Semrush — AI Overview prevalence on 10M+ keywords rose 6.49% (Jan 2025) → peak ~24.61% (Jul 2025) → ~15.69% (Nov 2025)
Created 2026-06-21
Summary
Claim: Semrush, tracking 10M+ keywords, found AI Overview prevalence rose from 6.49% (Jan 2025) to a peak of ~24.61% (Jul 2025), settling at ~15.69% by Nov 2025.
Source: https://semrush.com/blog/semrush-ai-overviews-study — 2025/26.
Confidence: Single-source (vendor — SEO platform with incentive to show large numbers).
Caveat: Semrush's keyword sample is not the same population as Pew's real-user search log. Use as part of the vendor range, not as an independent confirmation of Pew's 18%.
Why this matters for Candid: Worth citing for the time-series shape (peaked mid-2025, then settled) — useful context against the simpler "it's growing forever" narrative.
Related entries
Referenced by (3)
- reference Research brief: the website as a working surface of the business — four capabilities, AI-citation decoupling, freshness as a real signal (June 2026) relates-to
- reference Reconciliation: the 16% / 25% / 48% AI-prevalence gap is largely definitional — different keyword samples, "tracked queries" vs all queries, niche / long-tail inclusion depends-on
- rule R6 — Cite Pew as the AI-prevalence anchor; cite vendor trackers (Semrush / BrightEdge / Conductor) as a range; never cite a single vendor as the level depends-on