A new analysis of the UK search landscape delivers a message that AI Overviews are quickly becoming a dominant feature of Google Search.
According to a recent study by Studio 36 Digital, AI-generated summaries now appear on approximately 42% of all UK Google searches. This marks a significant change in how search engine results pages (SERPs) function, particularly for users looking for information.
The study, which tracked 1,000 random UK keywords between 2024 and 2025, confirmed that AI Overviews are not distributed evenly across all search categories:
- AI Dominates: Informational queries, “how-to” guides, and content related to health and education are most likely to trigger an AI Overview. These summaries often push classic organic listings further down the page.
- AI Takes a Backseat: Crucially, local searches and commercial queries (where users intend to buy or visit) still primarily maintain the traditional search layout, showing standard listings and map packs.
Despite the rapid adoption of AI Overviews, the core value of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains intact; it’s just evolving.
The data confirms two key, reassuring facts for content creators and marketers:
- Search Demand is Unwavering: Google’s total usage continues to grow year-on-year, processing over five trillion searches annually. AI hasn’t killed search; it’s making it richer.
- Authority Still Matters: The pages cited within those dominant AI Overviews don’t get there by accident. They are often the established, trusted content that has already been properly optimized. As Studio 36 Digital Director Andrew Witts puts it: “The future of search belongs to those who adapt their content for both algorithms and answers.”
The conclusion for modern SEO strategy is clear: focus on trusted, authoritative content that is structured to directly answer complex user queries. Only by winning the trust of the algorithm can your content hope to become the source material for the AI answers that now dominate the top of nearly half of all UK search results.
