CASE STUDY · AI SEARCH / GEO
From Zero to 150 US Keywords in Google AI Overviews
A US workforce solutions firm went from no visibility in Google AI Overviews to 150 US keywords appearing in them within about three months. The work combined technical fixes, relevant schema, NLP-friendly copy and content formatted for extraction.
- Client
- A US workforce solutions firm
- Industry
- Staffing and workforce solutions
- Market
- US
- Project
- AI search / GEO
- Period
- About three months
- My role
- Led the SEO strategy; delivered with my team at the time
OUTCOMES
The results
Direct commercial and organic search impact delivered during the engagement.
0 → 150
US keywords appearing in Google AI Overviews, from none before the work began (Semrush).
Visibility in a search feature that was becoming a key source of qualified traffic for the firm.
DATA
The numbers
Semrush; about three months
BACKGROUND
The challenge
In a previous agency leadership role, I led this early AI Overviews programme. The firm had zero visibility in Google AI Overviews in the US, which was becoming an important source of qualified traffic.
The goal was to make its pages easy for Google to understand and quote, without abandoning the SEO fundamentals that make pages eligible in the first place.
Client and agency not named for confidentiality. I led the strategy; the work was delivered with my team at the time.
EXECUTION
What we did
Audits and developer fixes
Ran regular SEO audits and worked with the development team to resolve issues quickly.
Relevant schema
Implemented schema markup and structured data relevant to each page type.
NLP-friendly copy
Wrote with semantic and related phrases so content matched how topics are naturally described.
Extractable formats
Used bulleted lists, tables and graphs so answers were easy to lift and read.
Question triggers
Included trigger words such as 'how', 'why' and 'benefits' in page titles and content.
Monitoring AI search trends
Monitored AI-related search behaviour and adjusted the approach as it changed.
STRATEGIC LESSON
The takeaway
AI Overviews draw on pages that are already technically sound and well structured — question-led headings and clear lists make the answer easy to quote.
RELATED READING
Related guides
More case studies
900+
Keywords appearing in Google AI Overviews (Semrush).
900+ Keywords in AI Overviews for a General Insurer
80%
Of monthly organic traffic retained in the first month after the domain change.
Keeping 80% of Traffic Through a Rebrand and Domain Change
93%
Of organic traffic recovered within two weeks of the migration.
Core Web Vitals score
Recovering 93% of Traffic Two Weeks After a Redesign
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