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For years, Google’s search experience followed a familiar pattern. Users searched for information, compared a few websites, clicked through product pages, and eventually made a purchase. Businesses competed for visibility through organic rankings and paid ads.

Today, that journey is evolving.

A recent Semrush study analyzed more than 600,000 U.S. desktop keywords across 10 industries over six months and found a significant increase in AI Overviews appearing on commercial-intent search results. During the study period, AI Overviews on commercial queries grew by 71%, while their presence on transactional searches declined by 5%.

The takeaway isn’t simply that AI Overviews are expanding. It’s where they’re expanding and what that could mean for SEO, content strategy, and search visibility.

Key Takeaways

About the Study

The research examined AI Overviews trends across search intent, industries, Google Ads presence, and cost-per-click (CPC) ranges over six months. The findings reflect observed search trends rather than Google’s long-term strategy.

Commercial Search Is Seeing the Biggest Shift

The standout finding is that AI Overviews are appearing much more frequently on commercial-intent searches.

Commercial-intent searches don’t necessarily indicate that someone is ready to buy. Instead, they reflect a research mindset, where users are evaluating options, comparing products, reading reviews, or looking for the best solution.

Examples include:

• Best CRM software for startups
• Credit card comparison
• Best project management tools

According to the study, AI Overviews on these searches increased by 71% over six months.

This doesn’t prove that Google is intentionally targeting a specific stage of the buyer journey. However, the trend suggests AI Overviews are becoming more common on searches that involve evaluation and decision-making rather than immediate purchases.

For marketers, this means visibility during the research phase is becoming increasingly important.

Transactional Searches Are Following a Different Pattern

Interestingly, the study found that AI Overviews on transactional-intent searches declined by 5% during the same period.

Transactional searches signal immediate action.

These searches continue to feature shopping results, local listings, merchant information, and paid advertisements.

Google hasn’t publicly explained why commercial and transactional searches are evolving differently. However, the findings indicate that AI Overviews are currently appearing more frequently on research-oriented searches than on action-oriented ones.

Industries With Longer Research Cycles Saw the Greatest Growth

Not every industry experienced the same level of change.

Finance recorded the largest increase in commercial AI Overviews, growing 231% during the study period. Computers & Electronics and Games also experienced notable growth.

By contrast, industries such as Food & Drink showed different patterns, with transactional AI Overviews slightly exceeding commercial ones.

While the study doesn’t establish why these differences exist, one possible explanation is the nature of customer research.

Choosing a financial product, comparing software, or planning travel often involves multiple searches over days or weeks. These longer research cycles may create more opportunities for AI-generated summaries to appear.

In categories where purchasing decisions happen quickly, there may be fewer opportunities for AI Overviews to play a significant role.

High-CPC Keywords Are Increasingly Accompanied by AI Overviews

Another notable finding relates to keyword value.

Across many industries, keywords that triggered AI Overviews also had higher average cost-per-clicks than keywords without AI Overviews..

However, this trend wasn’t universal. Categories including Games, News, Sports, Food & Drink, and Internet & Telecom showed different CPC patterns.

The broader takeaway is that many commercially valuable search queries are increasingly displaying AI-generated results alongside traditional search features.

Search Visibility Is No Longer Limited to Rankings

One of the biggest implications of the study is how search visibility is changing.

Users may now encounter brands across multiple elements on the same search results page:

• AI Overviews
• AI Overview citations
• Paid advertisements
• Organic listings
• Other SERP features

For SEO teams, success is no longer measured only by ranking #1.

Appearing as one of the cited sources within an AI Overview can also increase brand visibility during the research stage, even if users don’t click immediately.

This doesn’t replace traditional SEO, but it expands the ways brands can be discovered.

SEO Teams Should Rethink How They Measure Success

As AI-generated search experiences continue to evolve, marketers should broaden the metrics they monitor.

Alongside rankings and traffic, consider tracking:

• Commercial keywords that trigger AI Overviews
• Brand visibility within AI-generated results
• Comparison and buying-guide performance
• SERP feature ownership
• Organic and paid search overlap

The study also highlights the importance of monitoring which commercial keywords already generate AI Overviews, allowing teams to identify opportunities where visibility is changing.

What This Means for Content Strategy

The findings reinforce the value of content that supports users during the research phase.

This includes:

• Product comparisons
• “Best” articles
• Buying guides
• Feature comparisons
• Alternatives pages
• Expert reviews
• Pricing explainers
• Decision-making resources

Rather than producing content solely to rank, businesses should focus on creating accurate, trustworthy, and well-structured resources that help users evaluate their options.

Strong topical authority and clear information architecture remain important foundations for both traditional SEO and AI-driven search experiences.

The Bottom Line

The most important takeaway isn’t simply that AI Overviews are becoming more common – it’s that they’re becoming more visible on searches where users are actively evaluating products and services.

The study suggests that commercial search is evolving into a more competitive environment where brands may compete for attention across AI-generated summaries, AI citations, paid ads, and traditional organic listings simultaneously.

For SEO professionals, this doesn’t change the fundamentals of creating high-quality content. It expands where that content can earn visibility.

If current trends continue, the next competitive advantage in SEO may not be limited to ranking first. It could also involve creating authoritative content that is trustworthy enough to be surfaced and cited within AI-powered search experiences.

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