Recent research from SEO and data platform Ahrefs shows that Google’s AI Overviews are making a rapid surge in branded searches. Whilst in July an AI summary appeared in around 61 per cent of brand-related searches, that figure has now risen to a staggering 82.9 per cent.
For a long time, it was assumed that AI Overviews mainly appeared for general, informational queries. However, Google is now rolling out these AI summaries on a massive scale to searches that include your specific brand name. This fundamentally alters the dynamics surrounding your brand presence in search results.
Previously, when a potential customer typed in your brand name, your own website dominated the top of the screen. Now, searchers are first presented with an AI-generated summary. In it, Google cites not only your own website, but also external sources such as comparison sites, review platforms and third-party articles.
If those external sources contain outdated information or give negative recommendations, the AI shapes the perception of your business before anyone even visits your site. As a result, third parties gain direct influence over your brand narrative.
What does this mean for you?
Consequently, managing your online reputation is permanently shifting from your own website to the wider web. You can take immediate, practical action to address this:
- Monitor your brand in AI: Regularly search for your own brand name as well as brand combinations (such as “[Brand Name] reviews”) and check which sources Google cites in the AI Overview.
- Strengthen your external profiles: Ensure your details are up to date and aim for positive mentions on industry platforms, review sites and PR channels. Google’s AI relies heavily on these third-party sources.
- Provide clear brand facts: Publish clear ‘About Us’ information, FAQs and structured data on your own website, making it easy for AI models to adopt and cite your official facts.
By actively managing not just your own website but also your external visibility, you maintain control over what searchers and AI systems see about your brand.
Source: Ahrefs
