Google AI Overviews cite self-serving lists, recommend rivals 69% of the time
▼ Summary
– Google AI Overviews cited self-promotional “best” listicles from brands in 69% of cases without recommending the brand itself, instead naming competitors.
– In the analysis of 100 B2B software queries, 224 out of 323 citations of self-promotional listicles did not result in a recommendation for the cited brand.
– Brands with strong existing category leadership and link profiles were more likely to be recommended by AI Overviews, while weaker brands faced a split between citation and recommendation.
– Organic search visibility declined for sites relying on self-promotional listicles, with declines starting around January and accelerating during Google’s May 2026 core update.
– Google increasingly cited third-party and user-generated content sites like Reddit, Forbes, and YouTube for “best” queries, indicating a citation does not equal a recommendation.
Google’s AI Overviews are citing self-promotional “best” listicles but failing to recommend the companies that created them in over two-thirds of cases, according to fresh research by SEO analyst Lily Ray. The findings reveal a surprising disconnect for brands that thought writing their own top-ten lists would sway AI-generated search results.
Ray examined 100 B2B searches using the pattern “best [category] software” in Google AI Overviews on three separate dates: April 15, May 15, and June 8. Out of the 80 queries that produced an AI Overview, self-promotional listicles were cited 323 times. In 224 of those instances, Google cited a brand’s own page but did not recommend that brand to users.
The data shows that competitors often received the recommendation instead. For example, when Ray tested “best LMS for selling courses,” Google cited Oasis LMS as a source but recommended Kajabi, Thinkific, LearnWorlds, and Teachable , all brands named within the Oasis LMS article itself. Similar patterns appeared for help desk, task management, survey, CRM, and SEO software queries.
Brands that already dominated their categories, were frequently mentioned by third-party sources, and had stronger link profiles were more likely to appear in AI Overview recommendations, according to Ray. This created a consistent split: a brand’s page could serve as a source while its rivals captured the recommendation.
The impact on organic visibility has been significant. Ray reported that many sites relying on self-promotional listicles saw organic search declines starting around January 20. These declines affected dozens of sites she analyzed, many of which had also scaled other SEO- and GEO-focused content like AI-generated articles, comparison pages, and large volumes of “best” pages ranking their own brand first. The drops accelerated during Google’s May 2026 core update.
Meanwhile, third-party and user-generated content sites gained ground. Reddit citations increased sharply in recent months, and Forbes, Reddit, and YouTube were among the most-cited domains in AI Overview responses containing “best.”
The takeaway is clear: a citation is not a recommendation. Your content can appear in an AI answer while helping competitors capture the visibility that matters most.
This research builds on earlier findings. Search Engine Land previously reported that some SaaS and B2B brands lost 30% to 50% of their visibility after relying heavily on self-ranked “best” pages. The outlet also noted that the tactic may create legal risk under the FTC’s Consumer Review Rule when company-controlled content is presented as independent reviews, reviews are not based on real use, or material relationships are not clearly disclosed.
Ray used Ahrefs Brand Radar to collect AI Overview answer text and cited sources for 100 B2B queries at three checkpoints between April and June. The analysis measured two outcomes: whether a self-promotional listicle was cited and whether the brand behind it was recommended. Her report is titled Why Calling Yourself the Best Could Be Helping Your Competitors Win in AI Search.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
