Google’s AI Mode generates responses which might be 4x longer than AI Overviews (on common). Once we first observed this, the pure assumption was that AI Mode merely expands on the identical info, taking AI Overview’s concise reply and including extra element from the identical sources.
However after analyzing 730,000 response pairs, we discovered one thing surprising: AI Mode and AI Overviews attain very comparable conclusions (86% semantic similarity) whereas citing completely different sources (solely 13.7% quotation overlap).
This issues as a result of it suggests these aren’t only a “brief model” and “lengthy model” of the identical reply. They’re two distinct programs that occur to converge on comparable conclusions by means of completely different paths.
For entrepreneurs and web optimization professionals, this raises vital questions:
- In case your model is cited in AI Overviews, will it seem in AI Mode too?
- Do you want separate optimization methods for every?
- What does it imply when two AI programs agree on what to say however not the place they discovered it?
We analyzed quotation patterns, content material similarity, and entity mentions throughout tons of of hundreds of queries to search out out. Right here’s what we found.
- Quotation overlap: Solely 13.7% of citations overlap between AI Overviews and AI Mode, indicating they cite completely different sources in observe.
- Phrase-level overlap: There may be very low (16%) word-level overlap between AI Overviews and AI Mode. They begin with the identical first sentence solely 2.51% of the time.
- Semantic similarity: 9 out of 10 instances, AI Mode and AI Overview agreed on what to say; they simply mentioned it in a different way and cited completely different sources.
- Entity overlap: AI Mode responses embody 2.5x extra individuals and model entities than AI Overviews. However, in case your model will get talked about in AI Overviews, there’s a 61% likelihood it’ll additionally seem in AI Mode’s longer response.
- Model gaps: 32.8% of responses had no individual or model talked about at all.
- Quotation gaps: For 3% of responses, AI Mode doesn’t cite any sources. AI Overviews don’t cite any sources 11% of the time.
We analyzed September 2025 US information from Ahrefs’ Model Radar, inspecting 540,000 question pairs for quotation and URL evaluation, and 730,000 question pairs for content material similarity evaluation. For every question, we captured each an AI Mode response and an AI Overview response.
We measured quotation overlap by figuring out what number of URLs appeared in each AI Mode and AI Overview responses for a similar question. We additionally tracked area preferences to see which web sites every platform cited most steadily.
For content material similarity, we used two metrics: Jaccard similarity to measure word-level overlap (calculated as distinctive phrases in frequent divided by all distinctive phrases), and cosine similarity to measure semantic overlap on a scale from 0 (utterly completely different) to 1 (equivalent which means).
We additionally analyzed entity overlap by counting how many individuals, organizations, and types had been talked about in each responses.
Sidenote.
This evaluation compares single generations of AI Mode and AI Overview responses. Our earlier analysis confirmed that 45% of AI Overview citations change between generations. This implies the quotation swimming pools accessible to every system could overlap greater than our single-snapshot comparability suggests. Nevertheless, the low overlap we noticed (13.7%) signifies that even when a number of sources might assist a solution, AI Mode and AI Overviews typically choose completely different ones in observe.
AI Mode and AI Overviews cited the identical URLs solely 13.7% of the time. Once we checked out simply the highest 3 citations from every, the overlap was barely greater at 16.3%. Because of this 87% of the time, these two programs are pulling from utterly completely different sources to reply the identical question.
The area preferences additionally differed between the 2 programs:
Essentially the most notable variations:
- YouTube held the highest place in AI Overviews, being cited greater than encyclopedic sources
- Wikipedia appeared in 10% extra AI Mode citations than for AI Overviews
- Whereas Reddit was cited the same quantity, Quora appeared 3.5x extra in AI Mode citations
- Well being web sites had been cited nearly twice as a lot in AI Mode as in AI Overviews
- Fb was additionally cited twice as a lot in AI Mode as in AI Overviews
AI Mode seems to lean extra closely on encyclopedic and detailed medical sources because it builds longer responses, whereas AI Overviews present a stronger desire for video content material and community-driven platforms like Reddit.
Nevertheless, each programs additionally confirmed comparable preferences for content material varieties:
AI Overviews cited movies and core pages (like homepages or predominant class pages) practically twice as typically as AI Mode, whereas each programs overwhelmingly most well-liked article-format content material.
Do this your self
You’ll be able to see what sources AI Overviews and AI Mode cite essentially the most in Ahrefs’ Model Radar. Run a clean search and test the Cited domains report.
Filter by AI Overview and AI Mode individually to see their most well-liked sources.
You may also filter to your goal subjects or particular manufacturers if you wish to analyze a extra particular section of the info. Try our information to the most effective filter combos to attempt.
AI Mode and AI Overview responses had a Jaccard similarity rating of simply 0.16, which means solely 16% of the distinctive phrases overlapped between the 2 responses for a similar question.
They began with the very same first sentence solely 2.51% of the time, and produced equivalent responses in simply 0.51% of instances.
This tells us that AI Mode isn’t merely taking AI Overview’s reply and including extra element to it. As an alternative, each programs seem to analysis the question independently and formulate solely new responses with minimal phrase or quotation overlap.
Even after they agree on the reply (which they do 86% of the time semantically, as we’ll see subsequent), they’re expressing it in essentially other ways.
Right here’s the place issues get fascinating: regardless of low phrase overlap (16%) and minimal quotation overlap (13.7%), AI Mode and AI Overview responses achieved a semantic similarity rating of 86% on common.
We measured this utilizing cosine similarity. On a scale the place 1.0 means “equivalent which means” and nil means “utterly unrelated,” practically 90% of response pairs (89.7%) scored above 0.8, indicating sturdy semantic alignment.
Put merely: 9 out of 10 instances, AI Mode and AI Overview agreed on what to say. They simply mentioned it in a different way and cited completely different sources.
There are numerous doable the reason why this will occur. Nevertheless, Google’s documentation confirms that each AI Mode and AI Overviews use “question fan-out” to assist show a wider and extra various set of useful hyperlinks.
Question fan-out is a course of that runs a number of associated searches to search out supporting content material whereas responses are being generated. Since AI Mode and AI Overviews use completely different fashions and methods, they’ll simply cite completely different sources even when reaching comparable conclusions.
This explains why they agree on what to say whereas disagreeing on the place they discovered it.
Consider it like two specialists answering the identical query.
They may use utterly completely different phrases and reference completely different research, but when they’re each educated in regards to the matter, their solutions will convey the identical core info. That’s what’s taking place right here; the programs are drawing from a constant understanding of every matter, whilst they specific it in a different way.
AI Mode responses are roughly 4x longer than AI Overviews and point out considerably extra individuals and types (3.3 entities on common in comparison with AI Overviews’ 1.3).
For instance, trying on the key phrase “cloud storage alternate options”, the AI Overview mentions seven manufacturers solely as soon as every, and towards the tip of the response:
Whereas the AI Mode response consists of 23 model mentions, repeating some model mentions all through the reply. Additionally, each element of the response accommodates a model, together with the very first sentence:
It’s straightforward to assume that since AI Mode solutions are 4x longer, that’s naturally why additionally they embody extra manufacturers in absolute phrases. However it’s typically the case that AI Overviews is extra selective with whether or not it mentions manufacturers, limiting the quantity of brand name publicity accessible throughout the response itself.
However right here’s what’s maybe most fascinating: 61% of the time, AI Mode consists of each entity that AI Overview talked about, then provides extra on high.
For instance, an AI Overview may point out Mayo Clinic as a well being authority. AI Mode’s response consists of Mayo Clinic but additionally provides Cleveland Clinic and WebMD. The core authority seems in each, however AI Mode expands the knowledgeable pool.
Because of this in case your model is talked about in AI Overviews, there’s a very good likelihood it’ll additionally seem in AI Mode’s longer response.
However you’ll be sharing house with extra rivals or sources that didn’t make the AI Overview reduce.
This sample suggests AI Mode is constructing on the same basis of associated entities as AI Overviews reasonably than ranging from scratch with a wholly completely different method.
Not each response consists of citations or model mentions. As an illustration, 59.41% of AI Overview and 34.66% of AI Mode responses comprise no manufacturers or entities.
About one-third (32.8%) of all AI responses in our dataset talked about no manufacturers or individuals in any respect. These are normally informational queries the place no model is looked for or anticipated within the response, similar to “Nov 21 zodiac”, “income cycle”, and “meditation earlier than mattress”.
Some responses additionally confirmed no cited sources. When citations are lacking solely, it’s usually for edge instances like:
- Easy calculations (“4 divided by 1/2”)
- NSFW or delicate content material (“sexual abuse,” “my spouse hit me”)
- Redirects to assist facilities
- Unsupported languages (“678是美国哪里的区号”)
Why the distinction in quotation charges?
AI Mode is extra dependable for attribution. Solely 3% of responses lack citations in comparison with 11% for AI Overviews.
Just a few doable causes:
- Size and format necessities: 4x longer responses want extra grounding and supporting proof
- Consumer expectations differ: AI Overviews seem in conventional search outcomes, the place customers typically simply want a fast truth. AI Mode is an interactive chat or analysis expertise the place customers anticipate transparency about sources
- Question filtering: AI Overviews seemingly floor for extra edge instances that don’t warrant citations, whereas AI Mode could filter these out or deal with them in a different way
These distinctions between AI Mode and AI Overviews have direct implications for the way you method AI optimization.
- Observe visibility for AI Overviews and AI Mode individually: With solely 13.7% supply overlap, being cited in a single doesn’t assure visibility within the different. Monitor your visibility in each by utilizing Ahrefs’ Model Radar.
- Deal with semantic authority, not actual wording: The 86% semantic similarity reveals each programs look for a similar themes, simply expressed in a different way. Construct topical authority and complete protection (reasonably than concentrating on particular phrases) so your model is seen as related to the matter.
- Contemplate the format variations: AI Mode’s 97% quotation fee and entity enlargement (3.3 vs 1.3 entities) favor longer, well-sourced content material, particularly from encyclopedic sources. AI Overviews desire video and neighborhood platforms like Reddit. The identical content material could not carry out equally in each.
- Put together for extra competitors in AI Mode: For those who’re cited in an AI Overview, there’s a 61% likelihood you’ll seem in AI Mode too, however alongside extra rivals who didn’t make the shorter reduce.
- Put money into encyclopedic content material: Wikipedia seems in 28.9% of AI Mode citations versus 18.1% in AI Overviews. Contemplate how your content material can function a complete reference or be cited in current encyclopedic assets.
The underside line: deal with AI Mode and AI Overviews as separate channels with overlapping targets however completely different execution. Optimize for each, however don’t assume success in a single interprets to the different.
