BrightEdge (Feb 2026): AI Overviews now appear on 48% of tracked queries, up from ~30% a year prior
Created 2026-05-22
Claim: BrightEdge's "AI Overviews at the One-Year Mark" tracking (February 2025 - February 2026) reports AI Overview presence grew from ~30% to 48% of tracked queries — a 58% increase year-over-year.
Source: BrightEdge, "AI Overviews at the One-Year Mark" — https://www.brightedge.com/resources/weekly-ai-search-insights/ai-overviews-one-year-presence-size-citing
Confidence: Verified.
Implication: Citation eligibility is no longer a nice-to-have. Roughly half of informational queries now surface an AI Overview above the organic results. Combined with Seer (Sept 2025): brands cited inside AI Overviews earn 35% more organic CTR and 91% more paid CTR (cited brands earn +35%/+91% CTR), this is the strongest "act on AI visibility now" data point.
Referenced by (4)
- reference Seer (Sept 2025): brands cited inside AI Overviews earn 35% more organic CTR and 91% more paid CTR relates-to
- reference Research brief: Structured content as a competitive advantage (piece 2 of 15) relates-to
- reference Research brief: What makes a marketing site do something (piece on brochure vs platform) relates-to
- reference Dan Taylor (SE Land, Jan 13 2026, n=107,352): CWV is a gate for AI citation, not a growth lever relates-to