A recent study analyzing 10,000 keywords reveals that Google’s AI Mode delivers highly inconsistent results, with significant differences between repeated queries and little overlap with traditional organic search outcomes.
Published by SE Ranking, the research compares AI Mode results with Google’s AI Overviews and the top 10 organic search listings. The study found an average overlap of exact URLs between the three datasets to be only 9.2%, highlighting the volatility of AI Mode responses.
- Inconsistent results: Running the same 10,000 keywords through AI Mode three times on the same day showed frequent variations. In 21.2% of cases, there was no URL overlap among the three responses. At the domain level, consistency was slightly higher at 14.7%, suggesting AI Mode may cite different pages within the same website.
- Minimal overlap with organic search: Only 14% of AI Mode URLs matched the top 10 organic search results for the same queries. Domain-level overlap was 21.9%, while 17.9% of queries had no overlap at all, indicating AI Mode operates somewhat independently of traditional ranking.
- Trusted domains dominate citations: Each AI Mode response averaged 12.6 citations. Most links were block format (90.8%), followed by in-text (8.9%) and SERP-style links (0.3%). Frequently cited domains included Indeed (1.8%), Wikipedia (1.6%), Reddit (1.5%), YouTube (1.4%), and NerdWallet (1.2%). Google properties made up 5.7% of citations, mainly Google Maps business profiles.
- Difference from AI Overviews: The URL overlap between AI Mode and AI Overviews was 10.7%, with 16% domain overlap, indicating distinct operational logic between the two AI-driven systems.
Implications for marketers: The fluctuating nature of AI Mode results complicates tracking but offers opportunities for broader exposure. Unlike traditional search, where a few top pages dominate, AI Mode frequently updates its citations, potentially allowing more sites to appear in responses.
Marketers are advised to focus on domain authority, topical relevance, diversified content on trusted platforms, optimizing local presence including Google Maps, and monitoring AI Mode’s evolving inclusion patterns.
For detailed findings, see the full study by SE Ranking.