Google AI Overviews Surge on Brand Searches: What the September 2026 Data Shows

Google is showing AI Overviews for far more brand-name searches than it did just a few months ago, according to several SEO studies published at the end of September 2026. The shift, which has also reached sports team roster queries, is raising fresh questions about how much traffic brands will keep when people search for them by name.

SEO consultant Chris Long tested about 100 well-known brands and reported that AI Overviews appeared for 93% of them, including Reddit, Salesforce, Amazon and Adobe. Search Engine Roundtable's Barry Schwartz tried several brands himself and saw a similar pattern, with exceptions for Google's own name and news publications.

An Ahrefs study of bare brand-name queries found AI Overviews on 83% in its latest check. The change came fast. Only five of 98 usable results showed an AI Overview at the July 1 checkpoint, compared with 63 of 100 by September 30. DemandSphere separately reported that AI Overviews on branded queries tripled during September.

Placement varies. Most examples Schwartz saw put the AI Overview lower on the results page rather than at the top, while Adobe's appeared above the traditional listings.

Ahrefs noted that the bigger concern may be who gets cited. Third-party sources such as Wikipedia, YouTube and LinkedIn can gain a larger say in how a brand is described in search results, potentially reducing clicks to the brand's own website.

AI Overviews have also started appearing for some sports roster searches. SEO specialist Glenn Gabe reported that a search for the Raiders roster returned an AI Overview listing the entire team, something he had not seen before, and he suggested sites that publish rosters could be affected.

Results were mixed. For the New York Jets, the AI Overview sat below the official team website, while searches for the Giants and the Packers showed none at all.

Branded searches usually signal strong intent, so even small changes in click-through can matter to a business. The reversal is notable because Ahrefs research from November 2025 found AI Overviews were vastly more common for unbranded queries than for branded ones.

Because AI-generated answers can satisfy a searcher before they reach a website, publishers and brands are watching whether official pages keep their share of traffic. Schwartz noted he did not mind mid-page placement as much as he would an overview sitting above a company's own snippet.

Experts suggest a few practical steps:

If third-party pages dominate, strengthening your brand's own entity signals, such as consistent information across your website, profiles and reference pages, is a common recommendation. Treat early numbers cautiously. The samples cover roughly 100 brands, and Google's rollouts can change from week to week.