AI Overview tracking for SEO keywords

1. 1. Check for an overview

   Call the AI Overview endpoint with each keyword. answer is null when Google shows no overview for it; that is an answer, and it is billed. Track the share of your keywords that show one, since it changes as Google expands overviews.

   

   GET /v1/google-ai-overview?q=best+project+management+software+for+small+teams · answer

   {
     "text": "The best project management tools for small teams depend on your workflow style, budget, and how much structure you need:\nTrello: Best for visual Kanban boards and simplicity. Great for small teams that want an intuitive, card-and-list system with a generous free tier.\nAsana: Best for clean task tracking and ease of use. It is popular for cross-functional projects, marketing teams, and non-technical groups.\nmonday.com: Best for custom workflows and automation. It features a colorful, visual interface and quick setup with pre-built templates.\nClickUp: Best for all-in-one feature depth. It combines tasks, docs, and basic CRM tools with a strong free tier for budget-conscious teams.\nZoho Projects: Best budget-friendly option for teams needing time tracking, Gantt charts, and integration with the Zoho business ecosystem, starting around $4 per user/month.\nNotion: Best for blending project tracking with a team knowledge base or wiki. Ideal for startups, creatives, and solo-to-small teams.\nBasecamp: Best for a minimalist, \"calm\" approach that unifies simple to-dos, file sharing, and direct team chat without complex reporting.\nTo help narrow down the right choice, tell me:\nHow many people are on your team?\nDo you prefer Kanban boards, spreadsheets, or lists?\nDo you need built-in time tracking or client invoicing?",
     "citations": [
       {
         "position": 1,
         "title": "YouTube · George Vlasyev",
         "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1qUIaUDV5M&vl=en&t=110",
         "domain": "youtube.com"
       },
       {
         "position": 2,
         "title": "Reddit · r/projectmanagement",
         "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/projectmanagement/comments/1vtl07f/project_management_tool_for_a_very_small_team/",
         "domain": "reddit.com"
       },
       {
         "position": 3,
         "title": "YouTube · George Vlasyev",
         "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y30dYbckzfg&vl=en&t=40",
         "domain": "youtube.com"
       },
       {
         "position": 4,
         "title": "Zapier",
         "url": "https://zapier.com/blog/free-project-management-software/",
         "domain": "zapier.com"
       },
       {
         "position": 5,
         "title": "YouTube · Merchant Maverick",
         "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbE1YZCM2ko&t=126",
         "domain": "youtube.com"
       },
       {
         "position": 6,
         "title": "I Ranked Every Project Management Tool (TIER LIST), Video, watch on YouTube",
         "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT07E_rw-b8&t=216",
         "domain": "youtube.com"
       }
     ]
   }

2. 2. Find your citation

   When there is an overview, look for your domain in answer.citations. Its position is where the overview lists your page among its sources. The overview's text tells you what it says about the topic, and which brands it names.

   GET /v1/google-ai-overview?q=best+project+management+software+for+small+teams · answer.citations.0

   {
     "position": 1,
     "title": "YouTube · George Vlasyev",
     "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1qUIaUDV5M&vl=en&t=110",
     "domain": "youtube.com"
   }

3. 3. Put it next to your rank

   Call the Google Search endpoint for the same keyword and country to read your organic position. A high rank under an overview that cites competitors is the case to act on first.

   GET /v1/google-search?q=albert+einstein&country=us&page=1 · results.0

   {
     "position": 1,
     "title": "Albert Einstein",
     "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein",
     "source": "Wikipedia",
     "displayed_url": "https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Albert_Einstein",
     "date": null,
     "snippet": "Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist ...",
     "sitelinks": []
   }

# For each keyword: does Google show an AI Overview, does it cite your site,
# and where does your site rank in the organic results below it?
import csv, datetime, os, requests
from urllib.parse import urlparse

API = "https://api.clair.im"
HEADERS = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['CLAIR_API_KEY']}"}
DOMAIN = "example.com"
KEYWORDS = ["payment api", "accept payments online", "invoice software"]
COUNTRY = "us"

def get(path, **params):
    r = requests.get(f"{API}{path}", headers=HEADERS, timeout=90,
                     params={**params, "country": COUNTRY})
    r.raise_for_status()
    return r.json()

def ours(domain):
    domain = (domain or "").removeprefix("www.")
    return domain == DOMAIN or domain.endswith("." + DOMAIN)

today = datetime.date.today().isoformat()
with open("ai_overviews.csv", "a", newline="") as f:
    out = csv.writer(f)
    for q in KEYWORDS:
        overview = get("/v1/google-ai-overview", q=q)["answer"]
        serp = get("/v1/google-search", q=q, language="en")
        rank = next((r["position"] for r in serp["results"]
                     if ours(urlparse(r["url"]).hostname)), None)
        if overview is None:
            out.writerow([today, q, "no overview", "", "", rank])
            continue
        hit = next((c for c in overview["citations"] if ours(c["domain"])), None)
        out.writerow([today, q, "overview", len(overview["citations"]),
                      hit["position"] if hit else "", rank])

Set CLAIR_API_KEY to your Clair key; one plan covers the Google AI Overview API and Google Search API. Each call spends that API's rate from the plan's monthly balance.

• Overviews come and go: the same keyword can show one on Monday and none on Tuesday. Track the share of days with an overview, not one check.
• The search is signed out and unpersonalized, from the country you choose. Searchers who are signed in can see a different overview, or none.
• Only the first results page is read for the rank in this script; add pages for keywords where you rank lower.
• Google's product cards are not counted as citations, so a product named in the overview without a source link does not count as cited.