Since the full U.S. rollout of Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) in May 2024, search has undergone one of the largest shifts in recent SEO history. In fact, our data suggests that roughly 30%-50% of keywords trigger AIOs.
AI Overviews aren’t just a trend in the broader landscape of AI, they’re a signal of a fundamental shift in the search experience.
At Synapse, we’ve been actively tracking and analyzing how AI Overviews are impacting both our clients and Organic Search as a whole. Using a combination of proprietary and third-party tools, we’ve uncovered some key insights based on our first-party data, and what they mean for your brand.
#1. Google May Cite 70+ Sources in a Single AI Overview
Google pulls from a variety of sources to create an AI Overview, using multiple pages to synthesize results and provide concise answers for users.
In a review of client data, we found that one AI Overview may cite over 70 sources to create a single AI-generated summary. On average, we found that Google cites just over 20 sources per Overview.
Unsurprisingly, longer Overviews tend to include more citations. Our data shows a moderate correlation between word count and the number of citations, with every 100 characters driving roughly one additional citation.
#2. Over 70% of Queries Triggering AI Overviews are Informational, but Deeper-Funnel Trigger Rates are Rising
Across our tracked dataset, 73% of queries that trigger AI Overviews have informational intent. This indicates that AI Overviews are primarily being shown to users seeking general information and answers, rather than users searching deeper-funnel transactional queries. However, trigger rates for transactional and other deeper-funnel queries are on the rise. This suggests that AI Overviews are starting to become a factor further down the buyer journey, influencing users who are close to making a purchase decision.
For brands, this reinforces the importance of maintaining a strong presence across informational topics while also optimizing content for transactional and conversion-oriented queries. By aligning content strategy with where and how AI Overviews appear, brands can increase visibility, build authority in their industry, and guide users through the full funnel. Informational content remains essential, but the growing prominence of deeper-funnel AI Overviews means that a strategic, full-funnel approach is more important than ever.
#3. Blogs are the Most-Cited Content Type
Given that Informational queries are significantly more likely to trigger an AI Overview than commercial and transactional queries, it’s no surprise that blogs are the most cited content type. Across our client data, 45% of all AI Overview citations point to blog content.
That said, other content types are still playing a role. Homepages are close behind, making up 33% of citations, and product pages are cited 21% of the time, showing that AI Overviews are pulling from across the funnel. Here’s the full breakdown:
#4. AI Overviews Average 300 Words, with Longer Responses for Complex Queries
Based on our data, AI Overviews average about 300 words, but some can reach up to 600 depending on query complexity. Word count tends to be higher for Informational queries, where more detailed explanations are needed to fully answer users’ questions.
#5. Only 13% of Queries Returned the Same AI Overview Over the Course of One Month
Across one month, only 13% of queries returned the same AI Overviews week-over-week. While core factual information typically remained the same throughout the month, things like structure, sources cited, and wording changed in 87% of cases.
This tells us that AI Overviews are still highly dynamic, and Google is continuously testing how to best deliver answers to users.
#6. AI Overviews Reduce CTR to Top 3 Keywords by Almost 30%
From our review of tracked keywords ranking in the Top 3, the presence of an AI Overview led to a 29% reduction in CTR for those queries. This likely means users are getting what they need from the AI summary itself, reducing the need to click through to a site for more information (i.e. “zero clicks searches”).
This impact is most evident for pages ranked in the top 3 positions, as these are the positions where the most organic CTR would be expected without an AIO.
However, being mentioned in an AI Overview can help offset some of this loss. One client with strong mentions saw a 9% YoY increase in branded traffic and a 14% increase in direct traffic, which we believe are partly driven by a strong presence in AI Overviews and LLMs.
While users may not click immediately, presence in AI-generated content can still shape brand perception and influence future user journeys.
What Do These AI Overview Statistics Mean for My Brand?
As Google’s AI Overviews become a bigger part of the search experience, it’s important to understand how they impact your brand’s visibility and content strategy. Based on our findings, here’s what you should keep in mind:
#1. Being Cited ≠ Being Clicked – But Visibility Still Matters: Even if your content is in the top 3 citations of an AI Overview, traffic from this element may be limited. However, AI Overview placements still offer valuable visibility at the top of the SERP, helping to build stronger brand awareness and trust. This will become increasingly true as users gain more confidence in AI-generated answers.
This visibility can influence consideration earlier in the buyer journey, making AI Overviews a valuable piece of your organic search strategy. It is still critical to invest in traditional organic SERP rankings, which drive the majority of traffic and impact your ability to appear in AIOs. But it’s important to prioritize visibility in AI Overviews as they can help support visibility-focused KPIs, like citation share and brand presence. The AIO mentions also result in a strong brand endorsement, positively impacting consumers’ and prospects’ perception of your brand.
#2. Informational Content is More Valuable than Ever: With informational queries driving 70% of AI Overview triggers, and blog content making up 45% of total citations, investing in high-quality blog content is no longer just a top-of-funnel play for brands. High-authority, highly relevant blog content is now essential for visibility in AI Overviews.
#3. Deep-Funnel Content Still Counts: While AI Overviews are more common for informational queries, this may not hold true as Google continues to roll out AI Overviews to more SERPs. We’re already seeing significant increases in AIO trigger rates for several clients across both B2B and B2C.. Maintaining a full-funnel content strategy is key to building visibility and driving conversion volume from these elements.
#4. Competition for Citations is High: With Google citing an average of 20+ sources per AI Overview, your content is competing in a crowded space. To stay competitive, make sure to prioritize comprehensive, high-quality content that is thoroughly addressing sections in the AI Overview.
If you’d like to learn more about AI Overviews and how to utilize AI search to grow your business, download our eBook today.
