Google AI Mode Alters 91% of URLs in Repeat Searches, Study Finds
▼ Summary
– Google’s AI Mode delivers inconsistent results, with 21.2% of cases showing no overlapping URLs in repeated tests for the same keywords.
– AI Mode responses have minimal overlap with organic search results, with only 14% of URLs matching the top 10 organic rankings.
– Most AI Mode citations come from trusted domains, with Google properties (5.7%) and sites like Indeed and Wikipedia frequently appearing.
– AI Mode and AI Overviews show low overlap (10.7% URLs, 16% domains), indicating they operate under different logic despite both being AI-driven.
– The volatility of AI Mode creates both challenges and opportunities for marketers, as frequent citation refreshes allow more exposure for relevant content.
New research reveals Google’s AI-powered search results show significant inconsistency, with over 90% of URLs changing across repeated searches. A comprehensive analysis of 10,000 search queries demonstrates how dramatically AI Mode differs from traditional organic rankings, creating both challenges and opportunities for digital marketers.
The study conducted by SE Ranking uncovered striking volatility in AI-generated responses. When researchers ran identical searches multiple times, only 9.2% of URLs remained consistent across results. Even more remarkably, 21.2% of queries returned completely different links in each iteration, with no overlapping URLs whatsoever. While domain-level consistency fared slightly better at 14.7%, the findings clearly show AI Mode doesn’t deliver stable responses like conventional search.
Perhaps most surprising is how little alignment exists between AI Mode and Google’s standard search rankings. Just 14% of AI-generated URLs matched the top 10 organic results for equivalent queries. Expanding the comparison to domain-level matches only increased overlap to 21.9%. In nearly 18% of cases, AI Mode provided responses with zero connection to traditional search rankings, suggesting it operates on fundamentally different criteria.
Despite this variability, certain patterns emerged in the data. Each AI response typically includes 12.6 citations, predominantly formatted as block links (90.8%). The most frequently referenced domains include household names like Indeed, Wikipedia, and Reddit, though Google’s own properties accounted for 5.7% of all citations – primarily Maps business profiles.
The research also compared AI Mode with Google’s newer AI Overviews feature, finding minimal correlation between the two systems. With just 10.7% URL overlap and 16% domain-level similarity, it appears Google employs distinct AI approaches across different search products.
For marketing professionals, these findings carry significant implications. The unpredictable nature of AI Mode makes performance tracking more complex, but also opens fresh avenues for visibility. Unlike traditional SERPs where top positions remain relatively stable, AI Mode’s fluid results create more opportunities for exposure, particularly for authoritative domains producing quality content.
To navigate this evolving landscape, experts recommend focusing on comprehensive domain authority rather than individual page optimization. Diversifying content across trusted platforms and strengthening local business profiles through Google Maps may prove particularly valuable as AI-driven search continues to mature. While the rules of visibility are changing, the fundamentals of relevance and credibility remain paramount.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
