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This got me wondering: how often do these AI Overviews actually pop up in the UK compared to other places?
Since AI Overviews can totally change how people interact with search results, it’s worth digging into the data to see what’s happening.
Testing AI Overviews Share on a General Sample
I decided to take a sample of 1,000 queries (a subset of what we regularly track on the ZipTie AI Overviews monitor) and checked how often AI Overviews appeared across four different countries. Here’s what the numbers show:
- US: 24.1% (our baseline – 100%)
- Canada: 20.9% (about 87% of what we see in the US)
- UK: 19.8% (around 83% of US levels)
- Australia: 17% (about 70% of US frequency)
Turns out AI Overviews in the UK show up almost as often as in the US – 83% of US levels
That’s not a huge gap, especially since these have been in the US longer, giving Google more time to gather user data and fine-tune their systems.
We’ve been tracking this data regularly since June 2024, and you can check out the ongoing results at the ZipTie AI Overviews monitor dashboard. The sample I used contains typical content keywords that you’d find reported in tools like Google Search Console or other popular rank tracking tools.
What Kind of Searches Trigger AI Overviews?
AI Overviews rarely show up for simple searches like “iPhone” or “Google.” They’re much more likely to appear for specific questions with clear intent like “best iPhone models,” “is iPhone worth it,” or “iPhone vs Android.”
So I decided to test this with my sample by transforming my list of keywords to make their intent more obvious to Google. I used ZipTie’s query enhancer (a feature available for ZipTie.dev users) to generate queries with clearer intent:
- Regular searches in the UK: 16% showed AI Overviews
- More specific searches: 33% showed AI Overviews
- That’s double the AI Overviews just by being more specific!
Comparison Searches Are AI Overview Magnets
Lately, I’ve been focusing on analyzing queries that consistently generate AI Overviews to better understand how we can help ZipTie clients navigate these AI changes.
Comparison queries are particularly interesting because:
- AI Overviews show up VERY frequently for this type of query
- These are searches people make when they’re seriously considering a purchase, so AI answers can heavily influence their decisions
When you type something like “Nikon vs Samsung,” you’re very likely to see an AI Overview that could determine which way you go with your purchase.
The data backs this up – it turns out that AI Overviews appear in 89% of queries related to comparisons (from a sample of 600 queries).
As a side note, Reddit was used by AI Overviews as a source in 35% of cases.
What This Means For You
Based on all this data, a few things are clear:
- AI Overviews are showing up in the UK, Canada, Australia, and India almost as much as in the US.
- The type of search really affects whether you’ll see an AI Overview – general terms rarely trigger them, while specific questions and comparisons often do.
- The real question isn’t if AI Overviews will affect your business in these countries, but how to make them work for you.
Looking at big-picture stats is helpful to understand trends, but to really prepare, you should check queries specific to your business. I recommend checking out how your key terms perform in ZipTie.dev, especially with their beta features like brand mentions and the query generator.
I’ll be sharing my complete system for optimising for AI Overviews soon, so stay tuned if you want to get ahead of these changes!
