- AI Overviews jumped from about 26% to 80–90% of tracked branded keywords during September 2026.
- Searching a brand’s own name now usually shows Google’s summary first, above the brand’s website.
- Most of the pages Google cites in those summaries are reviews, directories, forums and media, not the brand’s site.
- The fix is to give Google clear, current, quotable pages about your prices, policies and proof, and to manage what others say.
Checked 25 October 2026. The studies use different keyword sets and methods, so their percentages are not directly comparable. All point the same way. Several come from SEO tool companies; their figures are cited as published.
01What the studies found
| Study | Method | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| DemandSphere | Daily tracking of branded keywords | About 26% at the start of September; 90.5% on 27 Sep; 82.1% on 29 Sep |
| Ahrefs | 232.8 million US desktop results, Jul–Sep 2026 | 83% of branded queries showed an AI Overview |
| Chris Long | Searches for 100 enterprise brand names | 93 of 100 showed an AI Overview |
| Slate | 100 brand names, 652 cited sources | 93 brands had one; 71% of citations were not brand-owned |
Sources: Search Engine Land, Ahrefs, Search Engine Journal and Slate.1234
DemandSphere’s daily tracking of branded keywords, September 2026.
02What a brand search looks like now
YourBrand is an online furniture store known for modern designs. Customers praise quality but some mention slow delivery and a strict return policy…
Illustration. The summary sits above your own listing, and most of its sources are other sites.
03Why it matters
First impression moves
Someone searching your name is close to buying. The first thing they now read is Google’s summary, not your homepage.
Old facts get repeated
An old price, a closed branch or a forum complaint from 2022 can end up in the summary if nothing newer says otherwise.
Fewer visits, same intent
Brand traffic may fall even when demand is steady. Watch branded impressions in Search Console, not just clicks.
Brand campaigns change
Ads can appear in and around AI Overviews. Branded search ads may matter more to keep your own message on the page.
Does your website give Google the answers?
Search your brand name, plus “reviews”, “price” and “returns”. Read the AI Overview, then tick what is true today.
Runs in your browser; nothing is saved. Weights are our judgement of what most affects brand answers, not a Google score.
04How to shape the answer
Search yourself monthly
Check your brand name with “reviews”, “price”, “returns”, “is it legit” and your city. Screenshot the AI Overview and its sources.
Answer on your own pages
For every question in the summary, have one clear, dated answer on your site. Short factual sentences are easiest to quote.
Fix the sources, not the summary
You cannot edit an AI Overview. Update the directories, listings and old articles it cites, and use Google’s feedback button for clear errors.
Earn better third-party mentions
Reviews, press coverage and partner pages are what Google quotes most. Make them recent and positive.
Your brand search used to show your website. Now it shows what the internet says about you, summarised.
Related: getting more Google reviews, the AI Overviews playbook and Search Console’s AI report.
Common questions
Do AI Overviews show for brand searches?
Yes, increasingly. Ahrefs found AI Overviews on 83% of branded queries in July–September 2026, and DemandSphere’s tracking showed branded coverage jumping from about 26% to over 80% during September 2026.
Where does Google get information for AI Overviews about a brand?
From pages across the web. In Slate’s study of 100 brands, 71% of the 652 sources Google cited were pages the brand does not own, such as review sites, forums, directories and media.
Can I change what an AI Overview says about my business?
Not directly. You can publish clear, current answers on your own site, correct wrong information in directories and listings, earn recent reviews, and use the feedback option on the AI Overview to report clear errors.
Will AI Overviews reduce my branded search traffic?
They can, because some people get their answer from the summary. Monitor branded impressions and clicks in Search Console and judge brand demand by impressions as well as clicks.
Method & sources
Checked October 25, 2026. Figures as published by each study; they use different keyword sets, so percentages should not be compared directly.
- Search Engine Land, “Google AI Overviews jump from 26% to 80% of branded queries”. searchengineland.com
- Ahrefs, “AI Overviews currently appear for 83% of branded searches”. ahrefs.com
- Search Engine Journal, “AI Overviews have spread to most big-brand searches”. searchenginejournal.com
- Slate, “AI Overviews for brand searches: 100 brands analyzed”. slatehq.com