped under a broader category.

The outcome was a significant boost in visibility and brand authority, exactly when search behaviours were starting to shift.

Key Lessons

For businesses looking to future-proof their search presence, the approach is clear:

• Prioritise fluency and readability. Aim for simple, intelligent writing that flows naturally.
• Structure content for easy extraction. Use headings, FAQs, lists and simple formats that help AI quickly interpret the page.
• Answer the user’s question early. Lead with value instead of saving key insights for later.
• Use formatting carefully. Bold key takeaways to help important points stand out without overwhelming the reader.

The businesses that adapt their content for AI Overviews today will be the ones leading tomorrow’s search landscape.

If you are ready to find out whether your content is AI Overview-ready, contact us to discuss our AI Overview Presence Check. We can help you take the next step to future-proof your digital performance.