# Semrush: AI Overviews coverage of commercial search queries nearly doubles to 88%

Published: 2026-10-21T14:24:00.595Z · Source: Semrush Blog (https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-overviews-commercial-modifiers-study/)
Source date: 2026-10-21
Flags: Semrush study — vendor-published
Entities: semrush, ai-overviews

AI Overviews appeared on 88% of 400 tracked commercial keywords in August 2026, up from 45.75% in September 2025, per Semrush. The year-long tracking spanned banking, software and ecommerce categories using Semrush's U.S. desktop data; weighted by estimated search volume, coverage reached 97.08% in August. Coverage by query type in August 2026: "best X for Y" searches, 96.12%; reviews, 90.25%; brand-vs-brand comparisons, 86.23%; price/cost queries, 85.51%; alternatives queries, 82.05%.

Why it matters: A year ago AI Overviews were a coin flip on buying-intent queries; now they are close to default, which is the population advertisers and SEO teams watch most closely.

## What this answers

**How often do AI Overviews appear on commercial search terms?**

88% of 400 tracked commercial keywords showed an AI Overview in August 2026, up from 45.75% a year earlier, per Semrush — 97.08% when weighted by search volume.

**Which commercial searches trigger AI Overviews most often?**

"Best X for Y" queries, at 96.12%, followed by reviews (90.25%) and brand-vs-brand comparisons (86.23%), per Semrush's August 2026 data.


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