- Similarweb measured AI Overviews on 43% of U.S. searches in May 2026, versus roughly 15% in January 2025. [1] - The public report does not identify its query sample, device mix, vertical weighting or precise definition of an AI Overview appearance. [1] - Alphabet says its AI search features are increasing queries and sending billions of weekly clicks to websites; Search and Other revenue rose 17% in its latest quarter.
[4] Google’s AI Overviews appeared in 43% of U.S. searches tracked by Similarweb in May 2026, up from roughly 15% in January 2025, according to the market-intelligence company’s new Generative AI Landscape report. [1] The increase shows that generated answers occupy a much larger portion of Google’s results, but it does not establish that AI Overviews are the default across all searches.
Similarweb describes the report as based on “real user data,” yet its public materials do not disclose the number or selection of queries, whether the measurement combines desktop and mobile searches, the industries represented, or the technical rule used to identify an AI Overview. [1] Its broader methodology combines user panels, direct measurements, crawled public data and statistical modeling, but that does not resolve the report-specific gaps.
[2]## A wide range of estimates Other measurements produce substantially lower figures. Adthena recorded AI Overviews in 18% of U.S. searches during June 2026, while an academic study that issued 55,393 trending queries across 19 categories from March 13 through April 21 found a 13.7% activation rate. That study’s rate rose to 64.7% for question-form searches, showing how strongly query selection can move the headline number.[3]
TechCrunch’s report included no new comment from Google. The company’s latest public response is that AI Overviews and AI Mode increase total search activity and now send “billions of clicks” to websites each week. Alphabet also reported 17% year-over-year growth in Search and Other revenue for the second quarter, evidence that AI adoption has not yet impaired its advertising engine.[4]
The publisher picture is less favorable. AI summaries can satisfy informational queries without a visit to the cited source, while Google can continue placing sponsored results around those answers. Google has added article suggestions, inline links and subscription labels intended to encourage visits, but it has not published comparable click-through data that would reconcile its traffic claims with independent studies.[5]
Companies mentioned #
Further sources #
[[1] Similarweb, “The 2026 Generative AI Landscape Report,” July 2026; TechCrunch, “… ↗](https://www.similarweb.com/corp/reports/2026-generative-ai-landscape/)
[[2] Similarweb Knowledge Center, “Similarweb Data Methodology.” ↗](https://support.similarweb.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001631538-Similarweb-Data-Methodology)
[[3] PPC Land, “ChatGPT loses web share to Gemini and Claude as ad penetration hits … ↗](https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14021)
[[4] Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Q2 2026 earnings-call remarks, July 22, … ↗](https://blog.google/company-news/inside-google/message-ceo/alphabet-earnings-q2-2026/)
[[5] Google, “5 new ways to explore the web with generative AI in Search,” May 6, 20… ↗](https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/explore-web-generative-ai-search/)
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