Why 49.4% of Pages Ranking First on SEO Are Not Referenced by AI Overviews?

Insights into AI Overviews and SEO

In the ever-evolving landscape of SEO, a recent study published by LANY LLMO LAB has shed light on a significant yet perplexing trend: 49.4% of the top-ranked pages are not cited in AI Overviews (AIO). Conducted by Taishiro Taira from the SEO Research Channel, this large-scale analysis focused on over 150,000 Japanese keywords, providing crucial insights into the dynamics between traditional SEO practices and the emerging role of AI-generated summaries.

Background of the Study

With the expected Google core algorithm update in Spring 2025, the utilization of AI Overviews is projected to rise significantly in Japan. AIO summarizes search results, fundamentally altering user interactions and creating new touchpoints. Yet, the questions remain: What types of websites are referenced in AIO? Does citation correlate with brand recommendations? And how do traditional SEO practices relate to AIO utilization?

LANY LLMO LAB collaborated with Taira to explore these questions through an extensive quantitative analysis, aiming to clarify the strategies behind AIO citation and brand endorsement.

Definitions Employed in the Study

- Citation: Referral to URLs when AIO generates its responses.
- Brand Recommendation: The explicit mention of specific brands (like service or product names) as recommendations within the AIO responses.

Research Overview

- Keywords Analyzed: 158,542
- Categories: Medical, Aesthetic Medicine, Hospital Search, Finance, Job Change, Travel, Real Estate, Fashion, B2B SaaS
- Research Platform: Google Search (Japanese, smartphone)
- Analysis Focus: AIO display rates, extracted AIO citation URLs, natural search rankings correlation, emerging brand names in AIO content, comparative analysis of recommendation structures by category, and Query Fan-Out analysis.

Key Findings

1. AIO Display Rate: The AIO display rate was reported at 25.2%, especially prevalent in the medical category, where over 70% of queries showed this trend. AIO is becoming a standard feature across diverse search categories.

2. Cited Domains: The majority of websites cited in AIO largely consisted of domains strong in traditional SEO, such as YouTube, Wikipedia, comparison sites, and prominent media. These sites typically appear at the top of organic search results.

3. Correlation with Natural Search: There appears to be a robust correlation between natural search ranking strength and AIO citations. Sites that perform well in natural search tend to be referenced by AIO as well. However, numerous instances of citation for sites beyond the 31st position in natural search highlight the influence of subqueries and Query Fan-Out in the context of AIO.

4. Differentiation of Citation and Brand Recommendation: The study uncovered that AIO ‘citations’ and ‘brand recommendations’ are determined through distinct logic. Notably, in the aesthetic medicine sector, while many major clinics have AIO display capacity, the brand recommendations for these clinics remained under 1%—indicating a lack of direct correlation between citation and brand endorsement. In contrast, the financial sector showcased numerous brand recommendations, supported by positive evaluations and reviews found on third-party platforms.

The implication here is that brand endorsements may rely not just on self-promotion but on the presence of reliable third-party validations online.

Insightful Implications

- Thematic Optimization: Moving away from single-keyword strategies to theme-based optimizations that incorporate subqueries and related FAQs is essential.
- Third-Party Evaluation Importance: Brand recommendations are increasingly predicated not solely on self-promotion but also on external evaluations.
- Extended KPI Metrics: The KPIs of SEO should extend beyond rankings and traffic to encompass AIO citations and recommendations.

The LANY LLMO LAB article reveals detailed category-wise trends and recommendation logic, urging businesses to adapt their strategies accordingly.

For those keen on diving deeper, access the full analysis, including charts and case studies on the LANY LLMO LAB website.

Upcoming Webinar

On December 10th, a joint webinar will explore these study results, providing insights into the new evaluation logic separating citations and brand endorsements within AI searches. Participants can expect practical applications in this new landscape along with strategic guidance from LANY.

Join us for this free webinar to better understand how to get your brand recommended by AI!

About the SEO Research Channel

Taishiro Taira, a veteran in the SEO industry since 2012, founded the SEO Research Channel in 2020 to share valuable insights on digital marketing strategies, focusing on search engine marketing.

About LANY Inc.

LANY Inc. stands as a comprehensive digital marketing firm, dedicated to assisting clients with SEO, internet advertising, and LLMO strategies to fuel business growth. With a mission to 'index valuable things,' LANY provides end-to-end support from strategy formulation to execution.