New WebFX Study Reveals Google AI Overviews Now Surface in One in Four U.S. Searches

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WebFX

Aug 04, 2025, 09:48 ET

WebFX's analysis of 2.37 million U.S. Google searches shows that AI Overviews now surface in 25.8 % of results, rising to 54 % for longer informational queries.

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- WebFX, a leading digital marketing agency, today published a comprehensive analysis of 2.37 million U.S. Google search results that shows Google's AI Overview feature now appears in 25.8% of all queries. The research highlights how query length, user intent, and industry vertical influence the likelihood of the AI-generated answer box replacing traditional organic listings.

Key Findings

  • Overall prevalence – An AI Overview is present in more than one out of every four searches examined.
  • Query length – Searches containing seven or more words trigger the AI Overview in 54 percent of cases, while two‑word queries do so only 19.6 percent of the time.
  • Search intent matters – Informational questions that begin with "how", "why", or "what is" are nearly twice as likely to display an AI Overview compared with transactional or commercial searches.
  • Industry variation – Health-related keywords top the list at 51 percent, followed by family and community at 39 percent, while apparel sits near 12 percent.
  • Built‑in defenses – Adding geographic or brand modifiers, such as a city name or retailer, lowers the AI Overview rate to below 10 percent.

"Our objective was to measure the real‑world footprint of AI Overviews across every major vertical, not just a few cherry‑picked keywords," said VP Marketing Trevin Shirey. "The data confirms what many marketers have suspected: Google's own AI answer box is rapidly changing how users find information, especially for long‑tail how‑to searches."

The full breakdown and study can be found here: https://www.webfx.com/blog/seo/where-and-why-google-ai-overviews-appear-2-3m-keywords-study/

WebFX is a full‑service digital marketing agency headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Serving clients in more than 200 industries, the company specializes in data‑driven SEO, paid media management, and AI-powered revenue marketing software.

Media Contact

Trevin Shirey, WebFX, 1 7176091625, [email protected], https://www.webfx.com

SOURCE WebFX