Google Reduces AI Overviews in Search Results

At its yearly I/O conference, Google unveiled "AI Overviews," a new feature, which became available to users in the US on May 14. The introduction of this feature led to individuals posting pictures of incorrect responses produced by AI Overviews. Google responded by clarifying that some of these images were doctored and promising to enhance the AI Overview based on the feedback received. It appears that Google has made the AI Overview less prominent in Google search results, particularly when contrasted with the Search Generative Experience (SGE) trial initiated in 2023.

Based on information provided by Bright Edge, a company specializing in enterprise SEO and featured on Search Engine Land, Google is displaying AI Overviews for just 15% of searches, and these are only in a collapsed or manually selected state. The feature was first introduced, appearing in 40-50% of searches, and in February 2024, the percentage has increased to 84%, involving only those keywords with a collapsed or manually selected subdimension. BrightEdge also stated that AI-based responses to queries revealed only 27% of this number on the day when the feature was generally released. This implies that Google had toned down the frequency at which they see the display of AI Overviews prior to the scandal, not to mention after the scandal.

From information gathered from Bright Edge reporting to Search Engine Land, sole enterprise SEO, AI Overviews remain in a collapsed or opt-in state for a paltry 15% of searches. The feature was first introduced, appearing in 40-50% of searches when it launched, and has since risen to 84%, considering only those in a collapsed or manually activated state. BrightEdge also noted that on the day the feature was broadly available, only 27% of the AI-generated responses to queries were accurate. This indicates that Google has reduced the frequency of AI Overviews appearing even before the issue arose, and the number has continued to decrease since then.

The information is derived from the time when Search Engine Land was still conducting an opt-in test. Furthermore, based on the data obtained it is also clarified that AI Overviews surface only when a query is entered in the Search bar and in case of Feature Snippet. This implies that the local searches are not triggering the AI as we can perceive from the consequent displays below Local Searches are not Activating the AI The displays below show that the local searches are not triggering the AI. It is in this context that this shift has a strategic undertone of Google being very systematic in how it has reduced the frequency of its AI Overviews while at the same time improving the feature.