AI Overviews, GEO and AEO Explained: A Guide for South African Businesses
By Glimpse SEO Agency, Durban Central · Published
AI Overviews are the AI-written summaries Google shows above the normal results for many searches. GEO (generative engine optimisation) and AEO (answer engine optimisation) are the work of getting your business quoted, linked or named inside those answers, and inside ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity too. Together they're usually called AI SEO. None of it replaces regular SEO. It builds on top of it.
This is the overview. For a closer look at each term, read our short explainers on what GEO is and what AEO is.
What are Google AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are short, AI-generated answers at the top of Google's results, with links to the pages they drew from. Google launched them in the US in May 2024 and rolled them out globally by October 2024. South African searchers already see them on everyday searches.
AI Mode is the bigger version: a full conversational search tab where you ask follow-up questions and Google answers with sources. It started rolling out in South Africa on 21 August 2025, alongside Kenya and Nigeria.
How do AI Overviews affect clicks to your website?
They reduce them, for the most part. Ahrefs analysed 300,000 keywords and found that by December 2025, the page ranking first got 58% fewer clicks on average when an AI Overview appeared above it. In April 2025 that drop was 34.5%. The gap is widening.
The flip side: being one of the sources an AI Overview cites puts you in front of the searcher at the very top of the page. Semrush's 2026 AI Visibility Index found 81% of organisations running SEO and AI visibility as one strategy saw more traffic or leads from AI platforms. Only 36% of those running them separately did.
What is the difference between SEO, GEO and AEO?
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in the list of results | Be the direct answer | Be cited or named in AI-written answers |
| Where it shows | Google and Bing results | Featured snippets, AI Overviews, voice answers | AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity |
| Main levers | Content, technical health, links | Answer-first writing, question headings, FAQs | Facts and figures, trusted mentions, consistent business details |
| How you measure it | Rankings, traffic | Snippet and AI Overview appearances | AI citations and brand mentions in AI answers |
In practice they overlap heavily. A page that answers a question clearly, backs it with specifics and is well structured does all three jobs at once.
How does Google decide what goes into an AI Overview?
Google says there's no special markup or extra requirement to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Your page needs to be indexed and eligible to show a snippet in normal search. Beyond that, the same things that help a page rank help it get cited: clear answers, real expertise and a site Google already trusts. AI features also use a "query fan-out" approach, running several related searches behind the scenes, so a page that covers a topic thoroughly gets more chances to be picked up.
What can a South African business do about AI search this month?
- Answer first. Put the direct answer to each page's main question in the first two or three sentences.
- Use question headings. "How much does a licence disc renewal cost in KZN?" matches how people ask AI tools.
- Add specifics. Prices, suburbs, timeframes and named products are what AI answers quote.
- Add schema that matches the page. FAQ, product, local business and article markup help machines read the page, as long as it matches what's visible.
- Keep your business details identical everywhere. Website, Google Business Profile and directories.
- Get mentioned elsewhere. Local news, industry associations and directories all feed what AI tools know about you.
- Test it. Ask ChatGPT and Gemini the questions your customers ask and note whether you come up.
Can you keep your content out of AI Overviews?
Yes. Google's normal snippet controls (like the nosnippet tag) apply to AI features too. But blocking them usually means less visibility, not more traffic. For most businesses, the better move is to be the source that gets cited.
Frequently asked questions
Are AI Overviews available in South Africa?
Yes. South African searchers see AI Overviews on many Google searches. Google's AI Mode tab started rolling out in South Africa on 21 August 2025.
Do I need special schema to appear in AI Overviews?
No. Google says there's no special markup required. Your page needs to be indexed and eligible for a normal search snippet. Schema still helps machines understand your page, so it's worth having.
Is AI SEO different from SEO?
It's an extension of it. AI tools pull most of what they cite from pages that already rank and that Google trusts, so solid SEO comes first. AI SEO adds answer-first writing, specifics and consistent business details on top.
Can I pay to appear in AI Overviews?
Not organically. Citations in AI Overviews can't be bought. Google runs ads in and around AI features in some markets, but those are separate, labelled ads.
How do I know if my business appears in AI answers?
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode the questions your customers ask and record the results each month. Specialist tools can track this at scale.
Want to know whether AI search mentions your business today? See our AI SEO service or WhatsApp us on 070 648 5898.