To be shown as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode, a longform article must be indexed and eligible to appear in Google Search with a snippet, and Google lists no additional technical requirements (1). Meeting those requirements still does not guarantee that Google will crawl, index or serve the page.
Start with the groundwork in our earlier article: How to get your website cited in AI search overviews
Build the article on the same foundations as Search
For a longform article, the direct answer is to write it as ordinary Search content (2).
Google's guidance says the same SEO fundamentals apply to these features as to Search overall, such as meeting the technical requirements, following Search policies and creating helpful, reliable, people-first content (1). Google also says that making important content available in text form and keeping it findable through internal links remain worthwhile.
Write from a unique point of view (2). Google notes that a first-hand review offers a perspective that a summary of existing content does not, so draw on in-depth experience you actually have. Google advises against recycling what others have already said or what a generative AI model could easily produce. Non-commodity articles, which give expert or experienced takes beyond common knowledge, are the kind Google contrasts with generic listicles.
Structure for readers and skip the AI-only tricks
Organise the article into paragraphs and sections with headings that give a clear structure, because Google says people generally appreciate that navigation (2). Write for the human reader first.
You do not need to split the article into small chunks for AI to understand it (2). Google says its systems can recognise several topics on one page and show the relevant piece, so a single long article is workable.
Google sets no ideal page length (2). A shorter or longer page can work well depending on your audience and subject, so let the subject decide the length.
You can skip llms.txt files, other machine-readable or AI text files, and Markdown versions of pages (2). Google says Search itself does not use them and that they are not needed to appear in Google Search, including its generative AI features (2). Google also says structured data and special schema.org markup are not required for its generative AI search features. If you do use structured data, keep it consistent with the visible text on the page, because Google's guidance says structured data should match the visible text (1).
Make sourcing, authorship and dates easy to check
Show clear sourcing and evidence of the expertise involved, plus background on the author or publisher, such as an author page or About page (3).
Add accurate bylines where readers would expect them (3). Do not fabricate creator profiles with made-up names, AI-generated headshots or false credentials. Google treats that as deception and a low-quality signal.
Where readers might ask how the piece was created, consider disclosing the role of AI or automation and the process involved: Google says these disclosures are useful when reasonably expected (3).
Keep informational content factually accurate (3). For topics that could significantly affect people's lives or well-being, Google expects content that is highly accurate and consistent with established expert consensus.
Google's self-assessment asks whether a page's date was changed to make the content seem fresh without a substantial change (3). We recommend updating the date only when the substance has changed.
Transparency and Honesty Practices for Authorship and Content Creation
| Check | Rule it rests on |
|---|---|
| Sourcing and author background | Readers should find clear sourcing, evidence of the expertise involved, and background on the author or publisher, such as an author page or About page. |
| Author identity | Do not fabricate creator profiles with AI-generated headshots, made-up names or false credentials; Google treats this as deception and a low-quality signal. |
| AI or automation disclosure | Consider adding it where someone might think 'How was this created?' and disclosure would be reasonably expected. |
| Process details | Sharing details about the processes involved can help readers understand the role automation served. |
| Page date | Google's self-assessment asks whether the date was changed to make the page seem fresh without a substantial content change. |
Sources
AI features and your website, Google Search Central, 10 December 2025developers.google.com
Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search, Google Search Central, last updated 10 July 2026developers.google.com
Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content, Google Search Central, last updated 5 October 2026developers.google.com
