--- title: "Google AI Overviews Citations: 66.2% Link to Google Sites" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites description: "Google AI Overviews citations study: 66.2% of AI Overviews with sources link to a Google-owned site, and YouTube alone takes 14.8% of links. See the data." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites&text=Google%20Cites%20Google%3A%20AI%20Overviews%20Link%20to%20Google-Owned%20Sites%20in%2066.2%25%20of%20Answers Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites&title=Google%20Cites%20Google%3A%20AI%20Overviews%20Link%20to%20Google-Owned%20Sites%20in%2066.2%25%20of%20Answers **66.2%** of Google AI Overviews with sources link to at least one Google-owned website, such as YouTube or a Google Shopping page, and Google's own properties take 27.2% of every source link the AI Overviews show. Analysis of 7,505 AI Overviews and 55,442 citations · Google search results, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. **66.2%** of Google AI Overviews with sources link to at least one Google-owned website, and 62% do so on mobile. Copy stat 2. 2. Google-owned websites receive **27.2%** of all citations in Google AI Overviews, more than one in every four source links. Copy stat 3. 3. YouTube alone receives **14.8%** of all Google AI Overview citations, and google.com, mostly Google Shopping product cards, receives 12.1%. Copy stat 4. 4. Leaving out google.com links, **55.3%** of Google AI Overviews still cite YouTube or another Google property. Copy stat 5. 5. Google AI Overviews for roofing searches link to a Google-owned website **98.2%** of the time, against 24.9% for real estate searches. Copy stat ## Summary Search Google for "how to fix a leaking roof" and the AI Overview at the top of the page answers with a short summary and a row of sources. One of those sources is very often a YouTube video, and for product searches a Google Shopping card. Both are Google properties. The sources in an AI Overview are among the most visible links on the results page, and each answer carries a handful of them. Every one that goes to a Google property is one fewer for an independent publisher or business. For anyone trying to earn traffic from AI Overviews, the share that goes to Google properties defines how much room is left. Two in three AI Overviews, **66.2%**, link to at least one Google-owned website, and Google properties take 27.2% of all their citations. Almost all of that goes to YouTube and to Google Shopping and search pages on google.com. ## What we measured The study covers Google US results for 20,000 commercial and service keywords, across industries from roofing to banking, collected on September 23, 2026 through a licensed search data provider. We recorded the sources of every AI Overview on the desktop results: 7,505 AI Overviews and 55,442 citations. We repeated the check on mobile results for the first 10,000 keywords. An AI Overview is the AI-written summary Google shows above its regular results. A citation is one source link in that summary. A website counts as Google-owned when it is YouTube, google.com or another Google address such as support.google.com or play.google.com. An industry's rate is the share of its AI Overviews that cite at least one Google-owned website. ## Two in three AI Overviews link back to Google 66.2% of Google AI Overviews with sources link to a Google-owned website. The pattern holds on phones: 62% of mobile AI Overviews link to a Google property. And it does not depend on shopping cards. Leave out every google.com link, most of which are Google Shopping product cards and links to other Google searches, and 55.3% of AI Overviews still cite YouTube or another Google property. That makes YouTube the largest source of Google-owned citations. A searcher who clicks a source in an AI Overview has a better than even chance of being offered a Google-owned page among the options, and in more than half of AI Overviews that page is a video or a Google help or product page rather than a shopping card. ## YouTube and Google Shopping supply almost all Google-owned citations Of the 15,101 citations that go to Google-owned websites, YouTube supplies 8,220 and google.com 6,684. Every other Google property combined, from Google Support to the Play Store, adds 197. Google's AI answers link to its video platform and its own shopping and search pages, not to its long list of product websites. Share of all AI Overview citations by google-owned website youtube.com 14.78% google.com 12.06% support.google.com 0.14% play.google.com 0.05% m.youtube.com 0.05% home.google.com 0.03% store.google.com 0.02% cloud.google.com 0.02% business.google.com 0.02% sites.google.com 0.01% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 7,505 AI Overviews and 55,442 citations · Google search results, September 2026 YouTube's 14.8% means about one in seven AI Overview source links is a YouTube video. For a business, that is an opening as much as a threat: anyone can publish on YouTube, so a well-made video on your own channel can be the Google-owned link in the answer. ## Home services AI Overviews link to Google almost every time The rate swings widely by industry. AI Overviews for roofing searches link to a Google-owned website 98.2% of the time, home remodeling 96.6%, HVAC 93.7% and plumbing 92.3%. In these trades, YouTube videos are the main reason: searchers want to see a repair or an installation, and Google answers with video. AI Overviews citing a Google-owned website by industry Roofing 98.2% Home Remodeling 96.6% HVAC 93.7% Plumbing 92.3% Home Security 91% Solar 88% SaaS 87% Auto Dealers 86% Senior Care 63% Insurance 51% Higher Education 40% Banking and Loans 38.9% Mortgage 38.7% Accounting 37.9% Real Estate 24.9% Money and property searches sit at the other end. Real estate AI Overviews cite a Google property 24.9% of the time, accounting 37.9%, mortgage 38.7% and banking 38.9%. In these answers, independent websites hold far more of the source links. The table covers industries with at least 100 AI Overviews with sources. ## What this means for publishers and business owners If you work in a trade where AI Overviews lean on YouTube, such as roofing, remodeling, HVAC or plumbing, make video part of your search plan. Short, clear videos that show a common repair, explain a cost or walk through an installation are exactly what Google cites, and they carry your name into the answer even when the link belongs to Google. If you sell products, the google.com links are mostly Google Shopping cards. Keep your Merchant Center product feed complete and accurate, with correct prices, stock and images, so your products can appear in those cards. In finance and real estate, where AI Overviews cite Google properties far less, the source links are open to strong independent pages. An ai seo company (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/ai-seo-services) can show which sources your industry's AI Overviews cite and where your business can take a place among them. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: Google Cites Google: AI Overviews Link to Google-Owned Sites in 66.2% of Answers - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). Google Cites Google: AI Overviews Link to Google-Owned Sites in 66.2% of Answers. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites Plain link Google Cites Google: AI Overviews Link to Google-Owned Sites in 66.2% of Answers - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites ## Frequently asked questions ### How often do Google AI Overviews link to Google's own websites? ### What share of AI Overview citations go to Google properties? ### Do AI Overviews still cite Google without Google Shopping links? ### Which industries' AI Overviews cite YouTube and Google the most? ### Which industry's AI Overviews cite Google the least? ## Related studies - AI SEO 54.9% of Google's AI Overviews Cite at Least One YouTube Video: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/youtube-share-ai-overview-sources - AI SEO Google Now Shows an AI Answer on 57.6% of Commercial Searches: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-share-of-searches - AI SEO Google Pushes Every Website Listing Off the First Screen on 40.2% of Phone Searches: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/first-organic-result-below-fold-mobile - AI SEO YouTube Tops AI Citations: Google's AI Cites It 6,894 Times vs 5 for ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/top-cited-websites-in-ai ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites#article", "headline": "Google Cites Google: AI Overviews Link to Google-Owned Sites in 66.2% of Answers", "description": "66.2% of Google AI Overviews with sources link to at least one Google-owned website, such as YouTube or a Google Shopping page, and Google's own properties take 27.2% of every source link the AI Overviews show.", "image": [ "https://www.suffdigital.com/images/suff-digital-share-16x9.jpg" ], "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites", "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/who-we-are" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites", "@type": "WebPage" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Resources", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Data Studies", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Google Cites Google: AI Overviews Link to Google-Owned Sites in 66.2% of Answers" } ] }, { "@type": "Dataset", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites#dataset", "name": "Google Cites Google: AI Overviews Link to Google-Owned Sites in 66.2% of Answers", "description": "66.2% of Google AI Overviews with sources link to at least one Google-owned website, such as YouTube or a Google Shopping page, and Google's own properties take 27.2% of every source link the AI Overviews show.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "Google search results (US, desktop and mobile)" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-cite-google-owned-sites#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often do Google AI Overviews link to Google's own websites?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "66.2% of Google AI Overviews with sources link to at least one Google-owned website, such as YouTube or google.com (September 2026). On mobile the rate is 62%." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What share of AI Overview citations go to Google properties?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "27.2%. Google-owned websites receive 15,101 of 55,442 AI Overview citations, mostly YouTube (8,220) and google.com (6,684)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do AI Overviews still cite Google without Google Shopping links?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Leaving out google.com links, which are mostly Google Shopping product cards, 55.3% of Google AI Overviews still cite YouTube or another Google property." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which industries' AI Overviews cite YouTube and Google the most?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Home services. Google AI Overviews link to a Google-owned website 98.2% of the time for roofing searches, 96.6% for home remodeling, 93.7% for HVAC and 92.3% for plumbing." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which industry's AI Overviews cite Google the least?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Real estate. 24.9% of Google AI Overviews for real estate searches link to a Google-owned website, followed by accounting at 37.9%." } } ] } ] } ] ```