How brands can respond to misleading Google AI Overviews

Google’s AI Overviews feature has become the face of our search engine results.

Type almost any question into your Google search bar, and the first answer you receive will be AI generated.

Many are thrilled about this. Others are wary.

Marketers and those in the online reputation management (ORM) field are among those urging caution.

Why? Because Google AI Overviews are often littered with information stemming from online forums like Reddit and Quora. 

And oftentimes, this user-generated content can be inaccurate — or entirely false. 

Why Google AI Overviews heavily rely on content from Reddit and Quora

But how and why have Google AI Overviews come to rely on user-generated content forums?

The answer is quite simple. Google AI Overviews sources much of its information from “high-authority” domains. These happen to be platforms like Reddit and Quora.

Google also prioritizes “conversational content” and “real user experiences.” They want searchers to receive answers firsthand from other online humans.

Furthermore, Google places the same amount of weight on these firsthand anecdotes as it does on factual reporting. 

How negative threads end up on AI summaries

Obviously, the emphasis placed on Reddit and Quora threads can lead to issues. Especially for professionals and those leading product- or service-driven organizations.

Many of the Reddit threads that rise to the surface are those that are complaint-driven. Think of threads where users are asking, “Does Brand X actually suck?” or “Is Brand Z actually a scam?”

The main problem is that these threads become extremely popular. AI Overviews gather the consensus of many comments and combine them into a single resounding answer. 

In essence, minority opinions end up being represented as fact.

Additionally, Google AI Overviews often resurface old threads that lack timestamps. This can lead to the resurfacing of outdated, often inaccurate information. 

Patterns that SEO, ORM, and brands are noticing

Those in the ORM field have been noticing troubling patterns in Google AI Overviews for a while now. For instance, we’ve identified the following trends:

• Overwhelming Reddit criticism: Criticism on Reddit rises to the top at alarming rates. Google AI Overviews even seem to ignore official responses from brands at times, instead opting for the opinions of users on forum platforms.
• Pros vs. cons summaries: These sorts of lists are supposed to implore balance. (Isn’t that the entire point of identifying both the pros and cons of a brand?) However, sites like Reddit and Quora tend to accentuate the negative aspects of brands, at times ignoring the pros altogether. 
• Outdated content resurfacing: As mentioned in the previous section, outdated content can hold far too much value. Aa troubling amount of “resolved issues” gain prevalence in the Google AI Overviews feature.

The amplification effect: AI can turn opinion into fact

We live in an era defined by instantaneous knowledge.

Gen Z takes in information at startling rates. What’s seen on TikTok is absorbed as immediate fact. Instagram is where many turn to get both breaking news and updates on the latest brands. 

This has led to an amplification effect, where algorithms quickly turn opinion into fact. We’re seeing it widely across social media, and now on Google AI Overviews, too.

On top of what we listed in the previous section, those in the ORM realm are noticing the following take effect:

• Nuance-less summarization: Because AI Overviews take such overwhelming negative criticism from Reddit, we’re getting less nuanced responses. The focus in AI Overviews is often one-sided and seemingly biased, featuring emotional, extreme language. 
• Feedback loops: As others in the ORM field have pointed out, many citations in Overview come from deep pages. It’s also common to see feedback loops wherein one negative Reddit thread can hold multiple citations, leading to quick AI validation.
• Enhanced trust in AI Overviews: Perhaps most troubling of all has been society’s immediate jump to accept AI Overviews and all the answers it has to offer. Many users now turn to Google’s feature as their ultimate encyopledia — without even caring to view the citations AI Overviews has listed. 

Misinformation and bias create risk

All in all, the rise of information from Reddit and Quora on AI Overviews has led to enhanced risk for businesses and entrepreneurs alike.

False statements and defamatory claims posted online can be accepted as fact. And incomplete narratives or opinion-based criticism floating around on forums are filtered through the lens of AI Overviews.

Making matters worse is that Google does not automatically remove or filter AI summaries that are linked to harmful content. 

This can be damaging to a company’s reputation, as users absorb what they see on AI Overviews at face value. They take it as fact, even though it might be fiction.

Building a reputation strategy for false AI-driven searches

As a business owner, it’s critical to have response strategies in place for Google AI Overviews. 

Working with an ORM team is a critical first step. They might suggest the following measures:

• Monitoring online forums: Yes, our modern world dictates that you stay on top of online forums like Reddit and Quora. Monitor the name of your business and the top players on your team. If you’re aware of the dialogue, you’re already one step ahead.
• Creating “AI-readable” content: It’s also important to always be creating content designed to land on AI Overviews. This content should boost your platform on search engines, be citation-worthy, and push down less favorable results.
• Addressing known criticism: Ever notice criticism directed at your brand? Seek to address it with proper business practices. Respond to online reviews kindly, suppress or remove negative content with your ORM team, and establish your business as a caring practice online.
• Coordinating various teams: It’s imperative to establish the right teams around your business. We already mentioned ORM, but what about your legal, SEO, and PR teams? Have the right experts in place to deal with any controversies before they arise.

Also, remember to keep an eye on the future. Online reputation management is constantly evolving, and if your intention is to manage and elevate your brand, you must evolve with the times.

That means staying up-to-date with AI literacy and adapting to new KPIs, including sentiment framing, source attribution, and AI visibility. 

Staying on top of Google AI Overviews

We live in a new age. One where AI Overviews dictates much of what searches think and react to.

And the honest truth is that much of the knowledge AI Overviews gleans comes from user-dominated forums like Reddit and Quora.

As a brand manager, you can no longer be idle. You have to act. You have to manage the sources that Google AI Overviews summarizes, constantly staying one step ahead.

If you don’t, then you’re not properly managing your search reputation.