Google’s integration of AI-generated summaries, known as AI Overviews, is reshaping the search landscape, with new data revealing they now appear in 39 per cent of Google queries.
The analysis, conducted by Website Planet, examined 100 search terms across 20 categories. While AI Overviews featured in 39 searches, another 33 returned carousel-style results, and 28 remained with traditional listings, suggesting Google is still refining when and how to surface AI-generated responses.
Winners, losers and traffic volatility
Organic traffic outcomes were mixed, with commercial websites benefiting most. Sites such as cerave.com and brand24.com saw increases of up to 333 per cent, and none in this category recorded declines.
Informational sites, however, saw the widest swings. While guides.vpcc.edu gained 1,933 per cent in visits, nerdfitness.com dropped by 76 per cent, the steepest fall in the study. Overall, informational sites posted a 241 per cent average gain, skewed by a few standout increases.
Institutional sites like who.int and sba.gov also fared well, with the former recording a 716 per cent traffic jump. On average, these domains saw more stable growth of 154 per cent post-AI Overview rollout.
Zero-click search trends deepen
The growing presence of AI Overviews is fuelling a rise in “zero-click” searches, where users find what they need on the results page itself. According to First Page Sage and Ahrefs, AI summaries now appear in 31 per cent of SERPs, with top organic result click-through rates (CTR) dropping by as much as 34.5 per cent on informational queries.
Further analysis by Amsive found CTR declines of up to 27 per cent for non-top-three keyword rankings, with branded terms less affected. In fact, branded keywords triggering AI Overviews saw an 18.7 per cent CTR boost, indicating stronger user intent still drives clicks in these cases.
Google’s search revenue jumps
Despite the mixed impact on publishers, Google itself has benefited. Search revenue rose 10 per cent year-on-year to $50.7 billion, aided by higher ad demand and increased average CPCs across 87 per cent of industries, according to WordStream’s 2025 benchmarks.
Google’s AI push has also contributed to shorter sessions but more frequent visits, as noted by Similarweb’s cross-market analysis. This creates more ad opportunities despite a possible reduction in time spent per session.
Strategic advice for SEO in 2025
With Google increasingly acting as both gatekeeper and content provider, SEO strategies must evolve. Website Planet recommends:
• Publishing in-depth, semantically structured content that answers related questions
• Using schema markup to improve AI Overview inclusion chances
• Focusing on authority, expertise, and backlinks to remain competitive
• Leveraging AI tools while maintaining human-led editorial value
• Adapting for voice and visual search formats
As AI Overviews become core to how users engage with Google Search, the implications for publishers, marketers, and SEOs are profound. Those quick to adapt may see significant gains, but the window to do so is narrowing.