How to write YouTube descriptions that rank in Google AI Overviews

Google AI Overviews increasingly pull from YouTube videos. Write your descriptions so your video gets cited as the answer for high-intent how-to queries.

6 min read beginnerUpdated Jun 23, 2026

By Billionideas Editorial Team

Reviewed by the editorial team · Jun 23, 2026

When someone Googles 'how to set up a Shopify store', the AI Overview often quotes a YouTube video transcript and links to the description. A well-structured description is the difference between getting cited and getting skipped.

Before you start

A YouTube channel with at least one uploaded video

Step by step

01
Open with a one-sentence answer
Don't waste the first line on 'Hi guys, welcome back to the channel.' Write the literal answer: 'This video shows how to set up a Shopify store in 10 minutes.' AI quotes this.
02
Add a timestamped table of contents
00:00 Intro, 00:45 Sign up, 02:10 Pick a theme… AI engines use timestamps to deep-link to the exact moment. This is a massive citation boost.
03
Write a 200-word summary below the TOC
Cover what the viewer will learn, who it's for and what tools you used. Use short paragraphs with line breaks.
04
List every tool and link mentioned
Tools section with links. AI engines extract these as the 'resources mentioned' citation block.
05
Add chapters in YouTube Studio
Studio → Edit video → paste your timestamps in the description with 'Chapters:' header. YouTube auto-creates seekable chapters which AI loves.
06
Upload a transcript
Studio → Subtitles → Add → English. Either upload your own or edit YouTube's auto-generated one. Clean transcripts dramatically increase quote-ability.