# PCMag shares 6 ways to improve Google AI overviews

Digest AI · Marketing & Small Business · published 2026-10-11T05:00:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/pcmag-shares-6-ways-to-improve-google-ai-overviews

## Summary

Google’s AI overviews often generate inaccurate or vague results, according to PCMag’s testing. The site offers six strategies to refine these summaries for better accuracy and relevance. Key tips include phrasing queries like natural language conversations, using follow-up prompts to clarify answers, and specifying trusted sources like PCMag’s reviews. Users can also request structured formats like tables or graphs to better visualize data. The author notes that AI overviews don’t appear for every search and can be hidden entirely if preferred, but they’re here to stay.

The advice mirrors prompt engineering techniques for chatbots like Gemini, emphasizing specificity and context. For example, searching ‘RTX 5090 worth it’ yields a generic answer, but adding ‘No budget, is an RTX 5090 worth it for more FPS?’ produces a tailored response. Similarly, requesting ‘RTX 5090 specs table’ formats the output for easier readability. The author highlights that Google’s AI Mode—triggered by follow-up questions—can refine results further, though it may not always be necessary.

## Key points

- Phrase searches like natural language to get more accurate AI overviews, PCMag says
- Use follow-up prompts to clarify answers or challenge incorrect details in AI overviews
- Specify trusted sources or request structured formats like tables to improve AI overview quality

## Why it matters

These techniques help users bypass common pitfalls of AI-generated search summaries, saving time and reducing frustration for anyone relying on Google’s AI overviews.

## Sources

1. [I Don't Trust Google's AI Overviews, So I Found 6 Ways to Fix Them](https://pcmag.com/explainers/i-dont-trust-googles-ai-overviews-so-i-found-6-ways-to-fix-them) (pcmag.com, 2026-10-11)

## Cite

Digest AI, "PCMag shares 6 ways to improve Google AI overviews", 11 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/pcmag-shares-6-ways-to-improve-google-ai-overviews

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