New Report: AI Trends Stabilising

Google AI Overviews generally showed signs of stability in October and November, but there was a significant surge in granular travel queries, which increased by an impressive 700%.

As we enter the holiday season, October’s data highlights notable shifts and stabilisation across various industries in AI Overviews (AIOs). This period of change also marks an important transition, with some sectors showing growth, while others maintain a steady course.

Crucially, these insights reveal strategic shifts in content types and sources, which can provide valuable direction for marketers looking to optimise for AIOs during this pivotal time of year.

Understanding these trends is essential for brands aiming to stay competitive, offering actionable strategies to make the most of the evolving landscape in AI-driven search.

YouTube Citations In AI Overviews: September Through October

In September, YouTube AI Overviews (AIOs) citations surged dramatically, rising by 400–450% compared to the baseline set in August when YouTube citations were first tracked. However, by October, the level stabilised at approximately 110% to 115% of the August baseline. This suggests that this new level of YouTube AIO citations may now represent a new normal for the platform.

The types of video content that Google AIO tends to cite include:

How-to guides
In-depth reviews
Product comparisons

BrightEdge’s report observed that YouTube AIO citations remained stable in November, with the current state stabilising around 115% to 120%, showing minimal day-to-day variation of just ±3%.

In the coming months, it will be interesting to see how satisfied users are with these YouTube citations. Given the low volatility of the citations, it’s reasonable to assume that Google has thoroughly tested them before rolling them out. This suggests that any dramatic changes are unlikely, and this level of YouTube citations may be here to stay, though, of course, nothing is guaranteed.

This trend highlights the growing importance of YouTube video channels as a means of expanding reach. It also signals a shift away from relying solely on text-based content. For those embedding video on web pages, it’s crucial to utilise Video Schema.org structured data to optimise these citations.

Massive Growth In Travel Industry AIO Citations

Travel AIO citations saw a dramatic surge of 700% from September to October, which may indicate Google’s growing confidence in AI for providing travel recommendations.

In response to this trend, BrightEdge has offered valuable advice for travel brands looking to capture AIO visibility. They recommend optimising content around seasonal travel, local events, and specific activities. Many of the keywords driving this surge begin with phrases such as “Things to do,” which then triggers an unordered list, highlighting specific activities and recommendations.

Localized and Activity-Specific Travel Queries

Google AIO is increasingly showing citations for more specific, long-tail travel-related queries, especially those focused on local travel. This suggests that AI Overviews is now handling more local travel searches, rather than the broader, destination-level queries that drill down into individual neighbourhoods.

BrightEdge has suggested several strategies for optimising content for these evolving travel AIO topics. According to their insights, this trend presents a key opportunity for travel brands to capture AIO visibility by creating content that aligns with users’ more specific search intents.

Focusing on queries related to local events, neighbourhood attractions, and seasonal activities can enhance relevance, as AIOs continue to prioritise detailed, location-specific travel information. For example, content targeting searches such as “best winter activities in New England” or “holiday events in small towns” is likely to resonate with users seeking unique travel experiences.

BrightEdge explained:

Initially, travel AIOs were primarily dominated by broad, general queries focused on major tourist destinations. However, as the month progressed, there was a noticeable shift towards more localized, activity-specific, and seasonal travel searches. This change reflected a deeper level of user intent, with users increasingly searching for more specific information.

By November, AIOs began to focus more on niche travel queries. These included searches related to smaller cities, specific neighbourhoods, and unique local activities. This shift highlights the growing demand for more tailored and detailed travel recommendations.

Some of the common patterns in travel queries that triggered AIOs included searches like “Top attractions in,” “Things to do in,” “Family-friendly activities in,” and “Fall festivals in.” These types of queries show a clear trend toward users seeking more personalised and localised travel experiences.

AIO Is Stabilizing And Maturing

Another interesting insight from the BrightEdge data is that the daily growth of AIO citations has slowed down to 1.3%, signalling that we are now entering a more stable phase in the AIO landscape.

According to BrightEdge, “We are now six months into the AIO era and are seeing macro-changes in AI overviews that are getting smaller and smaller.” This indicates a shift toward more gradual, less volatile changes.

Additionally, a statistic confirming that AIOs are here to stay is the 42% decrease in volatility in AIO citations, which further indicates stability. This is positive news, as it suggests greater predictability regarding which keyword phrases will trigger AIO citations.

BrightEdge observes, “The stabilization in AIO appearance allows brands to optimise for a consistent presence, particularly for evergreen holiday keywords.” This stability benefits campaigns where a steady AIO presence can drive significant traffic and conversions. As AIOs become more stable, it will be easier for marketers to incorporate them into their strategies. This insight is pivotal for marketers planning to include AI Overviews as part of their strategy for 2025.

Education Topic Performance

Education topics showed steady growth, with a 5% increase in the number of keywords triggering AIO, accounting for 45-50% of all keywords. This growth was particularly evident in more complex educational queries, such as:

Cybersecurity certification prerequisites
Career options with a psychology degree
PsyD vs PhD comparison

In the B2B sector, there was a modest growth of 2%, with B2B queries making up 45-50% of the total keywords. Additionally, these queries experienced less volatility in October compared to September.

Healthcare AIO citations also remained stable, with only a 1% change observed in October. Healthcare topics accounted for 73-75% of the keywords that triggered AIO citations.