Analysis of 300K Keywords for AI Overviews
The study analyzed 300,000 keywords to identify what triggers AI Overviews in search engine results pages (SERPs) and compared them with non-AI Overview (AIO) SERPs.
Key Findings
General Insights
- 99.9% of AI Overview SERPs include at least one other SERP feature.
- AI Overview keywords are characterized by lower traffic and longer tail phrases.
- Informational intent keywords are more likely to trigger an AI Overview.
Comparative Metrics
| Metric | AIO SERPs | Non-AIO SERPs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Median Keyword Difficulty | 12 | 33 |
| Median Search Volume | 500 | 29,000 |
| Median Traffic Potential | 2,200 | 18,000 |
| Median CPC | 0.35 | 0.45 |
| Median Keyword Length | 4 | 2 |
| Mobile Traffic Percent | 81% | 77% |
| Desktop Traffic Percent | 19% | 23% |
Top Takeaways
- Traffic Potential: AIO SERPs have 8x less traffic potential than non-AIO SERPs.
- Keyword Length: AIO keywords are long-tail with a median length of 4 words.
- Keyword Difficulty: Lower in AIO SERPs (median of 12).
- Referring Domains: Content needs fewer referring domains to rank in AIO SERPs.
- Informational Intent: Dominates AIO keywords (99.2%).
- **SERP Features: **AIO keywords trigger more Featured Snippets and Discussions, but fewer Sitelinks, Videos, and Knowledge Panels.
Research Motivation
- Previous research by SEOClarity indicated that AI Overviews heavily source from top 10 ranking pages.
- This study was inspired to further understand AI Overview triggers by analyzing a large dataset of keywords.
Detailed Findings
1. Low Volume, Long-Tail Keywords
- AIO keywords are predominantly low-volume and long-tail.
- These keywords show less search demand and traffic potential compared to non-AIO keywords.
- AIO queries often consist of four words and focus on questions.
2. Keyword Difficulty
- AIO keywords have a low average Keyword Difficulty of 12.
- Only 13 referring domains are needed to rank in AIO SERPs compared to 41 for non-AIO.
3. Informational Intent Dominance
- 99.2% of AIO keywords target informational intent.
- Commercial and transactional intents are rare in AIO SERPs.
4. SERP Features
- People Also Ask and Featured Snippets are prevalent in AIO SERPs.
- AIO SERPs frequently include multiple SERP features, averaging three per page.
5. Mobile Optimization
- Mobile traffic is significant for AIO keywords (81%).
- Being mobile-optimized is crucial for visibility in AIO SERPs.
Methodology
- Keywords were analyzed using Ahrefs Keywords Explorer with AI Overview SERP filter and compared with non-AIO results.
Conclusion
- Focus on optimizing for educational content and prominent SERP features.
- Ensure content is mobile-friendly to increase visibility in AIO SERPs.
- Broad dataset; metrics may vary across different industries and keyword categories.
For further details or questions, contact the author via LinkedIn.