A new study by SEO software company SE Ranking has analyzed the sources and links used in Google’s AI-generated search rankings.
The study, which examined over 100,000 keywords across 20 niches, offers insights into how these AI-powered snippets are created 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 compared to previous studies.
The average length of these overviews decreased by approx. 40%currently on average 2,633 characters.
According to the data, the most frequently linked websites in AI overviews were:
- YouTube.com (1,346 links)
- LinkedIn.com (1,091 links)
- Healthline.com (1,091 links)
Government and Education
Research shows that government and educational institutions play an important role in AI-generated responses.
Approximately 19.71% of the AI overviews contained links to .gov websites, while 26.61% referenced .edu domains.
Media representation
Major media outlets frequently appeared in 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 the links in AI overviews use the HTTPS protocol, whereby only 0.25% via HTTP.
Niche-specific trends
The study found that there are differences in the overview of AI in the various niches:
- The “relationships” niche dominated with 40.64% of keywords in this category that trigger AI overviews.
- Food and beverages maintained their second place with 23.58% of keywords that trigger overviews.
- In particular, in the “fashion and beauty”, “pets” and “e-commerce and retail” niches, there was a significant decline in AI overview appearances compared to previous studies.
Link pattern
The study found that AI overviews often contain links from high-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 the AI overviews matched the search results from Top 1-100, with most (73.01%) with links to the first 1-10 search results.
International content
The study revealed trends regarding international content:
- 9.85% of the keywords that triggered AI overviews contained links to .in (Indian) domains.
- This was prevalent in certain niches, with sports and exercise leading the way 36.83% of keywords in this category that link to .in sites.
Reddit & Quora absent
Despite the popularity of these platforms as sources of information, the study found no links to Reddit or Quora in the AI reviews analyzed.
Reddit’s absence in the AIOs is likely due to misinformation (remember the pizza glue debacle?). But don’t panic—Reddit is still big in the regular SERPs.
YouTube tops the list of AIO links. Sure, Google may have its favorites, but overall, YouTube is losing ground to Reddit.
Screenshot from Google Trends, August 2014.AIO adoption has been on the back burner since Google I/O, largely due to misinformation.
Reddit wasn’t a big AIO seller before. SERPs still love Reddit, with or without AIO.
methodology
The study was conducted using Google Chrome on an Ubuntu PC, with sessions in New York and all personalization features disabled.
The data was collected on July 11, 2024 and provides a snapshot of AI overview behavior.
SE Ranking has announced that it will continue this research, recognizing the need for ongoing analysis to understand evolving trends.
What does this mean?
These findings have several implications for SEO professionals and publishers:
- Google’s AI favors trustworthy sources. Build your site’s credibility.
- AI overviews are getting shorter. Focus on clear, concise content.
- HTTPS is a must. Secure your site if you haven’t already.
- Diversify your sources. Mix in .edu and .gov backlinks where relevant.
- AI behavior varies by industry. Adapt your strategy accordingly.
- Think globally. You may be competing more strongly with international websites than before.
Remember, this is just a snapshot. Google’s AI overviews change quickly. Monitor these trends and be prepared to adjust your SEO strategy as needed.
The full report on SE Ranking’s website provides a detailed breakdown of the results, including niche-specific data.
Featured image: DIA TV / Shutterstock.com
