May 2024: Google switches on AI Overviews across the US
Covers May 2024. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: On 14 May 2024, at its I/O event, Google switched on AI Overviews for every user in the US. These AI-written summaries, complete with links to their sources, started appearing above many search results. A few early blunders made the news, but the feature stuck, and it arrived in the UK in August 2024.
This entry in our search timeline looks back at May 2024 from November 2026. For local trades and service firms in the UK, the US launch was an early look at how Google would start answering questions before anyone clicked through to a website.
What Google rolled out that May
AI Overviews grew out of Google’s earlier experiment, the Search Generative Experience. Google said the summaries would show for more complicated searches where pulling the answer together saves people time.
Over the next few weeks a handful of strange answers got plenty of attention, and Google responded by adding extra safeguards. Towards the end of May there were also reports about leaked internal Google Search documents, which kept the SEO world talking.
What it meant for local firms in the UK
UK businesses got a sneak preview of what was heading their way. Simple questions, like how to reset a boiler or how often a chimney should be swept, were likely to send fewer clicks to websites. At the same time, there was a new chance to be one of the sources Google linked to.
It sped up interest in pages that answer questions up front, and in tracking how often a business shows up in AI answers.
Steps worth taking now
- Find the searches that matter to your business which trigger an AI Overview, and note which sites get cited.
- Check your key service pages give a direct, accurate answer near the top, for example what a boiler service includes and roughly how long it takes.
- Keep pages indexable and eligible to show a snippet, which is the basic entry ticket for Google’s AI features.
Frequently asked questions
Is there special code I need for AI Overviews?
No. Your pages need to be indexed and allowed to show a snippet. Clear, useful content and structured data help.
When did UK searchers start seeing AI Overviews?
They reached UK users in August 2024, when Google expanded the feature here.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? Our AI search and GEO service helps local businesses get cited in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Get in touch.
More articles
February 2024: Google renames Bard as Gemini
In February 2024 Bard became Gemini and Gemini Advanced launched. Why AI assistants turned into a real way for customers to find local trades.
August 2024: Google brings AI Overviews to UK search results
AI Overviews reached UK searchers in August 2024, the same month as a core update. What it meant for local trades and how to get cited today.
December 2023: Gemini arrives from Google
Google unveiled its Gemini AI models in December 2023. Why that matters for local search, and how Gemini now sits behind AI Overviews and AI Mode.