A new study by SEO software company SE Ranking has analyzed the sources and links used in Google’s AI-generated search overviews.

The research, which examined over 100,000 keywords across 20 niches, offers insights into how these AI-powered snippets are constructed and what types of sources they prioritize.

Key Findings

Length & Sources

The study found that 7.47% of searches triggered AI overviews, a slight decrease from previous research.

The average length of these overviews has decreased by approximately 40%, now averaging 2,633 characters.

According to the data, the most frequently linked websites in AI overviews were:

1. YouTube.com (1,346 links)
2. LinkedIn.com (1,091 links)
3. Healthline.com (1,091 links)

Government & Education

The research indicates that government and educational institutions are prominently featured in AI-generated answers.

Approximately 19.71% of AI overviews included links to .gov websites, while 26.61% referenced .edu domains.

Media Representation

Major media outlets appeared frequently in the AI overviews.

Forbes led with 804 links from 723 AI-generated answers, followed by Business Insider with 148 links from 139 overviews.

HTTPS Dominance

The study reported that 99.75% of links in AI overviews use the HTTPS protocol, with only 0.25% using HTTP.

Niche-Specific Trends

The research revealed variations in AI overviews across niches:

• The Relationships niche dominated, with 40.64% of keywords in this category triggering AI overviews.
• Food and Beverage maintained its second-place position, with 23.58% of keywords triggering overviews.
• Notably, the Fashion and Beauty, Pets, and Ecommerce and Retail niches saw significant declines in AI overview appearances compared to previous studies.

Link Patterns

The study found that AI overviews often incorporate links from top-ranking organic search results:

• 93.67% of AI overviews linked to at least one domain from the top 10 organic search results.
• 56.50% of all detected links in AI overviews matched search results from the top 1-100, with most (73.01%) linking to the top 1-10 search results.

International Content

The research noted trends regarding international content:

• 9.85% of keywords triggering AI overviews included links to .in (Indian) domains.
• This was prevalent in certain niches, with Sports and Exercise leading at 36.83% of keywords in that category linking to .in sites.

Reddit & Quora Absent

Despite these platforms ‘ popularity as information sources, the study found no instances of Reddit or Quora being linked in the analyzed AI overviews. This marks a change from previous studies where these sites were more frequently referenced.

Methodology

The research was conducted using Google Chrome on an Ubuntu PC, with sessions based in New York and all personalization features disabled.

The data was collected on July 11, 2024, providing a snapshot of AI overview behavior.

SE Ranking has indicated that they plan to continue this research, acknowledging the need for ongoing analysis to understand evolving trends.

What Does This Mean?

These findings have several implications for SEO professionals and publishers:

1. Google’s AI favors trusted sources. Keep building your site’s credibility.
2. AI overviews are getting shorter. Focus on clear, concise content.
3. HTTPS is a must. Secure your site if you haven’t already.
4. Diversify your sources. Mix in .edu and .gov backlinks where relevant.
5. AI behavior varies across industries. Adapt your strategy accordingly.
6. Think globally. You might be competing with international sites more than before.

Remember, this is just a snapshot. Google’s AI overviews are changing fast. Monitor these trends and be ready to pivot your SEO strategy as needed.

The full report on SE Ranking’s website provides a detailed breakdown of the findings, including niche-specific data.

Featured Image: DIA TV / Shutterstock.com