AI Overviews Now Appear on 80 Percent of Google Searches - Here Is How to Get Your Business Cited (October 28, 2026)

Your website can still earn clicks from Google's AI answers, but only if your pages give direct, quotable answers. New data from Semrush, SE Ranking, and seoClarity shows AI Overviews now appear on more than 80 percent of Google searches, up from about 50 percent in mid-2025. Meanwhile, Google announced on October 15 that it is placing inline links higher and more often inside AI Overviews and AI Mode, which gives small businesses a real path back to the click.

Why This Matters for Your Shop

Customers in Metro Detroit now read an AI summary before deciding whether to visit your site. If your page does not answer the question clearly in the first 100 words, Google pulls the answer from a competitor instead.

Three Fixes You Can Make Today

- Add a short answer block at the top of your top five service pages. Ask the customer question as a heading, then answer in two sentences.
- Update your pricing, service area, and hours on the page itself, not only in an image or PDF. AI systems cite text they can read.
- Add FAQPage and LocalBusiness schema markup so Google can match your answer to the question.
- Publish original details only you have, such as your own project results, warranty terms, or service radius. Ahrefs data from September shows ChatGPT is citing primary sources more and summary sites less.

Your Next Step

Pick your single highest-value service page, add a two-sentence answer block directly under the main heading, and request indexing in Google Search Console today. If you want a second set of eyes, reply to this email with the page address and your question, or book the free 60-minute phone or Zoom consultation at https://appwt.com/schedule, which covers a look at your current website and online presence, your goals, and a written action plan with next steps sent afterward.

Time-Saver Habit

From Hanna Larsson's list of 10 ways to respect people's time: when a recurring meeting has served its purpose, cancel the standing invite and give the hour back to your team.