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Have you ever wondered how often Google’s AI Overview shows up in search results? It turns out, nobody really knows for sure. This article digs into the data from a few sources to figure it out.
This week, I’m thinking a lot about Google’s AI Overview and all the different facts and figures that exist on the internet.
Specifically, I was curious to dive a bit deeper on the following question:
How often is an AI Overview displayed?
In other words:
Out of 100 search queries, how often does Google show users an AI Overview?
Here’s what I found. And trust me, it won’t make you happy, because neither made it me happy.
TLDR: Nobody knows exactly how frequently AI Overviews show up in Google Search Results. But here’s the silver lining: you don’t need to stress about it. Instead, focus on understanding how AI Overviews appear for your own set of keywords.
A quick look at the data:
The numbers vary significantly, from 2% to over 21%, depending on who you ask. But one thing is clear: AI Overviews are increasing in appearance, and their impact on search results is becoming more noticeable.
Let’s dive into the various sources and studies I came across. Thanks to everyone who shared links with me!
Google: No published statistics
Google has been pretty quiet on this front. Since the launch of AI Overviews in May 2024, there’s been no official data on how often AI Overviews appear. You can check out this FAQ from Google for some basic info on AI Overviews. If you have any other relevant Google resources, send them our way at hello@otterly.ai.
Semrush Sensor: 2% of US Google Searches Trigger an AI Overview
Data view: Real-time / updated daily
Semrush Sensor is a fantastic tool for monitoring trends in Google Search Results. It tracks various SERP features, like Featured Snippets, Sitelinks, AI Overviews, and more.
For desktop search queries in the U.S., Semrush shows that AI Overviews have increased to 2.06% as of September 24, 2024. While Semrush doesn’t disclose how many keywords they analyze, they do confirm they use a fixed set of keywords daily. Given their standing in the SEO industry, we trust their data as a solid indicator.
Take a look here at Semrush Sensor yourself.
Semrush doesn’t state how many keywords they analyze, but what they do state is that they analze a fixed set of keywords daily. Given that Semrush is amongst the SEO industry leaders, we personally would place high trust in that data sample.
To calculate this score, Semrush uses a proprietary formula that checks the changes in search results for a fixed set of keywords on a daily basis.
We check the search results for a fixed set of keywords on a daily basis and measure how much has changed at the end of the day.
Brightedge: 8% of Keywords Triggered AI Overviews (as of July 2024)
Brightedge, often cited by major outlets like Search Engine Land, reported that AI Overview appearances dropped from 12% to 8% by the end of July 2024. They haven’t published more recent numbers, so hey, Brightedge, if you’re reading this, please send us some updated stats!
Brightedge’s explanation on the decline of AI Overview appearance in July 2024 stated here:
As we moved from June to July, we observed a notable uptick in the presence of AI Overviews, climbing from 8% to above 9% of search results for most of the month. … This marked the beginning of a week-long surge, peaking on July 21st when AI Overviews appeared in 12.05% of search results. This sustained period of elevated AI presence suggested a deliberate expansion by Google, possibly testing user reception or rolling out improvements to a broader set of queries.
However, the end of July brought an unexpected twist. On July 30th and 31st, we saw a sharp decline in AI Overview presence, dropping to under 8% of search results. This drop also coincided with the announcement of OpenAI’s foray into search with SearchGPT which may suggest Google is exercising more caution with how AI Overviews are deployed.
What we found interesting too, is the following analysis that focused on the factors that influence AI Overviews across industries (see source here)
AI Overviews are largely appearing for informational queries. Fortunately for marketers, there are signals from traditional search features that can be used as a proxy to estimate where an AIO is likely to appear. According to BrightEdge Generative Parser™, there are correlations between SERP features and the presence of AIO.
SE Ranking: 12.47% of Keywords Trigger AI Overviews (100,000 Keywords Analyzed)
Data view: September 2024
SE Ranking’s September 2024 study analyzed 100,000 keywords and found that 12.47% triggered an AI Overview. This is a 5% increase since July, which aligns with other reports suggesting that AI Overviews are appearing more frequently.
SE Ranking also stated that the appearance of AI Overviews increased by 5% between September and July, which is quite an interesting indicator. If we compare that with Semrush Sensor where we also see a similar trend, it ultimately does make sense to assume that AI Overviews are being triggered more and more often. Although the numbers are quite different – which is also to some degree quite concerning.
Source: SE Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking – 12.5% of keywords display an AI Overview (8,000 keywords analyzed)
Data view: July 2024
In a smaller study, Advanced Web Ranking analyzed 8,000 keywords and found that 12.5% of them displayed AI Overviews. Their study looked across different industries and search intents (Informational, Navigational, Commercial, and Transactional), showing some interesting correlations.
The authors of the study state:
For this study, we had two main goals:
- Show real data about AI Overviews exactly as people see it when searching
- Show the evolution of AI Overviews in time
To accomplish this, we have chosen 8,000 keywords (500 keywords from 16 different industries) and grouped them into 4 intents (Informational, Navigational, Commercial and Transactional).
Rich Sanger / Laurence O’Toole – 21.1% of keywords trigger an AI Overview (11,163 keywords analyzed)
Rich Sanger and Laurence O’Toole’s research in September 2024 found that 21.1% of keywords (from a pool of 11,163) triggered an AI Overview. This is the highest figure I found in my research. Their study provides an in-depth look into how AI Overviews are deployed, making it a highly recommended read.
Basically here’s what they found in terms of AI Overview appearance.
21.1% of all keywords triggered an AI Overview.
21.1% of Queries Trigger Overviews: Out of 11,163 analyzed queries, 21.1% (2,358) triggered an AI Overview, with each summary containing an average of 8.9 links.
From 2% to 21%: What’s the Real Number?
As you can see, the reported range is pretty wide—anywhere from 2% to 21%. So, what should you trust? Honestly, it’s hard to pin down an exact number, especially when Google isn’t sharing anything official.
Further studies and resources
- Authoritas conducted an SGE analysis in January 2024 with 4.5% of SGE appearance with an increase to 20.1% in March
- Search Engine Land covering visibility drops of AI Overviews
What This Means for You: Focus on Your Own Keywords
With all this conflicting data, how should you, as an SEO professional, make sense of it? Here’s our advice: don’t worry about the generic stats. They’re interesting to know but not actionable. Instead, put your energy into tracking AI Overviews for the keywords that matter to you and your business.
At Otterly.AI, we’ve onboarded hundreds of marketing teams and spoken with dozens of them about their SEO strategies. The one thing that’s clear is that your keyword performance is what matters most. Forget the global statistics and start monitoring how AI Overviews appear for your set of keywords.
Weekly AI Overview Tracking – making things actionable
With Otterly.AI, you can monitor AI Overview appearances on a weekly basis. For example, for the keyword “What is SEO,” you’ll see if an AI Overview showed up on the Google SERP.
And if an AI Overview appears for your keywords, Otterly.AI enables you to:
- analyze the different link sources and track link positions and link changes weekly
- track brand mentions and the sentiment of those mentioned brands
- monitor ongoing changes on brand mentions and links weekly
Want to see how AI Overviews impact your keywords? Sign up for Otterly.AI today and get weekly insights to help your SEO strategy.
P.S. Otterly.AI also supports content and brand monitoring for Perplexity.AI and ChatGPT.
Conclusion: Keep the Focus on What Matters
At the end of the day, it’s not about how often AI Overviews appear globally. It’s about how they affect your keyword rankings. With Otterly.AI, you can stop guessing and start tracking.
Sign up now, and start making data-driven decisions for your SEO strategy!