Do you want to be among those Google highlights in AI Overview?

Does Google choose the same players every time, or does it change from search to search? Our AI & SEO Product Owner, Matti Ljungberg, has investigated this.

In the test, around 65% of the players appeared again, while approximately 35% varied from search to search.

This indicates that Google works with a relatively stable pool of players and selects among them.

How Matti tested Google’s AI Overview

To examine the stability of the selection of players, Matti used the search query:

“Denmark’s best SEO expert”

It was run 10 times at a time across 7 related SEO searches—140 searches in total—with two different waiting times between each search.

Each search was sent as a unique query to avoid Google simply showing a saved response.

The purpose was to measure how often the same players appear in AI Overview, and how often they are replaced.

The test showed that most players were consistent, while a smaller share varied.

AI Overview therefore does not function as a fixed placement, but as an ongoing selection within a defined pool.

What does this mean for your visibility?

AI Overview does not work like classic ranking, where a single position is maintained over time.

Instead, the analysis suggests that Google assesses a pool of credible players and dynamically selects among them.

If you are not part of that pool, you will not be shown. Conversely, if you are, you may be selected—but not necessarily every time.

This does not change the need for classic SEO, but it expands the requirements for how expertise and credibility are documented digitally.

3 common traits among those Google selects in AI Overview

Although Google does not publish its exact logic, the analysis shows clear patterns.

Here are three recurring characteristics.

1. They answer specific questions clearly and precisely

The players that recur have content that is:

• Structured
• Focused
• Easy to quote

They answer specific questions clearly—without detours and without generic phrasing.

AI Overview favors content that:

• Has clear headings
• Uses bullet points
• Has short, precise paragraphs
• Makes the conclusion clear early on

It is not about writing more. It is about writing more usefully.

2. They come across as specialists—not generalists

The players that are selected again and again have a clear professional position.

They demonstrate depth within a defined area rather than covering things broadly and superficially.

This requires documented expertise:

• Cases
• Certifications
• Named specialists
• Concrete projects

In practice, this means you need to work on making your most important professional answers sharper and more structured—preferably in bullet points rather than a “wall of text”.

At the same time, structured data (schema markup) can make it easier for Google to understand and use your content in AI answers.

Read more about structured data here.

3. They are used and mentioned outside their own website

The players that recur rarely stand alone on their own platform.

They are also:

• Quoted in industry media
• Used in analyses or studies
• Associated with well-known companies
• Referred to by others

Google does not only assess what you say about yourself. It also assesses whether your expertise is recognized more broadly.

If all your visibility exists only on your own website, it is harder to build the same position.

Can you increase the likelihood of being selected?

Yes—but not by “hacking” the system.

You cannot control who Google selects for any given search.
But you can work strategically to become part of the pool Google considers credible.

This requires that you:

1. Own the key questions in your field
2. Document your expertise clearly
3. Build authority both on and off your own website

You can also test how Google “thinks” when it composes AI answers, using Matti’s free tool here.

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Matti Ljungberg

AI & SEO Product Owner

[email protected]

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