Google AI Overviews jump from 26% to 80% of branded queries

Google AI Overviews appeared on more than 80% of tracked branded queries by late September, according to new DemandSphere data. That was up from about 26% at the start of the month.

The increase accelerated in the final days of September. AI Overview presence peaked at 90.48% on Sept. 27.

Branded AI Overviews surged. AI Overviews appeared on roughly 27% to 35% of DemandSphere’s tracked branded queries through much of September. That changed late in the month.

• Presence jumped to 69.21% on Sept. 26 and 90.48% on Sept. 27.
• It remained high at 80.23% on Sept. 28 and 82.06% on Sept. 29.
• Google hasn’t announced a change related to the increase.

AI Overviews on 93% of brands. Separately, Chris Long, co-founder of Nectiv, tested 100 enterprise brands using SerpApi. He found AI Overviews for 93 of them. AI Overviews for major brands, including Reddit, Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Facebook, Long said. He also found them for smaller companies.

Why we care. As AI Overviews expand into branded searches, tracking your brand’s visibility in them is increasingly important. That includes knowing which branded queries trigger AI Overviews, what they say about your brand, and which sources Google cites.

CTR impact is unclear. Long warned that the expansion could reduce click-through rates from branded searches. But neither his test nor DemandSphere’s data measured clicks. So the actual impact on branded CTR remains unknown.

About the data. DemandSphere tracked branded keywords once per day through its DemandMetrics platform across all markets and devices. It counted an AI Overview whenever one appeared for a query, whether it cited the brand.