Google AI Overviews statistics: what we measured, with sample sizes and intervals

These are the statistics we measured ourselves on Google AI Overviews, in the exact wording we published. Each figure has its sample size, its 95% interval where we publish one, and the scope it was measured on. Two third-party figures, from Google and from Pew Research Center, are dated and linked at the end.

How often does Google show an AI Overview?

On the business searches we tracked, Google showed an AI Overview on most of them.

"On 148 commercial SaaS searches such as 'best CRM for small business', Google showed an AI Overview on 143 of them, and each one cited a median of 9 different websites." That was measured on one day, July 19, 2026, on SaaS head terms only.

Whether an AI Overview appears also moves between checks: "Whether an AI Overview appears at all also moves. In the same three checks over two days, 22 of 150 searches showed an AI Overview on some checks and not on others (15%; 95% interval 10% to 21%), so a KPI that counts AI Overview appearances can change with nothing changed on your side."

How many websites does an AI Overview cite?

An AI Overview cites several websites, so a single citation is a fraction of the answer.

"A Google AI Overview cites about 6 different websites on average, so a single citation is roughly one sixth of the answer."

Do AI Overviews cite the top-ranking pages?

They cite them partly: higher-ranking pages are cited more often, but most cited websites were not in the organic top 10.

"In our study of 150 non-branded Google searches (US, July 2026), about 57% of the websites cited in AI Overviews did not appear in that same search's top 10 organic results (95% interval 54% to 60%)."

"Google showed an AI Overview on 573 of 650 non-branded business searches we tracked. On 91% of the searches we added in July (95% interval 88% to 93%), at least one cited website was missing from the organic top 10." The 91% covers the 500 searches added in July, not all 650.

"The website in the first organic position was cited by the AI Overview 56% of the time (95% interval 51% to 61%). Websites in positions 6 to 10 were cited 34% of the time (31% to 37%)." That is an association across 3,210 result rows from 393 answers, not the value of moving up a position.

How stable are AI Overview sources?

AI Overview sources are not very stable: the cited sources change from one check to the next, and from day to day.

"When we checked the same 118 searches three times over two days, only 14 of them returned the exact same set of cited websites each time."

"AI Overview source lists turn over fast: across 8 captures in one week, the typical website stayed in an answer's source list for one capture interval."

That churn changes how you should judge results. In a replay over our own data, "a large share of imaginary changes, assigned to random websites where nothing was done, scored as wins under a simple before and after rule, and the share grew the longer the window, because AI Overview source lists turn over constantly."

And a simulation built on the same data shows why a comparison group matters: "In a simulation built on the structure of our own AI Overview data, an analysis that did not know which searches had been worked on never detected an injected improvement, even a 20-point one (0 of 500 simulations at each size; 95% interval 0% to 0.8%). Told which searches had been worked on, the same analysis detected a 5-point improvement in 56% of simulations (95% interval 52% to 60%) and a 20-point one in all 500."

Which social platforms do AI Overviews cite?

YouTube shows up often; posts on X almost never do. In one sentence: "YouTube is one of the few social platforms that regularly shows up as a source; posts on X almost never do"

"Across 576 Google searches that showed an AI Overview, YouTube was cited in 57% of them (328 searches). Posts on X were cited in none of the same 576." These count searches where the platform was cited, not what the engine retrieved; LinkedIn and Facebook do appear, and none of this means social media is dead.

What do Google and independent researchers report?

Two outside figures help place ours. Each is the publisher's own number, with its own scope and date.

How were our numbers measured?

The table gives the scope shared by every Elementera figure on this page.

Every figure has a methodology card with its exact sample and dates. Our engine guide to Google AI Overviews and AI Mode explains how Google picks sources.

Frequently asked questions

What to do next

Work with us

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Sources

• Elementera, measurements of Google AI Overviews on US non-branded business searches, July 2026 (methodology cards).
• Google, Q2 2025 earnings call: Remarks from our CEO, July 23, 2025 (read October 14, 2026).
• A. Chapekis and A. Lieb, Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results, Pew Research Center, July 22, 2025 (read October 14, 2026).

Written byDr. Maziar "Maz" GomrokchiCo-Founder and CEO

AI/ML scientist with 20+ years of research & industry experience. Ex-Google DeepMind, MIT, Harvard, Mila. McGill-Mila PhD.

Reviewed bySoroush MehriCo-Founder and Chief AI Officer

Ex-Microsoft. 10+ years of experience in AI/ML, MSc from Université de Montréal (Mila). US patent holder.