Google AI Overviews Hit 54% Search Overlap

Google’s AI Overviews are showing greater overlap with organic search listings, with ecommerce being the main exception.

According to new findings from BrightEdge, the feature highlights how websites are ranked across various sectors, offering guidance on where SEOs and publishers should direct their attention.

 

AIO And Organic Search

Recent figures reveal that 54% of the sources cited in Google’s AI Overviews also appear in the standard organic search rankings. This leaves 46% of citations that do not overlap, raising questions about whether this might be linked to Google’s FastSearch system.

FastSearch operates using ranking signals from the RankEmbed deep-learning model, which is trained on search logs and assessments from third-party quality raters. These logs include both user queries and click data, with the latter helping the model understand how people interact with search results.

Click activity provides signals on which documents users find relevant, much like quality raters help define what counts as high quality. For example, if users searching for “How to” content typically choose video tutorials, the system learns that this format is likely to satisfy such queries. Rather than thinking like humans, the model identifies consistent patterns within the click data.

This suggests that the 54% overlap between AI Overviews and organic results may not be the product of traditional ranking signals alone. Instead, it could reflect how FastSearch retrieves results that naturally align with regular search listings just over half the time.

 

Insight About Ranking Factors

BrightEdge’s findings may point to the intricate nature of Google’s FastSearch system, which focuses on speed and semantic alignment between search queries and web pages, rather than relying on traditional ranking signals such as backlinks. For SEOs and publishers, this is a key reminder of how crucial well-structured, relevant content has become, as well as the need to align with the formats users prefer.

In practice, this means that when someone searches for a product, they expect to be shown the actual product page, not a lengthy article describing it. Matching content to user intent is therefore central to visibility within search results.

 

Organic And AIO Overlap Evolved Over Time

At the time of its initial launch, AI Overviews shared just 32% of results with traditional organic listings. According to BrightEdge, that overlap has steadily increased over the past sixteen months since the feature was introduced.

 

Organic And AIO Match Depends On The Vertical

The overlap between AI Overviews and organic search is not consistent across every sector. The 54/46 split varies depending on the type of content.

In areas classed as “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL), the overlap is far stronger. For example, healthcare results now align with organic listings in 75.3% of cases, up from 63.3%. Education has seen one of the biggest jumps, with overlap climbing from just 19.4% at launch to 72.6% today. Insurance has followed a similar trend, rising from 20.9% to 68.6%.

E-commerce, however, remains the outlier. Here, overlap is minimal at just 22.9%, barely shifting since AI Overviews began.

One explanation could be that fields like healthcare, education, and insurance have a smaller, more established pool of trusted sites that searchers expect to see. This means websites in these areas may need to work harder to meet user expectations and recognised quality benchmarks. Put simply, FastSearch isn’t relying on traditional ranking signals but instead appears to prioritise content that feels relevant, authoritative, and aligned with what users want from their searches.

 

What Is Going On With E-Commerce?

E-commerce stands out as the one sector where the overlap between AI Overviews and organic search has barely shifted. In fact, BrightEdge reports that AIO coverage in this space has dropped by 7.6%.

This suggests that while AI Overviews might be useful for early-stage research and product discovery, the format doesn’t appear to serve users who are ready to buy. For those further along the purchase journey, traditional product listings remain a more suitable option.

 

Final Takeaways

BrightEdge suggests that websites operating in sectors where the overlap between AI Overviews and organic search results exceeds 60% should continue prioritising traditional SEO. However, it also stresses that all sites, no matter their industry, should focus on strong SEO foundations, ensure content aligns closely with user intent, and remain responsive to shifting search behaviours.

The firm sets out three key steps for site owners:

Step 1: Assess Your Overlap Profile. Work out what percentage of your AI Overview mentions also appear in organic rankings. Compare this figure to the 54% average to get a clearer picture of your position.

Step 2: Align Strategy with Intent. A high overlap (above 60%) indicates SEO should remain your primary focus. A low overlap (below 30%) calls for a dual strategy across AI and traditional search, while a mid-range overlap (30–60%) requires more balanced content that serves both.

Step 3: Track the Trends. Keep an eye on how your overlap rate evolves over time. Industry averages have increased by 22% in the past 16 months, with notable shifts such as a 5.4% rise in September 2024.