AI dominates today’s search environment, but appearing in AI overviews is dependent on traditional SEO factors such as technical optimization, quality content, E-E-A-T principles, and helpful content. Instead of focusing just on AI overviews, optimize for the search terms where AI results appear. It all comes down to understanding search intent.
Understanding Intent
Understanding search intent means deciding which results Google’s algorithms prioritize. This is determined by content relevance, technical SEO, authority signals, and user behavior (via Navboost). User intent can be simple (such as instructional “how-to” queries or transactional “buy” searches) or complex, requiring careful analysis of search trends.

Using “E-E-A-T” as an example, Google displays informational content because that is what most users seek and click on, even if you offer services such as audits. Also, Google’s preference for YouTube videos in search results means that marketers must embrace video content to remain competitive, especially for informational searches.

When looking for a product like tires (or “tyres” in the UK), even without using terms like “buy” or “for sale,” the results indicate a purchase intent because they focus on purchasing choices. Local listings are important since many people prefer to buy tires locally. The lack of a “People Also Ask” option indicates a transactional rather than informational objective.

A search for “long-distance tires” shows mixed purpose, with both educational and commercial items ranking well. When targeting mixed-intent keywords, make separate pages for each purpose (such as product pages and guides) and link them together. With Google’s frequent upgrades affecting results, keep a close eye on developments but avoid making hasty changes during algorithm rollouts.
Ahrefs and SEMrush categorize search intent and identify mixed-intent searches. Ahrefs’ cannibalization tool exposes page competition for the same keyword.
Google Search Console displays clicks by page, indicating whether a single term leads traffic to many pages. Analyzing click-through rates (CTR) is essential for improving user engagement and ranking.
While optimizing for intent is obvious with ‘how’ or ‘buy’ questions, services like shared ownership’ may appeal to customers seeking both knowledge and purchases. SEO expertise is essential for matching content with user intent and brand objectives.
Source- TheDrum