Short answer
Google shows an AI Overview when its systems judge that a generated summary will help more than a list of links. They tend to appear for informational and multi-part questions, such as "how", "why" and comparison searches. They appear less often for brand names, simple navigation, local "near me" searches and quick facts Google already answers in other ways.
Google does not publish a list of trigger rules, and it changes which searches get an overview over time. The pattern usually follows search intent:
| Search type | Example | AI Overview |
|---|---|---|
| How and why questions | how to choose an MBA program | Often |
| Comparisons | GEO vs SEO | Often |
| Problems and symptoms | why is my website traffic dropping | Often |
| Brand and navigation | isb executive education login | Rarely |
| Local intent | dentist near me | Rarely, Maps leads |
| Ready to buy | buy ceramic floor tiles online | Sometimes |
To see where it matters for you, list your top 50 buyer questions, search each one and note whether an overview appears and who it cites.