Google’s AI mode increasingly mentions Google itself – and often sends users to other Google searches, according to a new study by SE Ranking.
Why do we care. AI search is designed to reveal the best sources on the web. If Google mentions them, you may see fewer direct links and less traffic as more users stay within Google.
Details. Google.com was the most cited source for AI Mode responses, accounting for 17.42% of all citations, SE Ranking found.
- That makes Google.com the most referenced domain — more than the next six domains combined: YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Amazon, Indeed, and Zillow.
Accelerating the habit. In June 2025, Google cited itself in only 5.7% of AI Mode responses. That share has now tripled.
- About one in five AI citations now come from Google. Including YouTube, properties controlled by Google account for approximately 20% of sources.
Self-love on steroids. AI overview is already heavily connected to Google features like Maps, Photos, and YouTube. AI mode appears to extend that trend by pushing users deeper into the Google ecosystem, often with more search results than external sites.
- This keeps users from interacting with Google sites where ads, reviews, and other monetized content appear.
What has changed. Previous AI Mode research has shown Google mainly citing Google Business Profiles. Not anymore:
- 59% of Google citations now point to regular Google search results.
- 36.1% still refer to Google Business profiles.
- Minor shares link to Google Support (1.7%), Google Flights (0.1%), and other Google features.
- In most cases, AI mode citations now display a small panel of search results next to the answer – turning the citation into another search.
Industrial differences. Google dominates citations for all topics. Some niches that depend on Google even more:
- Tour: 53.18% of quotes
- Entertainment and recreation: 48.74% of quotes
- Real estate: 30.54% of quotes
The only category where Google wasn’t a top source was Careers and Jobs, where Sure appeared 3.1 times more often than Google.
About the data. SE Ranking analyzed 68,313 keywords across 20 industries and over 1.3 million citations in AI mode to measure how often Google.com appears as a citation source.
Report. Is Google stealing your clicks in AI mode? (1.3M+ citations analyzed)
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