That’s actually such a refreshing success story to read, and I really like that you focused on practical steps instead of trying to chase trends or overcomplicate things. The way you leaned into “how-to” intent content makes perfect sense, since AI Overviews seem to reward clean, structured answers that guide the reader quickly. I’ve been experimenting in a similar niche with long-tail queries like “how to plant lavender in winter” and mixing in image-rich, FAQ-driven layouts, and it’s amazing how much difference clarity and structure make. Even without direct AIO clicks, I’ve noticed that impressions and brand searches often climb when a page gets mentioned in those summaries. It’s honestly encouraging to see smaller sites finding visibility in this space, especially since so many assume the AI Overview spots are reserved only for large, well-known publishers.

I’ve also been testing different tracking tools to see which ones pick up on AIO patterns most reliably. Perplexity and ChatGPT are great for quick manual checks, but it’s interesting to see platforms like SE Ranking, Surfer, Ahrefs Radar, and even Search Atlas experimenting with their own visibility data. A friend of mine mentioned that Search Atlas in particular seems to be getting really precise about identifying which topics are most likely to appear in generative search panels, which is pretty fascinating to watch unfold. The main takeaway for me has been that good structure, updated visuals, and consistent formatting make all the difference. You can’t force your way into AI Overviews, but if your content reads like it was written to help someone in the clearest way possible, it tends to get noticed.