Google AI Overviews: A Vancouver SEO Audit
Check what Google shows for the questions Vancouver customers ask, then use what you find to improve your pages.
Google AI Overviews can show how your Vancouver business is represented for the questions customers ask. Repeat the same searches under similar conditions. A single check tells you what appeared at that moment and gives you a baseline for a second audit.
Search the way a Vancouver customer asks
Choose 12 to 20 questions you have heard from customers. Include early research, comparisons, and a few searches close to a booking. A Vancouver framing shop could try “how much does custom picture framing cost in Vancouver,” “what glass protects artwork from sunlight,” and “where can I get a large print framed near Mount Pleasant.” Include a few natural versions without the city name if you can search from the intended location.
Use a consistent device, language, and search location when you repeat the audit. Record the date and make a note if you’re testing from outside the market. Use regular Google Search for the AI Overviews sample and track AI Mode separately if you test it.
Track links and mentions in Google AI Overviews
| What to record | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Query, date, and location | What you can repeat and compare |
| AI Overview shown | Which queries triggered the feature in your sample |
| Your business named | Whether it appeared in the generated text |
| Your page linked | Whether someone could reach your site from the answer |
| Other linked sources | Which pages Google linked alongside the answer |
Take the share of queries that show an Overview as one number. Then calculate the share of those Overviews that link to your site. In an illustrative audit, if six out of 15 searches show an Overview and one links to you, record 6/15 and 1/6 separately. These figures describe your sample and can change between checks.
Fix the pages that can answer the question
Google Search Central says, “The best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI features in Google Search.”
Google Search Central’s AI features guide
Suppose the framing shop searches “how much does custom picture framing cost in Vancouver” and sees an AI Overview that links to other shops. First, use Search Console’s URL Inspection tool to check whether its own pricing page is indexed. Google requires a page to be indexed and eligible for a search snippet before it can appear as a supporting link.
If the page is indexed but only says “request a quote,” the shop’s first edit could explain how frame size, glass, and matting affect the estimate. It could show an example quote for a common print size and tell readers where to bring their artwork in Mount Pleasant. Keep the address and opening hours consistent on the site and in an eligible Google Business Profile. Google Business Profile local ranking guidance
Track outcomes you can actually measure
In Search Console, open the Generative AI performance report to see how often links to your pages appeared across AI Overviews and AI Mode. Look under Pages for the URL you changed, and use the country and date filters to track Canadian visibility over time. If the report is missing, your site may have too few impressions in those features. Google’s guide to the Generative AI performance report
Repeat the manual audit in a few weeks using the same Vancouver queries and similar search conditions. Keep logging whether an Overview appears, whether it names you, and whether it links to your page. Check analytics or your CRM for changes in relevant inquiries, and record the dates of other marketing changes so you can interpret what happened.
Send me your site and a few questions your Vancouver customers ask. Contact me to discuss an AI search audit.