TechCrunch cited Similarweb data showing AI Overviews in 43% of searches, up from 15% a year earlier.
Why it matters: More searches are ending on Google's results page before a user clicks through, which can affect referral traffic and search visibility for publishers and brands. It also raises the stakes for SEO, advertising and site strategy as AI summaries take a larger role in discovery.
- TechCrunch cited Similarweb data showing AI Overviews in 43% of searches, versus 15% a year earlier.
- Similarweb's 2026 Generative AI Landscape Report says more than 40% of U.S. searches now trigger an AI Overview.
- Google says AI Overviews use a customized Gemini model, Search ranking systems and the Google Knowledge Graph.
- Cloudflare says website owners can block AI bots and manage crawler behavior.
TechCrunch reported on July 27, 2026 that Google AI Overviews now appear in 43% of searches, based on Similarweb data. The figure is a sharp increase from 15% a year earlier, according to the TechCrunch report.
Similarweb's 2026 Generative AI Landscape Report says more than 40% of U.S. searches now trigger an AI Overview. The report also says search behavior is shifting toward longer, more AI-mediated journeys.
Google said in a May 2026 blog post that AI Mode is driving queries to all-time highs and that users are asking longer, more nuanced questions. Google says AI Overviews use a customized Gemini model, Search ranking systems and the Google Knowledge Graph, and appear only on queries where generative AI can add value and where Google has high confidence in response quality.
TechCrunch also reported that Similarweb found AI Mode visits rose from 126 million in June 2025 to 279 million by May 2026. It said only 6.8% of U.S. ChatGPT desktop queries included citations as of May 2026.
Cloudflare says website owners can block AI bots and manage crawler behavior, a sign that publishers are still looking for ways to control how AI systems access and use their content.
By the numbers
- 43% - share of searches with AI Overviews, according to Similarweb data cited by TechCrunch.
- 15% - share a year earlier, according to the same TechCrunch-cited Similarweb data.
- 126 million to 279 million - AI Mode visits from June 2025 to May 2026, as reported by TechCrunch.
Yes, but: The main 43% figure is secondhand, cited by TechCrunch from Similarweb rather than published in the article itself, so the exact methodology and sample scope matter.