This research was initially revealed in March 2025. We’ve since refreshed the research with more energizing information.
When Google rolled out AI Overviews (AIOs), it was arguably essentially the most disruptive change to the search panorama for the reason that introduction of featured snippets.
Our deep-dive evaluation, based mostly on tens of hundreds of key phrases, SERP function overlaps, and industry-specific visibility shifts, reveals how and the place Google is altering the foundations—and what SEOs, publishers, and entrepreneurs must do about it.
We analyzed 10M+ key phrases from the Semrush database and clickstream information from Datos to seek out solutions to those questions:
- What number of queries set off AI Overviews total?
- What sorts of queries are triggering AI Overviews?
- Which industries have been most impacted by AI Overviews to this point?
- Are AI Overviews driving extra zero-click searches?
Right here’s what we discovered:
Key Takeaways & Stats
- Risky development: AI Overviews peaked in mid-summer, then declined. After beginning the 12 months at showing for six.49% of key phrases in January 2025, the share rose to almost 25% in July earlier than sliding down to fifteen.69% in November 2025.
- Shocking zero-click conduct: AI Overviews present up extra typically for searches that are likely to get no clicks. However once we regarded on the similar search phrases earlier than the AIO was there and after, we discovered folks really clicked barely extra with the AIO. Additionally, the general zero-click charge of key phrases with AI Overviews has slowly declined since January 2025.
- Past informational search: In January, 91.3% of queries that set off an AI Overview had been informational. By October, that share was all the way down to 57.1%, and the share of economic and transactional AIOs rose.
- Extra navigational queries: The variety of navigational searches that set off AI Overviews has skyrocketed—from 0.74% in January to 10.33% in October.
- Business variations: The industries with essentially the most AI Overviews in November wereScience (25.96%), Computer systems & Electronics (17.92%), and Folks & Society (17.29%).
- Meals & drink summaries on the rise: Since March, this class noticed the very best improve in AI Overviews (+7.25%).
Why Ought to You Care about AI Overviews?
It is best to care about AI Overviews as a result of they’re AI-generated summaries in Google Search outcomes that:
- Seem above natural outcomes
- Cut back the necessity for customers to click on by to web sites
- Could cannibalize site visitors from publishers, ecommerce platforms, associates, and content material entrepreneurs
AI Overviews are constructed on Google’s generative AI fashions and ship an prompt synthesis of a number of related sources pulled from the net.
Not like featured snippets, which extract a sentence or two from a single supply, AI Overviews consolidate information from a number of sources to current a unified reply.
Briefly: they’re turning Google into each a search engine and a solution engine.
Methodology of the Research
To grasp the affect and scope of AI Overviews, we analyzed:
- 10M+ key phrases to seek out the share of queries triggering AI Overviews and month-to-month adjustments in AI Overviews by intent sort
- 10K key phrases to outline key phrase size, key phrase issue ranges, search quantity ranges, and SERP function co-occurrence with AI Overviews
- 200K+ key phrases to outline zero-click charge developments from Jan 2025 to October 2025
- 11K domains to know visibility and affect by {industry}
This allowed us to look at what sorts of content material AI Overviews seem for, how that’s altering over time, and what web optimization methods are nonetheless efficient.
What Share of Queries Are Triggering AI Overviews?
We checked out 10M+ key phrases from January 2025 by November 2025 to seek out the share of all queries that set off an AI Overview.
And the info reveals phrases that set off AI Overviews grew quickly at the beginning of 2025 earlier than settling in at round 16% of all queries.
- AI Overviews had been triggered for six.49% of queries in January
- AI Overviews had been triggered for twenty-four.61% of queries in July
- AI Overviews had been triggered for 15.69% of queries in November
What Sorts of Queries Are Triggering AI Overviews?
In our first iteration of this research again in March 2025, these had been the top-level metrics for key phrases that set off AI Overviews:
Now, the common key phrase with an AI Overview appears barely totally different: extra search quantity, a better common CPC, and decrease issue.
Earlier in 2025, AI Overviews largely appeared for long-tail informational queries—not high-volume business or transactional key phrases. This was in keeping with how Google beforehand rolled our featured snippets and Folks Additionally Ask.
So, the query is: was Google simply testing AI Overviews in low-risk areas earlier than increasing them to extra queries?
We analyzed 10M+ key phrases to outline how the search intent of queries that set off an AI Overview has modified over time for clues.
Search Intent of Key phrases That Set off an AI Overview
The info reveals that AI Overviews are slowly however certainly beginning to goal lower-funnel searches.
Since October 2024, the share of key phrases triggering an AI Overview with business, transactional, or navigational intent have all grown:
- Industrial queries: up from 8.15% to 18.57%
- Transactional queries: up from 1.98% to 13.94%
- Navigational queries: up from 0.84% to 10.33%
What This Tells Us
- There’s been a big improve within the variety of middle-of-the-funnel and bottom-of-the-funnel phrases that set off AI Overviews
- High-of-the-funnel, informational searches nonetheless have the very best share of AI Overviews
- Navigational AI Overviews are skyrocketing—a sign that even branded site visitors is in danger
We’re seeing the online solid by AI Overviews widen. The particular function is now rising throughout extra kinds of key phrases, whether or not they’re branded, navigational, or business in nature
Size of Queries that Set off AI Overviews
We analyzed the construction and size of key phrases that set off AI Overviews and people who don’t set off AI Overviews and noticed some notable variations.
Key phrases that set off AI Overviews are usually longer and extra particular.
These sorts of queries have been the cornerstone of most web optimization content material methods for years. Now, manufacturers should compete towards AI Overviews to earn consideration—and clicks—in SERPs.
What This Tells Us
Google prefers predictable, fact-based questions the place it may possibly confidently summarize a consensus reply.
Problem, CPC, and Quantity of Key phrases that Set off AI Overviews
Subsequent, we evaluated three important key phrase metrics for phrases that set off AI Overviews in comparison with phrases that don’t set off AI Overviews.
AI Overviews are exhibiting up most frequently on low-CPC, low-volume queries—with almost 60% of key phrases having 100 or fewer month-to-month searches. And a big share—almost 60%—falling into the 21–60 Key phrase Problem vary.
What This Tells Us
The vast majority of AI Overviews nonetheless seem on queries that provide little direct advert income (informational key phrases with low CPC and quantity). Nevertheless, the info reveals AI Overviews are shifting previous low-risk, long-tail queries and into aggressive, middle- and bottom-of-the-funnel territory.
SERP Function Overlap with AI Overviews
We subsequent examined which options most frequently sit subsequent to AI Overviews in SERPs. In March, that is what we noticed:
Lots of the most distinguished SERP options from March are now not seen as typically with AIOs.
Notably, we don’t see natural movies as a lot (though video carousels grew). Featured snippets, picture carousels, and natural opinions are all now seen much less typically when an AIO seems.
Associated searches (95.32%) and Folks Additionally Ask (90.03%) are just about assured to seem alongside an AI Overview. Additionally distinguished are video carousels and dialogue and discussion board blocks.
Maybe essentially the most vital perception is the elevated presence of Google Adverts. When this analysis was first performed in March 2025, adverts had been seen very not often on the identical SERP as an AI Overview.
Now, Google Adverts showing on the backside happens on 25% of AIO SERPs. That was lower than 1% in March.
What This Tells Us
- AI Overviews are being layered on high of current codecs slightly than changing them—at the least for now
- Video carousels and dialogue and discussion board blocks usually function YouTube and Reddit, so having a model presence on these platforms may grow to be extra essential for search visibility
- Google Adverts are actually being paired with AI Overviews, making the search expertise much less “natural” and extra lined by AI + adverts
Zero-Click on Conduct: The Greatest web optimization KPI Shift
To search out out if AI Overviews are stealing clicks from natural search outcomes, Semrush partnered with Datos, a Semrush firm, to investigate over 200,000 key phrases (every with a search quantity over 100) that both triggered or didn’t set off an AI Overview between January 2025 and October 2025.
To grasp causality, we additionally tracked a set of key phrases that did not set off AI Overviews in Could however did in October. This allowed us to straight examine zero-click conduct earlier than and after an AI Overview was launched for a similar key phrase.
Key phrases that set off AI Overviews do are likely to have larger zero-click charges on common, however this will replicate that these phrases typically have informational intent slightly than indicating causation.
Though key phrases with AI Overviews have larger zero-click charges, the speed isn’t rising. The truth is, it’s decreased steadily since January. This challenges the belief that AI Overviews at all times scale back clicks and factors to a extra complicated interplay between question sort, consumer intent, and the way AI solutions are delivered.
The discount in zero-click charges can also be doubtless associated to the expansion of AI Overviews amongst transactional and navigational searches.
Once we analyzed the identical key phrases earlier than and after they began exhibiting AI Overviews, we discovered the zero-click charge decreased from 33.75% to 31.53%.
That means AI Overviews don’t routinely improve zero-click conduct.Perhaps the truth is that these searches had been already unlikely to finish in a click on.
Which Industries Are Most Affected By AI Overviews?
To find out which industries have been most affected by AI Overviews, we centered on three key metrics:
AI Overview Saturation by Business
We regarded into what proportion of an {industry}’s key phrases at the moment show an AI Overview. Principally, how saturated the {industry} is with AI Overviews.
The industries most saturated by AI Overviews are Science, Computer systems & Electronics, and Folks & Society, all with AIOs on over 17% of key phrases.
The industries with the least proportion of AIOs had been Actual Property, Procuring, and Arts & Leisure, with AIOs on lower than 3% of all key phrases.
AI Overview Growth Price by Business
Then, we regarded on the development within the variety of key phrases triggering AI Overviews throughout totally different industries from March 2025 (once we first revealed this research) to November 2025.
Some industries noticed extra AI Overviews whereas others noticed a scaling again:
The {industry} with the quickest development was Meals & Drink, which is now the ninth-most impacted {industry} in our listing.
Well being and Folks & Society skilled the best decreases in share of AI Overviews.
Key phrase Rating Disruptions from AI Overviews
Subsequent we checked out 2025 quarterly adjustments within the common variety of key phrases triggering an AI Overview throughout the highest 1,000 domains for every {industry}.
This reveals how AIOs impacted web optimization portfolios throughout totally different industries all year long.
Throughout the board, Q2 confirmed an explosion of AIOs, however Q3 pulled again—with over half of the sectors seeing a lower of their key phrases triggering an AIO.
That decline didn’t final, as This autumn noticed largely will increase once more. General, when evaluating This autumn to Q1, we are able to see that AIOs elevated their presence amongst domains’ key phrase rankings by a median of 155%.
Key Business Observations:
1. Science Is on the AI Overview Frontline
Science data usually has consensus solutions and is roofed by well-structured content material—making it simple to synthesize.
And that’s put it on the AI Overview frontline.
Regardless of a slight lower since March (-1.02%), it nonetheless leads all verticals with the very best share of AI Overviews.
2. Google Is Weighing In On Delicate Topics
Well being, Folks & Society, and Legislation & Authorities have seen an enormous rise in AI Overview protection. All three industries are dominated by informational queries.
It’s considerably shocking to see Google roll out AI Overviews so aggressively in three industries that so typically lack consensus solutions and include greater than their fair proportion of misinformation dangers.
3. Google Is Shying Away From Actual-Time Info
Information and Sports activities are two classes which might be nearly completely made up of searches for up-to-date informational content material.
The very fact these classes are lagging behind the common development in AI Overviews suggests Google continues to be cautious of overlaying current occasions with AI-generated content material.
4. Google Is Increasing AI Overviews for Meals & Drink
Once we first revealed this research in March 2025, Meals & Drink noticed little or no development in AI Overviews.
Since March, this {industry} had essentially the most development of any vertical and is now sitting proper across the common (11%) when it comes to key phrases triggering AI Overviews
This rise has introduced particular challenges for meals bloggers and recipe websites that beforehand relied on natural search site visitors for monetization.
Trying forward, Meals & Drink websites could must re-think their site visitors and income methods.
5. Actual Property & Procuring Are Lagging
Actual Property & Procuring have the smallest share of key phrases impacted by AI Overviews and have seen comparatively little development.
The shortage of development in these areas is probably going resulting from the truth that Google can already fulfill numerous this demand with specialised, high-utility SERP options, reminiscent of native packs and adverts.
These industries additionally lean extra towards native search intent, that means a searcher isn’t in search of content material or training; they’re in search of native data or instructions on the place to take motion in the actual world.
Whereas AI Overviews are extremely efficient at summarizing consensus data, they lack the required visible and contextual information (like maps, opinions, and motion buttons) required for high-intent purchasing and actual property selections.
Learn how to Monitor AI Overviews Impacting Your Model
Now, what will we do with this data?
The expansion and volatility of AI Overviews means advertising and marketing groups can now not depend on conventional search rankings alone. As an alternative, groups ought to re-evaluate expectations for web optimization site visitors and acknowledge the worth gained from turning into seen in an AIO.
The aim is now not simply rating for clicks. It is to grow to be the trusted supply that powers Google’s reply.
Adapt by benchmarking and monitoring your model’s particular point out charge and citations inside AI Overviews.
Semrush makes it simple to monitor AI Overviews—serving to you see how your model is performing in them.
Semrush One provides you instruments for web optimization and AI visibility in a single subscription. You’ll acquire entry to many instruments that can assist you monitor and win visibility in AI Overviews (and extra).
- Visibility Overview helps you shortly benchmark any model’s mentions and citations throughout AI Overviews
- Competitor Analysis helps you discover the gaps in your AI Overview visibility by evaluating mentions and visibility with 5 rivals
- Key phrase Magic Device helps you analysis the way in which folks ask questions on Google—providing you with concepts for a content material technique to achieve your viewers
- Natural Analysis helps you perceive which rivals are showing in AI outcomes—and what content material format or construction helps them seem there
- Place Monitoring helps you retain a pulse in your AI Overview presence and alerts you to shifts, so you’ll be able to act shortly
For enterprise manufacturers that want extra performance and better limits, Semrush Enterprise AIO gives superior options tailor-made to the brand new AI search panorama.
With Enterprise AIO, you’ll be able to analyze how your model is represented throughout AI Overviews in addition to different AI search platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Enterprise AIO permits precision monitoring of brand name mentions, sentiment, sources, and rivals in actual time, so manufacturers can perceive and develop their presence.
Are We Heading Towards a Publish-Click on World?
AI Overviews signify a shift not simply in rating—however in how Google solutions questions. Because the SERP turns into extra generative, web optimization turns into extra about presence than place.
Manufacturers that adapt quick will construct belief, earn SERP visibility, and thrive within the post-click world.
