AI Overviews Rise and Dip in 2025

A recent study by Semrush, analysing over 10 million keywords, has highlighted significant changes in Google search behaviour during 2025. The research reveals growing volatility in search results, increased ad presence, stronger click-through rates, and the expansion of AI Overviews beyond purely informational queries.

Throughout the year, Google rapidly rolled out AI Overviews in search results, but visibility fluctuated as the company tested their performance across different query types. The Semrush study tracked keyword data from January to November to identify these patterns.

AI Overviews did not increase steadily; instead, they surged in the middle of the year before pulling back. This suggests Google experimented quickly with the feature before adjusting its deployment based on user behaviour and engagement data.

In January 2025, only 6.5% of search queries triggered an AI Overview. By July, this had grown to nearly 25%, representing the peak of the rollout. However, by November, coverage had fallen back to under 16%, reflecting a strategic reduction.

Contrary to initial expectations, AI Overviews have not led to a decline in user engagement. Click-through rates (CTRs) for queries displaying AI Overviews have steadily increased since the start of the year, indicating that these summaries may actually encourage users to click rather than replace traditional search interactions.

Although AI Overviews tend to appear more frequently on searches that historically resulted in zero clicks, the impact on engagement is nuanced. Semrush found that comparing the same keywords before and after an AI Overview appeared led to a decrease in zero-click rates from 33.75% to 31.53%.

The content focus of AI Overviews has also shifted significantly over 2025. Early in the year, they were almost entirely informational, covering 91% of queries in January. By October, this proportion had fallen to 57%, as Google began including commercial and transactional searches.

Commercial queries accounted for 8% of AI Overviews in January, rising to 18% by October. Transactional queries increased from 2% to 14%, showing that Google is expanding AI Overviews into queries with stronger business intent.

Navigational searches are also seeing growth. AI Overviews for brand-specific or destination-focused queries surged from under 1% in January to over 10% by November, reflecting a broader adoption across different search intents.

The presence of Google Ads alongside AI Overviews has risen dramatically. In January, ads appeared next to only about 3% of AI Overview results. By November, this number had jumped to roughly 40%, with ads often displayed at the bottom of the search results.

These trends indicate a growing integration of AI-generated summaries with commercial opportunities, potentially influencing both user behaviour and advertiser strategies.

The industry impact of AI Overviews is uneven. Science-related keywords lead with 25.96% saturation, followed by Computers & Electronics at 17.92%, and People & Society at 17.29%. These sectors have seen the most frequent integration of AI summaries.

Other industries, such as Food & Drink, have experienced rapid growth in AI Overviews since March, suggesting emerging opportunities for content optimisation in this sector.

In contrast, industries like Real Estate, Shopping, and Arts & Entertainment remain lightly affected, with AI Overviews appearing in less than 3% of keywords, indicating slower adoption and lower visibility.

The volatility and uneven rollout of AI Overviews mean website owners and SEO professionals must pay close attention to performance shifts. These changes can influence click-through rates, visibility for commercial queries, and the positioning of ads on search result pages.

For marketers, this evolution underscores the importance of monitoring keywords and adjusting strategies to maintain search performance. AI Overviews are reshaping the landscape, and early adaptation may offer a competitive advantage.

The study also highlights that Google is expanding the functionality of AI Overviews to address a wider range of search intents, signalling a shift from purely informational guidance to supporting transactional and commercial decisions.

Analysts suggest that the expansion into navigational queries could further alter search behaviour, especially for branded searches, as users may rely more heavily on AI summaries before clicking through to a website.

As AI Overviews continue to evolve, monitoring their impact across different industries and query types will remain crucial for understanding how user engagement, CTRs, and ad placements are affected.

The full Semrush report, AI Overviews Study: What 2025 SEO Data Tells Us About Google’s Search Shift, provides detailed insights into these trends, offering a comprehensive view of how Google’s AI integration is shaping search in 2025.