In the traditional search landscape, users typically encountered a list of organic search results, occasionally accompanied by featured snippets, knowledge panels, or news carousels. This structure allowed users to browse through various sources and click on the ones that seemed most relevant or trustworthy to them. Publishers and SEO professionals focused on optimizing content to appear prominently within these organic listings, primarily targeting Top Stories (News Box) and as a way to capture a prime spot on the results page.

With the rollout of AI Overviews, the search experience has seen a significant shift. These AI-generated summaries are positioned at the top of the search results, offering users a quick, synthesized overview of a topic. For trending news, AI Overviews provide a concise summary of the latest developments, potentially reducing the need for users to click through to individual articles.

Google significantly ramped up its integration of AI into search results throughout 2023 and 2024. Initially announced as the Search Generative Experience (SGE) at their May 2023 I/O event. We did an extensive analysis of Search Generative Experience back then and we predicted that Trending News will have little to no impact. The SEO community and specifically Lily Ray highlighted many failure of the SGE and how dangerous and inaccurate it is. 

 Google officially rolled out these automatically generated answers, now termed AI Overviews (AIO), in the US market by May 2024. 

 

However, the visibility of AI Overviews is not uniform across all searches. This analysis delves into the world of trending news, examining thousands of keywords to determine how often AI Overviews appear for the most current and sought-after stories. By understanding the prevalence of AI Overviews in this context, we can shed light on their impact on news consumption, user behavior, and the broader search landscape.

What factors influence the presence of an AI Overview for a trending news query? Do certain news categories consistently trigger these summaries? These are the questions we aim to answer through this comprehensive study.

Back in June 2024, Google AI Overviews visibility drops, only shows for 15% of queries. Then recently this month it was reported that Google AI Overviews only show for 7% of queries, a new low.

 

Why This Analysis Matters

 

The introduction of AI Overviews by Google sparked significant concern among publishers, particularly regarding potential copyright issues and, more critically, the impact on website traffic. Initially, we predicted [link] that this feature would not significantly affect hard news coverage due to its sensitive nature. However, our assumptions were challenged when we observed AI Overviews being generated for recent events, such as the "Kevin McCarthy Ousted" story, mere hours after it broke.

In response to growing criticism about the accuracy of AI Overview results, Liz Reid, VP and Head of Google Search, made a pivotal announcement in 2024. She stated:

For topics like news and health, we already have strong guardrails in place. For example, we aim to not show AI Overviews for hard news topics, where freshness and factuality are important. In the case of health, we launched additional triggering refinements to enhance our quality protections.

This declaration necessitated a reassessment of our previous analysis and predictions. 

Furthermore, as developers of NewzDash, a tool specializing in Real-Time SEO, we faced a critical decision: whether to invest in tracking AI Overviews for news-related queries. This decision would significantly impact our service offerings to clients. Recognizing the complexity and cost associated with developing such tracking technology, we partnered with ZipTie.dev, who had already created the necessary capabilities. This collaboration enabled us to comprehensively track and analyze keywords across various news categories.

By conducting this in-depth analysis, we aim to provide valuable insights into the current state of AI Overviews in news search results. These findings will not only inform our product development decisions but also offer crucial guidance to publishers and SEO professionals navigating this evolving landscape.

 

Methodology

 

Data Collection:

Trending news keywords were collected using NewsDash, a platform that aggregates real-time trending topics across various sources, including Google Trends and Google News. Data collection occurred at 15-minute intervals across all major news sections (Top News, National, Sports, Health, Science, Tech, Business, Local, etc.) over a 9-week period.

AI Overview visibility for each keyword was tracked using ZipTie.dev, a tool designed to analyze search engine results pages (SERPs). The presence of an AI Overview was determined based on its appearance at the top of the SERP, above the traditional organic search results. Each keyword was then categorized based on its associated news section.

 

Disclaimer:

In this research study, we delve deeper into Google's AI Overview behavior. While our interpretations and conclusions represent our best hypotheses based on the available data, they offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of Google's AI Overviews.

By examining over 10,000 trending news keywords across 10 diverse news sections, we aim to equip News SEO specialists and website owners with the knowledge to navigate the changing search engine results pages (SERPs) and make informed decisions for their online presence.

Our goal is to keep you ahead of the curve by providing a comprehensive understanding of how AI Overviews are shaping search results, empowering you to adapt your strategies accordingly.

 

 

Results

Overall Visibility:

How frequently do AI Overviews show up in search results?

The study reveals that AI Overviews currently appear in only 3.9% of searches, a sharp decline from previous months. This decline may be attributed to Google's adjustments in response to concerns over accuracy and the appropriateness of summarizing sensitive news topics. Notably, all AI Overviews in the study were automatic, with no instances of users being prompted to generate the summary themselves.

 

A mere 3.9% of trending news searches resulted in AI Overviews. A staggering 96.1% of keywords did not trigger any AIOs. All observed AI Overviews were "Automatic," meaning they were generated without additional user interaction.

 

Is AI Overview for news queries trending up or down?

 

Across all trending news queries analyzed, an average of 3.6% generated an AI Overview. This figure remained relatively stable over the 9-week period but recently increased to 3.94%. Notably, this overall figure masks significant variations between news categories, as detailed below.

 

Which news categories are more likely to trigger AI Overviews?

The prevalence of AI Overviews varies significantly across different news categories. Health news leads with a 29.6% visibility rate, possibly due to the demand for concise, reliable information in this area. In contrast, national and sports news showed minimal to no AI Overview visibility, aligning with Google's stated goal of avoiding hard news topics where factual accuracy and timeliness are critical.

Category Breakdown:

News Category	AI Overview Visibility	Featured Snippets	Sample Keywords
Overall	3.9%	13.2%
Top Trends (Mix of news sections, Trends with 100k+ Searches)	0.53%	0.2%	Olympic Games, Donald Trump, Arsenal, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden speech
Health News	29.6%	3.4%	Mental health, Pandemic Avian influenza, Prescription drug, Dengue fever, Shigella Disease outbreak
Science & Tech News	3.7%	2.9%	Oxygen Gravity, Atmosphere of Earth, Wii Nintendo, The Sims 4
Business News	1.7%	0.1%	Nvidia NASDAQ:NVDA,  Elon Musk,  Kroger Hewlett Packard Enterprise, American Airlines Group, Southwest Airlines
Local News (focused on Dallas TX, NY State, Los Angeles CA, Florida State)	2.6%	3.4%	Florida Department of Education, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, homeless encampment cleanups, LA Metro board
World News	0.3%	1.2%	Russias Putin Chinas Xi, Israel assault Khan Younis, Iran Hezbollah Israel
Entertainment News	0.4%	0.2%	Taylor Swift, Hulk Hogan, Jennifer Lopez, Transformers Premiere, Miss Kansas
National News	0%	1%	Katie Pavlich, Trump defamation lawsuit, Tornado watch, Hurricane Beryl response
Sports News	0%	0.1%	Travis Kelce, WNBA All-Star Game, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Astros

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do AI Overviews appear alongside featured snippets?

AI Overviews appear to coexist with featured snippets rather than replacing them entirely. This suggests that Google is positioning AI Overviews as a complementary feature rather than a replacement for existing SERP elements.

 

Which sites show up in AI Overviews?

Certain domains, particularly authoritative health and science websites, frequently appear as sources in AI Overviews. For example, sites like mayoclinic.org and ncbi.nlm.nih.gov are highly cited, reflecting Google's emphasis on reliable, high-quality sources for generating these summaries. News organizations were cited less frequently, with the majority appearing in the lower half of the top 20 list.

Understanding the table below:

• Domain AI Citation: The percentage a domain was a source in queries with AI Overview.
• Domain in Top 10 Organic Results: The percentage a domain ranked in the top 10 in organic results for queries with AI Overview.
• Domain only as AI citation: The percentage a domain was included as an AI Overview source but wasn't included in the top 10 of the traditional search results for queries with AI Overview.

Domain	Domain AI Citations	Domain in Top 10 Organic Results	Domain Only As AI Citation
www.mayoclinic.org	21%	86%	4%
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov	19%	92%	7%
www.webmd.com	19%	67%	5%
my.clevelandclinic.org	18%	73%	2%
en.wikipedia.org	17%	1066%	4%
www.cdc.gov	15%	70%	5%
www.hopkinsmedicine.org	13%	35%	1%
www.youtube.com	11%	191%	11%
www.medicalnewstoday.com	11%	31%	4%
www.nhs.uk	10%	26%	3%
www.who.int	10%	44%	0%
medlineplus.gov	10%	28%	2%
www.healthline.com	7%	33%	2%
www.sciencedirect.com	6%	35%	0%
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au	5%	19%	2%
www.mountsinai.org	5%	17%	2%
www.cancer.gov	5%	20%	2%
www.nimh.nih.gov	4%	7%	1%
www.britannica.com	4%	109%	1%
www.nia.nih.gov	4%	12%	2%

 

 

  

Here are the top News sites based on their visibility in AI Overview

• Domain AI Citation: The percentage a domain was a source in queries with AI Overview.
• Domain in Top 10 Organic Results: The percentage a domain ranked in the top 10 in organic results for queries with AI Overview.
• Domain only as AI citation: The percentage a domain was included as an AI Overview source but wasn't included in the top 10 of the traditional search results for queries with AI Overview.

Some news domains have over 100% indicated multiple URLs appeared on search results.

Rank	Domain	Domain AI Citations	Domain in Top 10 Organic Results  based on URLs	Domain Only As AI Citation
55	www.usatoday.com	1.4%	111%	0.00%
67	www.nytimes.com	1.4%	186%	0.00%
76	abcnews.go.com	1%	152%	0.00%
101	www.cnn.com	1%	231%	0.48%
137	www.theguardian.com	0.5%	111%	0.00%
190	news.sky.com	0.5%	14%	0.00%
271	www.ketk.com	0.5%	1%	0.00%
305	www.dallasnews.com	0.5%	10%	0.00%
327	www.aljazeera.com	0.5%	85%	0.00%
332	www.wfla.com	0.5%	19%	0.48%
335	www.cbsnews.com	0.5%	205%	0.48%
343	local12.com	0.5%	1%	0.00%
356	www.bbc.co.uk	0.5%	14%	0.48%
417	www.independent.co.uk	0.5%	52%	0.00%
422	www.today.com	0.5%	17%	0.00%
498	www.standard.co.uk	0.5%	6%	0.48%
505	www.foxnews.com	0.5%	59%	0.00%

 

 

 

Analysis and Conclusions:

The introduction of AI Overviews represents a significant evolution in Google's search experience, aimed at providing quick, synthesized information to users. However, the limited and selective use of these summaries, particularly the recent reduction in their visibility, suggests a cautious approach by Google, likely in response to feedback regarding the accuracy and appropriateness of these AI-generated insights.

For news publishers and SEO professionals, this means that while AI Overviews might not be as pervasive as initially feared, they still represent a critical area to monitor, particularly in categories like health and science where they are more prevalent. The shift underscores the importance of maintaining high-quality, authoritative content that can serve as a reliable source for these AI summaries.

• The data reveals a clear trend: AI Overviews are not yet a dominant force in the trending news landscape. This aligns with Google's stated intent to limit AIO for hard news.
• Interestingly, the health news category is a significant outlier, with a much higher AIO visibility rate. This could be due to the nature of health information, which often lends itself to summarization. However, it also raises questions about potential misinformation or oversimplification of complex health topics.
• The low visibility of AIO in other news categories, particularly "hard news," suggests that Google is exercising caution in applying AI to sensitive or rapidly changing topics. This could be a positive development for news publishers, as it indicates that their original reporting may still hold a prominent place in search results.
• Algorithmic Biases: Google's algorithms might prioritize certain types of information or sources when generating AI Overviews.
• the presence or absence of AI Overviews can influence news publishers' content's visibility in search results. Those producing Health-related content might see increased AI Overview exposure, which might impact their traffic.

 

Health & Business News

These findings reveal a striking disparity in AI Overview visibility. Health-related news dominates, with over a quarter of queries triggering AI Overviews. In contrast, several categories, including Top Trends, Entertainment, National News, and Sports, saw no AI Overviews at all. Business News stands out as the only category where all observed AI Overviews were automatic, suggesting a potential algorithmic preference for summarizing financial information.

Several factors could contribute to these differences:

• Content Complexity: Health news often involves complex medical terminology and research findings, making it a prime candidate for AI summarization.
• Data Availability: Business news often relies on structured data (e.g., stock prices, financial reports), which might be easier for AI algorithms to process.
• Search Intent: Health News queries may also be understood by Google as Users seeking health information generating summarized health content aligning with the purpose of AI Overviews.

 

The propensity for certain categories, like Health and Business News, to have AI Overviews might be attributed to the nature of the content itself. Health news often involves complex terminology and detailed research, making it suitable for summarization. Business news often relies on structured data that can be easily extracted and presented in a concise format. However, the complete absence of AI Overviews in other categories, like Entertainment and Sports, suggests that Google's algorithms might not be effectively identifying or prioritizing these types of stories for summarization.

 

 

 

Recommendations for News Publishers

 

1. Monitor AIO Trends: Stay informed about the evolving role of AI Overviews in search. Track how they impact your own traffic and rankings, especially if you cover health-related topics.
2. Optimize for Featured Snippets: Given the continued prominence of featured snippets, ensure your content is structured and formatted in a way that makes it eligible for these prime positions.
3. Emphasize E-A-T: Google's preference for citing authoritative sources in AI Overviews underscores the importance of demonstrating Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) in your content. Invest in building your brand's reputation and credibility within your niche.
4. Diversify Traffic Sources: Don't rely solely on Google search for traffic. Build a strong presence on social media, email newsletters, and other channels to reach your audience directly.
5. Monitor Performance: Regularly track your website's performance in AI Overview citations and traditional search results. Use tools like NewsDash and ZipTie.dev to stay informed about how your content is being used and displayed in search results.
6. Adapt SEO Strategies: As AI Overviews become more prevalent, traditional SEO tactics may need to evolve. Focus on creating comprehensive, authoritative content that addresses user intent and provides unique insights that AI may struggle to summarize effectively.
7. Leverage Breaking News Advantage: Given Google's cautious approach to AI Overviews for hard news, there's still a significant advantage in being first to report on breaking stories. Maintain a strong focus on timely, accurate reporting to capitalize on areas where AI Overviews are less likely to appear.
8. Stay Updated with Google’s Policies: As Google continues to refine its AI Overview feature, staying informed about any policy changes or updates will be essential. This can help you anticipate shifts in how your content might be presented in search results.
9. Experiment with AI: Consider how you might leverage AI tools to enhance your own content creation and distribution processes.
10. Structure Content Clearly: Use clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make your content easily scannable by AI algorithms.
11. Highlight Key Information: Place crucial facts and findings in the first few paragraphs to increase the chances of them being included in an AI Overview.
12. Leverage Structured Data: If applicable, incorporate structured data (e.g., for events, recipes, or products) to make your content more AI-friendly.
13. Optimize for Health and Business News: If your focus is on these categories, consider prioritizing content that lends itself to summarization, such as research findings or financial reports.
14. Explore Partnerships: Consider collaborating with authoritative health and science websites that frequently appear in AI Overview citations. Expert interviews, or joint research projects could increase your visibility in these high-performing areas.

 

Limitations and Future Research:

This study has some limitations. The sample size, while substantial, might not be fully representative of all trending news queries. Additionally, the keyword selection process, while automated, might have inadvertently introduced biases. Future research could address these limitations by:

• Expanding the dataset: Analyzing a larger and more diverse set of keywords over a longer period could provide a more comprehensive picture.
• Incorporating user feedback: Gathering data on user interactions with AI Overviews could help assess their usefulness and impact on news consumption.
• Examining algorithmic biases: A deeper dive into Google's algorithms could reveal the factors that influence AI Overview generation and identify potential biases.

By addressing these questions, we can gain a more nuanced understanding of the role of AI Overviews in the evolving news landscape.

 

Wrapping Up

This analysis reveals a complex and uneven landscape regarding the visibility of AI Overviews for trending news in Google Search. While a small percentage of queries overall trigger these AI-generated summaries, there are significant variations across news categories. Health news consistently garners AI Overviews, while other categories, like Entertainment and Sports, remain largely untouched. This disparity raises questions about the algorithms driving AI Overview generation and the potential biases they may harbor.

Understanding these patterns is crucial for publishers especially with diminishing revenue streams. 

This is just the beginning. Google's AI Overviews are constantly evolving, with new features like travel planning and content simplification emerging. We encourage you to stay vigilant and keep an eye on these developments to adapt your strategies accordingly.