AI Overviews now appear on 88% of commercial searches, Semrush study finds
A Semrush study published on 21 October 2026 tracked 400 US commercial keywords for a year. AI Overviews appeared for 88% of them in August 2026, up from 45.75% in September 2025. Review searches jumped from about 30% to 90%. The study measured how often AI Overviews appear, not clicks.
- "Best X for Y" searches had the highest coverage, at 96.12%.
- Weighted by search volume, coverage reached 97%. The keywords without an AI Overview made up less than 3% of the volume.
- The sample covered banking, ecommerce and software on US desktop. It didn't measure clicks or conversions.
What happened
Semrush's study tracked the same 400 keywords every month from September 2025 to August 2026. It grouped them by the phrases people use close to a decision: "alternatives", "X vs Y", "best X for Y", "price/cost" and "reviews". Every group ended between 82% and 96%. A year earlier the range was 30% to 63%. Search Engine Land covered the findings on 22 October.
Semrush's example: for "mailchimp vs klaviyo", the AI Overview pulled from Klaviyo's own guide, a third-party site, YouTube and other sources.
Why it matters for your site
The study didn't look at professional services, so treat it as a strong signal rather than proof for your sector. The pattern is clear, though. When someone searches with buying intent, Google now usually answers with an AI summary before the classic results. For a searcher comparing accountants, clinics or architects, that summary may be enough to build a shortlist. If the AI doesn't mention you, ranking just below it is worth less than it used to be.
What to do now
- Search the decision queries your clients use ("best [service] in [city]", "[service] cost", "[you] reviews") and note which sources the AI Overview cites.
- Keep your service, pricing and comparison pages current and clearly structured, so Google can quote clean passages. Out-of-date details leave room for errors.
- Earn reviews on the platforms that keep getting cited.
- Read Google's own guidance on AI features and your website.
Want to know how AI search engines see your site today? Run the free Web2Agents scan.
FAQ
Sources
- AI Overviews have nearly doubled across five commercial search modifiers, Semrush
- Google AI Overviews nearly double for commercial keywords: Study, Search Engine Land
- AI features and your website, Google Search Central
