{"id":734257,"date":"2026-06-19T06:55:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T03:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-ai-overviews-cite-self-serving-listicles-but-recommend-competitors-69-of-the-time\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T06:55:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T03:55:24","slug":"google-ai-overviews-cite-self-serving-listicles-but-recommend-competitors-69-of-the-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-ai-overviews-cite-self-serving-listicles-but-recommend-competitors-69-of-the-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Google AI Overviews cite self-serving listicles, but recommend competitors 69% of the time"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4174ce4e246\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4174ce4e246\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-ai-overviews-cite-self-serving-listicles-but-recommend-competitors-69-of-the-time\/#Lily_Rays_study_found_Google_cited_brands_own_listicles_in_AI_Overviews_yet_excluded_those_brands_from_recommendations_in_most_cases\" >Lily Ray\u2019s study found Google cited brands\u2019 own listicles in AI Overviews, yet excluded those brands from recommendations in most cases.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-ai-overviews-cite-self-serving-listicles-but-recommend-competitors-69-of-the-time\/#Topics_on_this_page\" >Topics on this page<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lily_Rays_study_found_Google_cited_brands_own_listicles_in_AI_Overviews_yet_excluded_those_brands_from_recommendations_in_most_cases\"><\/span>Lily Ray\u2019s study found Google cited brands\u2019 own listicles in AI Overviews, yet excluded those brands from recommendations in most cases.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p>Google AI Overviews cited self-promotional \u201cbest\u201d listicles while excluding the brands behind them from recommendations in 69% of cases, according to a new analysis of B2B software queries by Lily Ray.<\/p>\n<p>Brands have used self-serving listicles to influence AI search results, but Ray found Google often cited those pages while recommending competitors instead.<\/p>\n<p><strong>By the numbers. <\/strong>Ray analyzed 100 B2B \u201cbest AI SEO software\u201d queries in Google AI Overviews across three dates: April 15, May 15, and June 8.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Of the 80 prompts that triggered an AI Overview, self-promotional listicles were cited 323 times.<\/li>\n<li>In 224 cases, Google cited a brand\u2019s own page but didn\u2019t recommend that brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Competitors get recommended. <\/strong>Ray documented several cases where Google cited a brand\u2019s \u201cbest\u201d listicle while recommending better-known competitors.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For \u201cbest LMS for selling courses,\u201d Google cited Oasis LMS but did not recommend it. Instead, it recommended Kajabi, Thinkific, LearnWorlds, and Teachable \u2014 all of which are named in the Oasis LMS article.<\/li>\n<li>Similar patterns <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eared in queries for help desk, task management, survey, CRM, and SEO software.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Stronger brands still appeared.<\/strong> Brands that already led their categories, were widely mentioned by third-party sources, and had stronger link profiles were more likely to appear in AI Overview recommendations, according to Ray.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The data showed a consistent split between citations and recommendations. A brand\u2019s page could appear as a source while competitors received the recommendation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Organic visibility fell. <\/strong>Ray also reported organic search declines for many sites that relied heavily on self-promotional listicles.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The declines began around Jan. 20, across dozens of sites she analyzed. Many also scaled other SEO- and GEO-focused content formats, including AI-generated articles, comparison pages, and large volumes of \u201cbest\u201d pages ranking their own brand first.<\/li>\n<li>Those declines continued and accelerated during Google\u2019s May 2026 core update, according to Ray.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review sites gained citations. <\/strong>Ray found Google relied heavily on third-party and user-generated-content sites for \u201cbest\u201d queries, with <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reddit<\/a> citations increasing sharply in recent months.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Forbes, Reddit, and YouTube were among the most-cited domains in AI Overview responses containing \u201cbest.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why we care. <\/strong>A citation is not a recommendation. Your content can appear in an AI answer while helping competitors capture the visibility that matters most.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Catch up quick. <\/strong>Search Engine Land previously reported that some SaaS and B2B brands lost 30% to 50% of their visibility after relying heavily on self-ranked \u201cbest\u201d pages, based on earlier research from Ray.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Search Engine Land also reported that the tactic may create legal risk under the FTC\u2019s 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"h-about-the-data\"><strong>About the data. <\/strong>Using Ahrefs Brand Radar, Ray collected AI Overview answer text and cited sources for 100 B2B \u201cbest AI SEO software\u201d 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The report.<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lilyraynyc.substack.com\/p\/why-calling-yourself-the-best-could\">Why Calling Yourself the <\/a><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lilyraynyc.substack.com\/p\/why-calling-yourself-the-best-could\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lilyraynyc.substack.com\/p\/why-calling-yourself-the-best-could\">est Could Be Helping Your Competitors Win in AI Search<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-display\">\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-content\">\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Topics_on_this_page\"><\/span>Topics on this page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-links\">GoogleAI OverviewsArtificial intelligenceLily RayAhrefsContent MarketingFederal Trade CommissionForbesRedditSearch Engine LandSearch engine optimizationSoftware as a serviceYouTube<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-show-extra-button\">+9 more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-ai-overviews-cite-self-serving-listicles-recommend-competitors-480573\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lily Ray\u2019s study found Google cited brands\u2019 own listicles in AI Overviews, yet excluded those brands from recommendations in most cases. Google AI Overviews cited self-promotional \u201cbest\u201d listicles while excluding the brands behind them from recommendations in 69% of cases, according to a new analysis of B2B software queries by Lily Ray. Brands have used&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":734258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/06\/first-in-the-dark.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-734257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=734257"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734257\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/734258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=734257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=734257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=734257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}