What changed
Google seems to be testing, or possibly rolling out, AI-generated summaries inside the citation cards that appear with AI Overviews. These are the source cards shown to the right of, or below, the AI Overview in Google Search. Instead of showing text pulled directly from a page, some cards now show a summary that Google writes itself.
Brodie Clark first noticed the change and shared it on X. He pointed out that the wording in the card does not match the wording on the cited page. Google appears to be condensing the content based on what it considers most relevant to the search. Search Engine Roundtable reported seeing the same thing for some of its test queries, though not for all of them.
Why it matters
For a business owner, the citation card may be the first thing a searcher reads about your company in an AI Overview. Until now, you had some influence over that text through what you wrote on the page. With this change, Google may put the description in its own words, shaped by the specific query.
- Less control over your message: The summary could stress points you would not have chosen to lead with.
- Different text for different searches: Because the summary depends on the query, your page might be described in several ways.
- Accuracy matters more: If your content is vague or out of date, an AI summary may pass that problem along to searchers.
What to do
This appears to be a test that does not show up on every query, so there is no reason to panic. Still, a few practical steps make sense:
- Check your key searches: Look up the questions your customers ask and see how your pages appear in AI Overview citation cards, if they appear at all.
- Lead with clear answers: Put the most important facts about your products, services and policies near the top of each page, in plain language.
- Keep details current: Update pricing, inventory, hours and service information so any summary draws from accurate content.
- Write one topic per section: Clear headings and focused paragraphs make it easier for a summary to reflect what you actually offer.
- Track changes over time: Save screenshots of how your pages are described so you can spot shifts as Google adjusts this feature.
Source: Google AI Overview Citation Cards With AI-Generated Summary Snippets, Search Engine Roundtable. This brief sums up their reporting; all credit for the original goes to them.
