New research indicates a significant shift in Google’s AI Overview rankings, presenting fresh opportunities for search engine optimisers to reclaim valuable organic real estate and clicks.
The dominant reign of Google’s AI Overviews at the very top of U.S. desktop search results seems to be faltering ( and UK will will not doubt follow suit). A recent study by enterprise SEO platform seoClarity reveals that 12.4% of AI Overviews no longer hold the coveted Position 1 spot. This marks a notable change from just a month before, when fewer than 2% of these AI-generated summaries ranked below the top position.
Why This Matters for SEO Strategy
For many SEOs and publishers, the introduction of Google’s AI Overviews has raised concerns, often leading to a perceived loss of organic clicks and traffic. This new data, however, suggests a silver lining: there are now more chances for traditional organic results to outrank an AI Overview and attract user engagement.
This insight provides a crucial pivot point for developing more effective SEO strategies. A Closer Look at the Numbers According to seoClarity’s research, which analyses U.S. desktop keyword searches and excludes ads, AI Overviews currently appear in 19% of all queries.
Here’s a breakdown of their current ranking distribution:
87.6% of AI Overviews still hold Position 1.
7.6% appear in Position 2.
2.8% are found in Position 3.
2% rank in Position 4 or lower.
When examining the intent behind queries that trigger AI Overviews, the distribution is as follows:
84.16% are Informational
12.38% are Transactional
3.31% are Navigational
0.15% are Local Transactional Queries:
A Key Vulnerability for AI Overviews
One of the most compelling findings is the increased likelihood of AI Overviews ranking lower for transactional queries. For AI Overviews that appear in Position 4 or below, the percentage of transactional intent jumps from 12.38% to 22.7%. A prime example in the study is the search query “[games on a Nintendo Switch],” where the AI Overview is outranked by two Nintendo category pages and a “Popular Products” carousel. This suggests that for queries where users want to complete a purchase or specific action, Google may be prioritising direct links to relevant product or category pages over the AI-generated summary. User Behaviour as a Driving Force So, what is prompting Google to shift AI Overviews further down the page? The answer likely lies in user behaviour.
Mark Traphagen, vice president of product marketing and training at seoClarity, suggested to Search Engine Land that Google closely monitors what users click on when an AI Overview is present. If users consistently bypass the AI Overview to click on an organic web result for a specific keyword, Google may demote the AI Overview for that query.
This insight offers a clear directive for SEOs: by being a top-ranked page for a keyword and optimising for a strong click-through rate, you can potentially influence Google to favour your organic listing over the AI Overview. The more users prefer your result, the greater the chance Google will promote it. The Enduring Importance of SEO This evolving landscape highlights a crucial point: SEO strategy and execution remain essential. Despite the rise of AI Overviews, there are clear signs that well-optimised, user-preferred content still has the power to outrank even Google’s own AI. This shift offers renewed optimism and a clear roadmap for SEO professionals seeking to capture organic visibility and traffic.
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