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Overview

Many SEO leaders have remained focused on maximizing visibility and traffic from organic search results, but AI Overviews are changing where users look and click.

Some SEOs are doubling down on traditional rankings, assuming that top positions still drive the majority of impressions–even in an AI-dominated SERP.

“If we rank high, we’ll show up everywhere in search that matters.”

But does this assumption still hold? What if AI Overviews are pulling in content that bypasses even high-ranking pages?

This study reveals the surprising relationship between organic web results and AIO citations for the same queries, helping SEOs understand where to prioritize their optimization efforts for maximum visibility.

 

Key Takeaways

  • 97% of AIOs Cite Ranked Content: Nearly all AIOs include at least one URL from the top 20 search results.

  • AIOs Pull from Multiple Rankings: AIOs cite ~5 URLs on average from the top 20 rankings, often aggregating from several sources.

  • Top 10 Boosts Visibility: AIO citations overlap with top 10 results 50% of the time; overlap hits 75% when only 3 sources are cited.

  • Rank Position Drives Inclusion: URLs ranking in position one are cited 54% of the time, dropping steadily to just 7% at position 20.

  • Half of AIO Citations Come From Beyond Top 20 Rankings: 51% of AIO citations come from beyond the top 20, showing rank isn’t the only factor.

 

There Is a 97% Overlap Between AIOs and Organic Rankings

Across 432,000 keywords, 97% showed at least one overlap between AI Overview citations and the top 20 organic results—indicating that AIOs heavily source from high-ranking content. 

Even when narrowing to just the top 10 web results, the overlap remained high at 96%.

This means that traditional SEO rankings still play a major role in AIO visibility, but showing up in the top results doesn't guarantee inclusion. It’s a strong signal, not a certainty.

Recommended Reading: Impact of Google’s AI Overviews: SEO Research Study

AIOs Typically Cite 5 Web Results Ranking in the Top 20

On average, each AI Overview included 5 URLs from the top 20 organic results. 

Most keywords had three overlapping URLs between AIO citations and traditional rankings.

 

This shows that AIOs don’t just pull from one high-ranking page, they aggregate insights from multiple top results.

 

AIO Citations and Top 10 Web Results Overlap ~50% of the Time

Among the keywords studied, 19% showed 100% overlap between AIO citations and the top 10 rankings, with the strongest alignment occurring on queries that returned exactly three citations—these showed 75% overlap.

So while AIOs don’t exclusively rely on top results, being in the Top 10 significantly boosts your chances of being cited, especially when Google selects a limited number of sources.

 

Higher Rankings Strongly Correlate with AIO Inclusion

There’s a clear connection between how high a page ranks and its likelihood of being cited in an AI Overview.

  • Position 1 URLs appear in AIOs 54% of the time
  • Position 2: 47%
  • Position 3: 41%
  • By Position 20, that likelihood drops to just 7%

This further indicates that ranking higher dramatically increases your chances of being included in AIOs. Visibility in AI summaries isn’t just about being on Page 1—it’s about being near the top.

 

~49% of AIO Citations Are from Top 20 Rankings

Of the 4.2 million citations found across 432,000 AI Overviews, 49% came from the Top 20 organic results:

  • 30% from positions 1–3
  • 45% from positions 4–10
  • 26% from positions 11–20

That leaves a surprising 51% of AIO citations coming from URLs outside the top 20 results.

So while ranking highly gives you an edge, it doesn’t completely guarantee AIO visibility. 

AI Overviews often cite content that’s not on the first two pages, signaling that factors beyond rank—like authority, structure, or topical relevance—are also at play.

Recommended Reading: How to Optimize for AI Overviews: Top Tips & Strategies

Healthcare Keywords Have Highest Overlap of URLs Between AIO and Web Results

When analyzing citation overlap by industry, Healthcare stood out with the highest average number of overlapping URLs between AI Overviews and organic results.

This indicates that healthcare content that ranks well is more likely to be cited in AIOs. For SEOs in healthcare, traditional ranking signals remain highly influential in AI visibility.

 

Research Methodology

This study analyzed 432,000 desktop search queries from the United States, all of which triggered a Google AI Overview on May 4, 2025.

For each keyword, the Top 20 organic web results were extracted. An overlap was recorded when at least one URL from the web results also appeared as a citation within the AI Overview.

This approach allowed us to measure the extent to which AI-generated answers align with traditional SEO rankings.

Conclusion

With roughly half of all AIO citations coming from top 20 rankings, and a clear correlation between higher positions and citation likelihood, it’s apparent that strong organic performance remains a key driver of AI visibility.

For SEOs, the message is simple: ranking well still matters, but aligning your content for AI inclusion is now equally essential.

For detailed AIO tracking and analysis at scale, Clarity ArcAI has got you covered. 

Schedule a demo today to uncover how many of your priority keywords AIOs impact, monitor your optimization efforts, and more.

Schedule a Demo

 

 

Mitul GandhiAbout the Author: Mitul Gandhi

 As a longtime data-driven serial entrepreneur, information architect and SEO veteran, Mitul has developed a blend of vast technical expertise and intense marketing insight. His variety of experience, gained in positions in in-house SEO, search marketing, and software development, affords him the ability to efficiently assess how to use software tools to meet challenges and drive ROI. As the Co-Founder and Chief Architect of seoClarity, Mitul currently oversees day-to-day operations, and provides strategic direction to all departments. His well of knowledge includes 10+ years of consulting experience with Fortune 500 and top Internet retailers concerning online search marketing. He has several patents pending for analyzing cause and effect in SEO. Mitul holds an MBA in direct marketing from Rochester Institute of Technology. Additionally, he has spoken at conferences in the United States and the U.K., including SES, SMX and Pubcon. He has also been quoted in MSN Money, USA Today, Time Online, Search Engine Watch, Search Engine Land and Web Pro News. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

 

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