DemandSphere data shows that Google AI Overviews appeared on branded keyword searches 90.48% of the time by September 27 — up from 26.12% at the start of the month. In less than four weeks, AI Overviews more than tripled their presence on searches for specific brand names.
If someone searches for your company name, there is now a high probability that an AI-generated summary sits above your own website in the results. That summary is written by Google, not by you, and you have limited control over what it says.
What Changed
Google has been steadily expanding AI Overviews across more query types throughout 2026. The September push into branded queries represents a significant shift because branded searches were previously one of the safest categories — queries where your own site almost always dominated the results page.
Two other changes compound the impact:
AI Overviews now auto-expand. Google confirmed that for some queries, AI Overviews automatically expand into longer, AI Mode-style answers without the user clicking “Show More”. The manual expansion control disappears entirely. This means the AI summary takes up more screen space, pushing organic results further down.
AI Overviews now include more external links. Google is testing citation cards at the bottom of AI Overviews rather than the right side, and the number of external links within AI summaries has increased. This is a double-edged sword — more citation opportunities, but also more chances for competitors to appear in the AI summary for your branded query.
Why This Matters for Your Business
When someone searches for your brand name, they have high intent. They already know you exist and are looking for specific information — your website, your reviews, your pricing, your contact details. These are your most valuable search queries.
An AI Overview sitting above your site on these queries changes the dynamic in three ways:
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It controls the first impression. The AI summary shapes what the searcher sees before they reach your website. If it pulls from outdated information, a negative review, or a competitor comparison, that framing affects every interaction that follows.
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It can reduce click-through rates. If the AI summary answers the searcher’s question directly — your opening hours, your return policy, your pricing — they may not click through to your site at all. You keep the brand awareness but lose the visit.
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Competitors can appear in your branded results. AI Overviews often pull from comparison sites, review platforms, and competitor pages. A search for your brand name could now surface a competitor’s name in the AI summary above your own listing.
What to Do Now
Search for your own brand. Do it today, on mobile and desktop. See what the AI Overview says. Note what sources it cites, what information it highlights, and whether anything is inaccurate or unflattering.
Strengthen your structured data. Organisation schema, FAQ schema, product schema, and review schema all give Google explicit signals about your brand that AI Overviews can draw from. The clearer your structured data, the more likely the AI summary reflects what you want it to say.
Control your information ecosystem. AI Overviews pull from multiple sources. Ensure your Google Business Profile, social media profiles, and key third-party listings (industry directories, review platforms) all contain accurate, consistent information. Contradictions across sources give AI systems less confidence in any single answer.
Publish authoritative content about your own brand. An up-to-date about page, a comprehensive FAQ, and clear product or service descriptions on your own site give Google high-quality source material for the AI summary. If the best information about your brand lives on your website, AI Overviews are more likely to draw from it.
Monitor branded search performance in Search Console. Google’s Generative AI performance report, which rolled out globally in late August, now shows how your pages perform within AI-generated results. Use it. Track impressions and clicks for your branded queries specifically.
This Is Not Going Away
The expansion of AI Overviews into branded search is not a test — it is a trend that has accelerated every month in 2026. The businesses that manage their AI search presence proactively will maintain control of their brand narrative. Those that ignore it will find that Google’s AI is telling their story for them.
If you want to understand how AI Overviews are affecting your branded searches and what you can do about it, get in touch for a free consultation. We will audit your branded search presence across both traditional and AI results and give you a clear plan for protecting your brand visibility.
Source: DemandSphere — AI Overviews on Branded Queries | Search Engine Roundtable — October 2026 Webmaster Report