Formatting Wins: How 25 Blog Post Updates Boosted AI Overview Visibility Across Niches

Two clients. Two industries. One formatting intervention. Consistent AI Overview wins.

The Problem: Strong Content, Zero AI Citations

When Google started serving AI Overviews (AIO) directly in search results, we spotted a pattern. AI was pulling from content with clear formatting, explicit takeaways, and structured Q&A sections.

Two clients: ADD.org (nonprofit ADHD education) and a grass-fed meat brand (ecommerce)—had solid educational content but weren’t showing up in AIOs. Their posts weren’t formatted to make it easy for AI to parse, extract, and cite the information.

The Fix: Add Structure Without Rewriting

We enhanced 25 existing posts with formatting designed to help AI extract and cite content:

Key Takeaways at the Top

• ADD.org got distilled main points for readers seeking quick answers
• The meat brand highlighted critical buying information
• Both gave AI clear, scannable sections to pull for summaries

FAQ Blocks Based on Real Search Queries

• Built from People Also Ask boxes and actual search patterns
• Positioned at the bottom to capture long-tail queries
• Structured to match how people ask questions in search

Strategic Internal Links

• Connected educational content to product, category, and conversion pages
• Improved site architecture for both AI and traditional crawlers

Headers and Lists Throughout

• Formatting that supports zero-context summarization
• Made it possible for AI to extract key points without reading full articles

Each post became part of an intervention set, which let us measure AIO visibility before and after the formatting updates.

The Results: Consistent Wins Across Different Industries

ADD.org (Nonprofit)

Post Updates: 17

• 88% success rate: 15 of 17 posts gained AIO placements
• 38 net new AIO keywords
• 88 improved rankings within AIOs
• Average: 7.4 keyword gains per post

AIO placements drove qualified traffic from users actively seeking ADHD information—exactly the audience ADD.org needed to reach.

ADD.org – AIO Keyword Gains by Post (17 Updated Posts)

Grass-Fed Meat Brand (Ecommerce)

Post Updates: 8

• 100% success rate: All 8 posts earned AIO placements
• 15 net new AIO keywords
• 46 improved rankings within AIOs
• Average: 7.6 keyword gains per post

For an ecommerce brand, AIO visibility means showing up when potential customers search for “best grass-fed beef” or “where to buy ethical meat.” These placements put the brand in front of high-intent buyers during the research phase.

Grass-fed and -finished Meat Client – AIO Keyword Gains by Post (8 Updated Posts)

Takeaway: Structure Wins When AI Is Deciding What to Cite

We added Key Takeaways and FAQ sections to 25 posts across two clients: a nonprofit and an ecommerce brand. Same formatting intervention, consistent AIO wins in both cases.

Content structure determines whether AI can cite you, regardless of how strong the content is.

These sites weren’t built with AI discoverability in mind, so we retrofitted existing posts. It worked, but it’s reactive—and expensive. Updating 25 posts proved the concept. Imagine doing that for 200+ posts, or sitting idle while competitors lock down the AIO placements you should own.

If you’re building new content or planning a refresh, structure for AI from the beginning. Visibility gains compound faster when you’re not playing catch-up.

AIOs are already changing how buyers discover products. Brands showing up now are building citation authority that reinforces itself over time, and gets harder for competitors to break through.

Ready to optimize your content for AI Overview visibility?

Let’s talk.