I’ve been captivated by how Google AI Overviews shifted the search landscape in 2025. Since then, I’ve delved into a detailed analysis by Semrush, which evaluated over 10 million keywords, revealing significant volatility, an increase in ads, stronger click-through rates (CTRs), and AI Overviews venturing beyond purely informational searches.
The year witnessed a rapid expansion of AI Overviews in Google’s search functions, which eventually tapered off as they began appearing in commercial and navigational inquiries. Between January and November, Semrush’s analysis identified these dynamic changes.
AI Overviews surged, then retreated. The deployment of AI Overviews was far from linear. Google introduced them at a rapid pace, peaking mid-year, then scaled back based on user data and feedback:
- January: AI Overviews appeared in 6.5% of all queries.
- July: Their presence peaked, appearing in nearly 25% of searches.
- November: By this time, their appearance was retracted to less than 16%.
Zero-click behavior defied expectations. Contrary to initial beliefs, I noticed that click-through rates for searches with AI Overviews have increased steadily. It seems that rather than reducing clicks, AI Overviews may actually encourage them.
- AI Overviews are more common on searches that generally lead to no clicks.
- But when examining the same keywords pre and post-introduction of an AI Overview, the zero-click rates decreased from 33.75% to 31.53%.
Informational queries no longer dominate. At the start of 2025, AI Overviews predominantly served informational purposes:
- January: 91% informational
- October: 57% informational
Eventually, I observed AI Overviews appearing in commercial and transactional searches:
- Commercial queries: Jumped from 8% to 18%
- Transactional queries: Increased from 2% to 14%
Navigational queries are rising fast. Interestingly, there’s a noticeable increase in AI Overviews intercepting brand and destination searches:
- Navigational AI Overviews rose from under 1% in January to over 10% by November.
Google Ads + AI Overviews. Earlier this year, ads rarely appeared next to AI Overviews. Now, their presence is much more common:
- Ads alongside AI Overviews grew from about 3% in January to around 40% by November.
- Roughly 25% of AI Overview SERPs now show ads at the bottom.
Science is the most impacted industry. In terms of keyword saturation, Science tops the list with AI Overviews appearing in 25.96% of searches. This is followed by Computers & Electronics at 17.92%, and People & Society at 17.29%.
- Since March, Food & Drink has experienced the fastest growth among all categories in AI Overview usage.
- In contrast, sectors like Real Estate, Shopping, and Arts & Entertainment see AI Overviews in less than 3% of queries.
Why we care. With AI Overviews persistently reshaping click behaviors, commercial visibility, and ad placements, I believe it’s important to keep a close eye on these shifts and adapt accordingly.
The report. For a deeper dive, you can explore the full Semrush AI Overviews Study: What 2025 SEO Data Tells Us About Google’s Search Shift.
Dig deeper. Earlier, in May, I reported on the initial findings of Semrush’s study in Google AI Overviews now show on 13% of searches: Study.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
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