We Studied 200,000 AI Overviews: Here's What We Learned

Oct 30, 2024 06:50 PM - 2 weeks ago 17186

It’s 2024, and AI-driven hunt results are starring the conversation.

To enactment ahead, you request insights into really AI Overviews (AIOs) are influencing website visibility crossed cardinal industries. Tracking keyword trends is nary longer optional—it's essential.

That’s why we analyzed 200,000 keywords to uncover the latest trends successful AI-generated responses connected Google. From ranking shifts to contented opportunities, this information is captious for staying competitory successful a hunt situation dominated by instrumentality learning.

Let’s return a peek into the early of hunt visibility—where AI holds the keys.

Key Takeaways & Stats

Before diving into the methodology, a speedy preview of findings: 

  • Low Volume Keywords: 82% of desktop and 76% of mobile AIOs occurred for keywords pinch little than 1,000 monthly searches
  • Primarily Informational Intent: 80% of desktop and 76% of mobile AIOs targeted informational keywords
  • No Ranking Guarantee: Top 10 integrated rankings didn’t guarantee AIO inclusion
  • Response Length Varies: Responses ranged from 5 to 488 words
  • Low PPC Ad Presence: Only 5% of SERPs pinch an AIO besides featured PPC ads
  • Extensive Linking: Up to 302 links successful a azygous AIO (for the keyword “netherland two-week itinerary”)

Methodology

To cod this research, our squad studied 100,000 keywords from the US mobile database and different 100,000 from the US desktop database. 

Then, we parsed each of the content and URLs associated pinch the AI Overviews connected these results pages. The information from this investigation has been put together successful this article to springiness a snapshot of trends and insights we’ve seen truthful far. 

Keyword Data Set

The keywords were randomly selected from the Semrush US databases, filtering to see only the keywords that triggered an AI Overview astatine slightest erstwhile betwixt September 1-10, 2024. 

The keyword group had a wide scope of qualities successful position of hunt volume, keyword length, and keyword difficulty. 

Thus, the information group represented a divers scope of searches from highly celebrated to uncommon, little to detailed, competitory to uncompetitive, and pinch differing intents.

However, the astir communal intent type was informational (80% connected desktop, 76% connected mobile). 

This makes sense, arsenic these queries are much apt to beryllium served pinch an informational summary, which is what an AI Overview provides.

What Industries See the Most AI Overviews? 

To cheque which industries spot the astir AI Overviews, we reviewed Semrush Sensor's keywords by categories and checked really often each manufacture saw an AI Overview.

We weighted the categories against each different to spot which had the largest stock of AI Overviews from our sample.

This study allowed america to estimate which industries astir often triggered AI Overviews. 

On desktop results, the apical 3 categories were:

  • Health
  • People & Society
  • Science

On mobile, it was:

  • People & Society
  • Science
  • Food & Drink

What Kind of Query Triggers an AI Overview?

In our sample of 200k keywords, we recovered that 35% connected desktop and 32% connected mobile were mobility keywords (queries opening pinch who, what, why, when, how, etc.).

We besides recovered that astir of these keywords had informational intent, arsenic opposed to navigational, transactional, aliases commercialized intent. 

Question Keywords

Similar to featured snippets, AI Overviews are effective astatine answering speedy questions being asked connected Google. 

Within our samples, we saw 35,013 retired of our 100,00 desktop keywords were questions. From the mobile sample, 32,461 of the 100,000 were questions.

What types of questions did we spot the astir successful our information set? 

On some mobile and desktop results, mobility keywords starting pinch “how,” “what,” and “is” were seen astir often.

Takeaway: “How” and “what” keywords trigger AI Overviews astir often, supporting the study that AIO’s grip informational queries astir often. 

Informational Keywords

Here’s the breakdown of keyword intent wherever we recovered AI Overviews:

Takeaways:

  • Informational keywords were seen the astir successful our sample of keywords
  • Transactional keywords dress up little than 3% of each keywords that triggered AI Overviews, and navigational moreover little (under 2%). 

In the meantime, for SEOs and contented marketers, you tin expect to spot AI Overviews shaking up immoderate existing SEO postulation that came from informational keywords. 

And little of an effect crossed transactional aliases navigational searches (that intends branded searches and group searching specifically for your website).

How Many Words Are successful the Average AI Overview? 

The contented magnitude successful an AI Overview tells america really overmuch accusation Google thinks is needed to reply an informational query.

How galore words does it return to springiness a adjuvant reply to an informational search? And really galore links will location typically be? 

Here’s what the information says:

In position of the scope seen successful the study, the longest desktop AIO consequence was 417 words (3000 characters) for the query “javascript and seo.” 

The shortest AIO consequence we saw was conscionable 5 words, answering “032 aluminum is what gauge.”

The mean magnitude of an AIO was 119 words connected desktop and 91 words connected mobile. Here’s what that looks like:

Here’s the afloat breakdown:

How Many URLs Are successful an Average AI Overview?

On some desktop and mobile SERPs, we saw an mean of 11 links wrong an AI Overview. However, the overlap betwixt these links and the apical 10 integrated results is only astir 20-26%.

We saw immoderate outliers from this trend, including 1 desktop AIO pinch 106 links for “planning a travel to williamsburg va” and 302 links successful a mobile AIO for “netherland 2 week itinerary.”

Why truthful many?

Because Google realizes that some queries inquire for a batch of information. If you want a 2 week itinerary to sojourn a overseas country, there’s a batch to include.

And Google pulls together suggestions for things to do each time of the travel from a wide scope of sites. 

Take a look:

Correlations Between URLs successful the AI Overview and the Top 10 Organic Positions

You mightiness wonderment really overmuch of a guarantee it is that your integrated rankings will besides show up successful the AI Overview. 

While location is immoderate overlap betwixt integrated hunt results and AIOs, the basal takeaway is that these URLs are ne'er the same.

Most often our study saw little than 3 of the URLs from the integrated apical 10 repeated successful the AI Overview.

How Often Did Top-10 SEO Positions Appear successful the AI Overview?

Takeaways: 

  • On mobile devices, it was much communal to spot nary overlap betwixt the URLs successful AI Overviews and the apical 10 integrated results compared to desktop
  • Over 80% of mobile AI overviews included 3 aliases little URLs from the apical 10 integrated results. In these cases, it was astir communal to spot conscionable 1 akin URL. 
  • Over 88% of desktop AI overviews included 4 aliases little URLs from the apical 10 integrated results. In these cases, it was astir communal to spot 3 akin URLs. 
  • There’s nary guarantee that ranking a URL successful the apical 10 integrated results will mean the URL will besides beryllium successful the AI Overview for that aforesaid keyword.

What SEO Position successful the Organic Top 10 Appeared Most Often?

So, really overmuch of a guarantee is location for a number 1 integrated ranking to besides beryllium successful the AI Overview?

Not much. 

But, arsenic you mightiness expect, the person an integrated consequence was to number 1, the higher the chance it would besides look successful the AI Overview. 

However, the apical classed consequence was only recovered successful 46% of desktop and 34% of mobile AI Overviews. 

Takeaway:

Over 50% of AI Overviews connected desktop and 60% connected mobile did not nexus to the apical integrated result. 

And the magnitude of clip an AI Overview didn’t nexus to any of the apical 3 positions was astir 25% connected desktop and 38% connected mobile. 

This tells america that the algorithm that determines the accepted integrated results produces beautiful different results than the strategy that provides links successful the AI Overview.

Google's archiving states: 

AI Overviews show links to resources that support the accusation successful the snapshot, and research the taxable further. This allows group to excavation deeper and observe a divers scope of contented from publishers, creators, retailers, businesses, and more, and usage the accusation they find to beforehand their tasks.

Depending connected really you look astatine it, that could beryllium an opportunity aliases a situation for your SEO.

If you already inhabit precocious positions, you now person the situation of besides maintaining visibility pinch the AI Overviews.

But, if you person a difficult clip climbing to the apical of the integrated results for a keyword, there’s a chance your contented could beryllium featured successful the AI Overview if it supports the accusation successful the snapshot aliases explores the taxable further.

How often did we spot Ads and AI Overviews connected the aforesaid SERP?

On mean crossed some mobile and desktop samples we saw astir 5% of the SERPs pinch AI Overviews besides had PPC Google ads. 

In those instances, the aforesaid URLs were very seldom seen successful an advertisement and an AI Overview organically. In fact, it only happened 140 times retired of 100,000 desktop SERPs, and 95 times connected mobile. 

We besides only recovered very fewer times wherever an AI Overview linked to a URL that was successful a Google Ad, but not successful the integrated apical 100: 14 times connected mobile and 24 times connected desktop. 

One illustration of that was “how overmuch to lease a bmw x3.” 

Takeaways: 

It doesn’t look for illustration location is simply a relationship betwixt bidding connected a keyword and getting your ad’s landing page featured successful an AI Overview. 

However, it is possible, and possibly it makes the astir consciousness pinch branded searches astir pricing wherever a paid landing page would person the champion answer.

Google precocious announced that it would statesman to rotation retired ads within AI Overviews. This announcement was made aft the clip play we collected information truthful we did not cod immoderate information regarding paid ads featured wrong an AI Overview.

Research & Track AI Overviews pinch Semrush

This AI Overview information shows conscionable a glimpse into really hunt is changing—and wherever you tin find immoderate existent chances to boost your ain visibility.

But don’t conscionable return our connection for it. Get into Semrush and commencement digging into your ain AI Overview research. 

AI Overview investigation is now disposable successful the pursuing Semrush tools:

  • Domain Overview
  • Organic Research
  • Keyword Overview
  • Keyword Magic Tool
  • Position Tracking
  • Sensor

Track really AI Overviews show up for your target keywords, spy connected what your competitors are doing, and support an oculus connected wherever AI hunt is heading. 

Now’s the time. Get connected it and enactment up successful 2024 and beyond.

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