Introduction to AI Overviews
Ahrefs analyzed a massive 146 million search results to figure out which types of search queries trigger AI Overviews. This research looked at 86 different characteristics of keywords to see when AI Overviews appear. Here’s a simplified look at what they found and how it could affect your online strategy.
What the Analysis Found
AI Overviews show up on about 20.5% of all search keywords. However, some types of queries have much higher or lower rates of triggering AI Overviews. For instance, some categories can have trigger rates as high as 60%, while others remain below 2%.
Patterns in Query Types
Single-word searches only trigger AI Overviews about 9.5% of the time. In contrast, searches with seven or more words trigger them about 46.4% of the time. This shows that Google is more likely to use AI Overviews for complex searches rather than simple ones.
The format of the query also matters. Searches phrased as questions result in AI Overviews about 57.9% of the time, while non-question searches have a much lower rate of about 15.5%.
The intent behind the search is also crucial. Informational searches (those seeking information) make up about 99.9% of all AI Overview appearances. On the other hand, navigational searches (those looking for a specific website) trigger AI Overviews only about 0.09% of the time. Commercial and transactional searches have higher rates but are still relatively low, at 4.3% and 2.1%, respectively.
Patterns Across Industry Categories
Different industries have varying rates of AI Overview triggers. Science and health queries have high rates, at 43.6% and 43.0%, respectively. Queries about pets and animals also have a significant rate of 36.8%, and people and society questions trigger AI Overviews about 35.3% of the time.
In contrast, commerce-related categories have much lower rates. Shopping queries, for example, are associated with AI Overviews only about 3.2% of the time, making them the lowest in the dataset. Real estate, sports, and news queries also have relatively low rates.
Interestingly, YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) queries, which include topics that could impact health, financial security, or safety, display unexpectedly high trigger rates. Medical YMYL searches trigger AI Overviews about 44.1% of the time, financial YMYL about 22.9%, and safety YMYL about 31.0%. This is noteworthy because it contradicts Google’s emphasis on expert content for such sensitive topics.
Queries with Low AI Overview Presence
Certain types of queries have low rates of triggering AI Overviews. For example, "very newsy" keywords only trigger AI Overviews about 6.3% of the time, compared to 20.7% for non-news queries. This suggests that Google limits AI Overviews for time-sensitive content where accuracy and freshness are critical.
Local searches also demonstrate a low presence of AI Overviews, with only about 7.9% of local queries showing them, compared to 22.8% for non-local queries.
Content that is not safe for work (NSFW) consistently avoids AI Overviews across categories. Adult, gambling, and violence-related queries have very low trigger rates, with drug-related queries having the highest rate among these at 12.6%, which is still below the general baseline.
Brand vs. Non-Brand Queries
There’s a notable difference between branded and non-branded keywords. Non-branded queries trigger AI Overviews about 24.9% of the time, whereas branded queries do so about 13.1% of the time. This indicates that AI Overviews occur about 1.9 times more frequently for generic searches than for brand-specific searches.
No Correlation with CPC
Interestingly, there’s no significant correlation between the cost-per-click (CPC) of a keyword and the appearance of AI Overviews. Regardless of the commercial value of a keyword, the trigger rates for AI Overviews remain relatively consistent, ranging from 12.4% to 27.6% across different price ranges.
Why This Matters
Publishers who focus on informational content are most likely to encounter AI Overviews. Since question-based and how-to guides closely match Google’s trigger criteria, educational content publishers are at a higher risk of losing traffic due to AI Overviews.
Medical content has the highest category-specific AI Overview rate, which is concerning given the potential issues with AI accuracy in health advice.
Ecommerce and news publishers are less affected by AI Overviews, as shopping and news queries have low trigger rates. This indicates that these sectors experience less disruption from AI-driven traffic compared to informational sites.
Looking Ahead
Using this data, publishers can assess their current keyword portfolios to identify patterns of AI Overview exposure. The most reliable indicators are query intent and length, with industry category and question format also playing significant roles.
AI Overview exposure varies significantly across different industry categories, with differences exceeding 40 percentage points between the highest and lowest rates. Content strategies should consider this variation at the category level rather than assuming a consistent baseline risk across all topics.
For a deeper dive into this data and its implications, further analysis is necessary to understand how AI Overviews will continue to impact online content and search results.
Conclusion
The appearance of AI Overviews in search results is a significant factor for online publishers, especially those focusing on informational content. Understanding the patterns and triggers of AI Overviews can help publishers adjust their strategies to mitigate potential losses in traffic and engagement. By considering the intent, length, and format of queries, as well as the industry category, publishers can create content that is less likely to be impacted by AI Overviews, ensuring their information reaches the intended audience effectively.