Home / News / AI Overviews & Local Search: Semrush Study Reveals Impact
AI Overviews & Local Search: Semrush Study Reveals Impact
Semrush’s latest study shows AI overviews—concise, AI‑generated snapshots that surface for 78 % of commercial searches—are reshaping local visibility, driving a 2.3× jump in click‑through rates for businesses that appear in them. The findings underscore the importance of accurate local citations and structured data in securing a spot in these AI‑driven snippets.
Key Highlights
- ✓AI overviews now dominate commercial search results
- ✓Local businesses in AI overviews see 2.3× higher CTR
- ✓High‑authority citations drive 60 % of overview content
- ✓Schema markup boosts visibility by 1.8×
What Happened\n\nSemrush’s new study, *AI Overviews in Commercial Search*, explores how AI‑driven search platforms—ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI—display overviews for commercial queries. The findings illustrate a clear transition: instead of single answers, these overviews compile information from a range of sources into a concise, AI‑generated snapshot that users increasingly rely on.\n\n## Key Details\n\n- **Rise of AI overviews**: 78 % of commercial searches now trigger an AI overview box, up from 45 % last year.\n- **Citation impact**: Local businesses that appear in the overview box receive a 2.3× increase in click‑through rate compared to standard SERP listings.\n- **Source diversity**: The study found that over 60 % of the content in overviews comes from high‑authority local citations—Google My Business, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and industry‑specific directories.\n- **User intent**: 67 % of users who see an AI overview say they’re more likely to visit the business’s website or call directly.\n- **Competitive advantage**: Small brands that optimize their citations and schema markup rank 1.8× higher in overview snippets.\n\n## What It Means For Your Business\n\n1. **Visibility is a two‑step process** – first, you need to be cited; second, those citations must be AI‑friendly.\n2. **Optimize local citations** – ensure every listing has up‑to‑date NAP data, high‑quality photos, and positive reviews. AI tools pull from these sources when crafting overviews.\n3. **Leverage schema markup** – structured data signals to AI engines that your content is authoritative. Implementing `LocalBusiness` schema can boost the likelihood of appearing in an overview.\n4. **Create overview‑ready content** – concise, FAQ‑style copy that answers common commercial questions helps AI engines pull your snippets.\n5. **Monitor AI snippet performance** – use tools like Semrush’s \"AI Overview Dashboard\" to track how often your business appears and the click‑through rates.\n\n### Action Plan\n\n- **Audit** your current citations across all major platforms.\n- **Standardize** NAP details and add schema markup via your website’s footer or a dedicated schema plugin.\n- **Publish** short, answer‑oriented blog posts or FAQs that align with the top search intents identified in the study.\n- **Encourage reviews**: Automate follow‑up emails asking satisfied customers to leave a review on Google and Yelp.\n- **Track** results weekly: note changes in overview appearance, CTR, and conversion metrics.\n\nBy aligning your local SEO strategy with the insights from Semrush’s study, you position your business to not only appear in traditional SERPs but also dominate the AI‑driven overviews that modern consumers rely on.
Why This Matters For Your Business
AI overviews have become the front‑page answer for a growing share of commercial queries—78 % of searches now trigger one, according to Semrush. If your business isn’t represented in these snippets, you miss a significant portion of potential traffic. The study shows that local businesses appearing in an AI overview enjoy a 2.3× higher click‑through rate, turning casual browsers into direct inquiries and calls.\n\nBecause AI overviews pull information from structured data, maintaining accurate local citations and schema markup not only boosts snippet visibility but also reinforces your overall search ranking. This creates a virtuous cycle: better visibility leads to more traffic, which in turn signals relevance to search engines, further improving your position in both traditional SERPs and AI‑driven overviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an AI overview?
An AI overview is a brief, AI‑generated summary that surfaces in search results, pulling together key facts from several trusted sources to give users a quick, reliable answer.
How can I get my business into an AI overview?
To get featured, keep every local listing accurate, add structured data such as `LocalBusiness` schema, and create concise FAQ‑style pages that answer the most common commercial questions.
Do AI overviews replace traditional SERPs?
No. AI overviews supplement traditional SERPs, offering instant answers while the full SERP gives users deeper content and navigation choices.
Is your business showing up in AI search?
Get your free AI visibility audit - see if ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI actually recommend you.