In today’s search landscape, Google’s AI Overviews are becoming more and more common. These AI-generated snapshots sit at the very top of results, summarising answers and linking to sources.
For brands, that raises a key question: how do you make sure your content is the one being cited?
We tackled this challenge with the LTA. By pivoting strategy and optimising content, their presence in AI Overviews jumped from 80 in September 2024 to over 700 by August 2025.
In simple terms, an AI Overview is a summary box at the top of Google’s search results, generated by artificial intelligence using content gathered from across the web. It provides a concise answer to the user’s query – often in a few sentences or bullet points – along with citations (links) to the sources of that information.
An example of an AI Overview analysis LTA owns in SERPS
Two big reasons: visibility and clicks.
The risk? As AI Overviews now appear in around 30% of searches, users might get their answers without ever scrolling further. That’s why adapting your SEO strategy is essential – to make sure your content isn’t left behind.
LTA is the voice of tennis in the UK, with authoritative content covering everything from game rules to coaching tips. By late 2024, their content was strong – but Google’s new AI Overviews were starting to answer tennis queries directly. If LTA could get their expertise featured, it would cement their authority; if not, they risked losing visibility despite strong rankings.
In September 2024, LTA appeared in just 80 AI Overviews, highlighting the challenge: how to make LTA the go-to source for any tennis question Google’s AI set out to answer.
Facing this challenge, we crafted a comprehensive content and SEO strategy for LTA, tailored to perform well in the era of AI-driven search. Our approach wasn’t about chasing some secret “AI hack” – it was about getting the fundamentals absolutely right.
We focused on making LTA’s content so good and so relevant that Google’s algorithms couldn’t help but include it in AI Overviews. Here are the key tactics we implemented:
We restructured LTA’s content for maximum clarity and logic. Each page was organised with descriptive headings and a flowing narrative that tells the right story to the reader (and to Google). This helps Google’s AI digest the content and pull out accurate summaries.
A well-structured page makes it easier for an AI Overview to identify the main points. We wanted any AI-generated snippet about, say, “how to improve your tennis serve” to naturally draw from LTA’s neatly sectioned guide on serving techniques.
We expanded on FAQs on relevant pages, posing common tennis questions and answering them in a punchy, informative way. These acted like ready-made Q&A snippets.
For example, on pages about tennis rules, we added FAQs like “What are the tie-break rules in tennis?” with a concise answer. Google loves FAQ content because it directly addresses user queries; it even has structured data (FAQ schema) to highlight this format.
By adding FAQ sections (and marking them up for SEO), we increased the chances that LTA’s answers would be pulled into an AI Overview for question-based searches.
Every piece of content got a quality boost to meet Google’s EEAT standards (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). We ensured the information was not just accurate, but also insightful and experience-driven. Wherever possible, we had content written or reviewed by real tennis experts (coaches, players, LTA officials) with their names and credentials mentioned. This level of authenticity signals to Google that LTA is the authority on all things tennis.
High EEAT content tends to perform better in search and was likely to be favoured by the AI summary for authoritative answers. We also ensured the tone remained accessible and people-first – no jargon-filled, robotic text, but rather content that genuinely helps readers (and aligned with Google’s helpful content guidelines).
We didn’t neglect traditional on-page SEO, in fact, we doubled down on it. This included optimising title tags and meta descriptions to clearly match the intent of likely AI questions. Crucially, we worked on LTA’s internal linking structure. We interlinked related articles and resources in a logical way, helping Google crawl the site and recognise topical clusters.
A side benefit was that when LTA’s site was cited in an AI Overview, Google sometimes showed additional sitelinks to other relevant LTA pages beneath the overview – effectively giving LTA multiple spots in that AI result.
We helped LTA maintain its status of tennis authority in the UK by ensuring comprehensive coverage of tennis topics. This meant identifying content gaps and filling them. If people were searching for something tennis-related that LTA hadn’t covered yet, we jumped on it. We launched new content initiatives, from in-depth analysis pieces (e.g., a breakdown of tennis equipment and coaching guides) to beginner-friendly explainers (like “Tennis techniques for beginners”).
We also kept existing content up-to-date (Google favours fresh, accurate info). The idea was that for any tennis query a user asks, whether it’s rules, history, tips, or news, LTA should have the best answer. This topical breadth and depth sends strong signals of authority.
Our game plan combined solid SEO best practices with a keen eye on how AI Overviews operate. We didn’t chase algorithms or try to “outsmart” the AI with gimmicks. Instead, we focused on making LTA’s content undeniably worthy of that top spot. It’s a strategy rooted in fundamentals: great content, structured well, optimised smartly, and backed by genuine expertise. And as the results show, Google’s AI took notice.
The impact of our optimisation work became dramatically clear as 2025 unfolded. LTA’s appearances in Google’s AI Overviews skyrocketed, turning a worrying situation into a winning case study. Let’s look at the numbers month by month:
Figure: LTA’s content featured in Google AI Overviews (number of AI Overview results citing LTA.org.uk, per month). Source: Internal data, Sep 2024 – Aug 2025.
As we mentioned, back in September 2024, LTA content was included in 80 AI Overview results. That was our starting point. Through the end of 2024, progress was steady but modest – rising to 98 by November, then dipping to 42 in December (even tennis takes a holiday break, and we used that time to lay groundwork for big changes ahead.).
As 2025 kicked off, we saw a slight uptick to 51 in January, then another dip to 42 in February. It was in March 2025 that things really took off – LTA’s AI Overview count leapt to 329.
This wasn’t a random fluke; it was the combined result of our site improvements hitting critical mass and Google flipping the switch on more AI Overviews in the search results. In fact, around that time many industries saw AI Overviews surge in prevalence, and because of our preparations, LTA rode that wave instead of being drowned by it.
From March onward, the growth was explosive and consistent: 405 in April, 430 in May, breaching the 500 mark in June, and continuing upward to 710 AI Overview appearances in August 2025.
That’s nearly an 8x increase in less than a year – a truly impressive gain in visibility.
Perhaps the most satisfying outcome of all is seeing LTA continue to cement its position as the authoritative voice in its niche on this new platform. Google’s AI could have chosen any tennis site’s content to answer questions, but by following best practices and optimising diligently, we made sure it was LTA’s answers that rose to the top. This case study proves that even as Google’s search results become more AI-driven, great SEO and content strategy still win.
The story of LTA’s surge in AI Overviews is ultimately one of opportunity seized. When Google started answering more questions itself, many website owners panicked about losing traffic. And yes, the search landscape has undeniably changed. There are instances where a user’s query is satisfied right on the Google results page. But as we’ve demonstrated, with the right strategy, you can ensure that your content is part of that new answer ecosystem. Instead of losing out, you can gain a new kind of visibility and continue to draw in engaged audiences.
As we look ahead, one thing is clear: AI is here to stay in search. Google’s own updates and statements make it clear they see AI-generated summaries as a big part of the user experience moving forward. Rather than lamenting the “good old days” of ten blue links, it’s time to adapt.
For digital marketers and content creators, that means staying flexible, continuing to put users first, and embracing new features as they come. The core principles of SEO aren’t going away – if anything, they’re more important than ever in helping AI-driven systems identify the best content.
In the end, optimising for AI Overviews boils down to this simple ethos: be the best answer. If you can do that consistently, you won’t just survive the AI transition – you’ll thrive in it.