Google AI Overviews for local businesses: what you need to know in 2025

What are Google AI Overviews?

Google AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google search results for certain queries. For local businesses, they represent a significant shift — pushing organic results further down the page, but also creating a new opportunity to appear in the AI-generated content itself.

Which queries trigger AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are more likely to appear for informational queries like how to choose a dentist or what a conveyancing solicitor does, comparison queries like best accounting software for small business, and complex questions that benefit from a synthesised answer.

How Google selects sources for AI Overviews

The selection criteria overlap with traditional SEO, with additional factors. Direct answer alignment means content that clearly answers the query is favoured. Structured content with headings, bullet points, and FAQ sections is easier for AI to parse. FAQPage and HowTo schema help Google understand and surface your content. Freshness matters for some queries.

Practical steps for local businesses

Write thorough, accurate answers to the questions your customers ask. Use clear H2 and H3 headings. Start paragraphs with the key point. Use bullet points for lists. Include a FAQ section on key service pages.

At minimum, local businesses should have LocalBusiness schema on their homepage, FAQPage schema on pages with Q&A content, Service schema on service pages, and AggregateRating schema if you have review data.

Build your E-E-A-T signals by showcasing qualifications, publishing genuine case studies, and maintaining a consistent professional presence across all platforms.

The relationship between AI Overviews and other platforms

The same content and authority signals that help you appear in Google AI Overviews will generally also help you appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini responses. Think of GEO as building a strong, authoritative digital presence — not optimising for any single platform.