Lily Ray's most recent SERP analysis shows Google AI Overviews cite listicles that already rank for the same query 38% less often than traditional blue-link results, according to PPC Land.

The 38% figure measures a citation pattern SEO researchers have tracked since Google expanded AI Overviews: when a listicle ranks on page one for a query, does the AI Overview above that result cite the same URL? Ray's dataset, as summarized by PPC Land, points to a clear gap.

For sites built around "best of" and comparison queries, the metric strikes at the center of their traffic model. A listicle can hold its organic position and still lose the citation slot above it — the spot users see first.

What changes for listicle publishers

A "self-ranking listicle citation" describes the case where a list-style article ranks for a query and the AI Overview above that result cites the same URL. The publisher occupies two SERP real-estate slots on the same query:

• The organic blue-link position
• The AI Overview citation

That double presence has functioned as a quiet advantage since Google started layering AI summaries over search. The article gets cited twice, and the brand behind it captures users at two checkpoints on the same results page.

Ray's 38% figure tracks how often that double-citation pattern actually materializes in the AI Overview layer. A 38% reduction means the pattern is significantly rarer than the organic share would predict.

What does the 38% likely signal?

The PPC Land coverage characterizes the work as a comparison between citation rates inside AI Overviews versus rates in classic organic results. The 38% applies to that comparison.

Several caveats accompany the figure. The headline published by PPC Land does not specify:

• The total number of queries analyzed
• The date range of the crawls
• Whether verticals were weighted equally
• Whether the gap is uniform across informational and commercial queries

Practitioners acting on the number should treat it as a directional signal, not a universal rule across the SERP.

Why does this matter for SEO strategy?

The directional read fits patterns SEOs have logged manually for months:

• AI Overviews appear to favor certain source types over others
• Listicles, despite strong organic performance, do not always translate that performance into AI Overview citations
• The gap opens room for publishers whose formats are over-represented in AI citations

Affiliate-driven verticals — software reviews, product roundups, "best X" comparisons — face the clearest exposure. Their organic rankings may hold while their share of the citation layer shrinks.

What should publishers monitor next?

Three signals deserve attention as Google iterates on AI Overviews:

• Whether the 38% gap widens, holds, or narrows in follow-up analyses
• Whether Google publishes guidance or public commentary on AI Overview source selection
• Whether the gap varies meaningfully by vertical, by query intent, or by listicle length

Ray's analysis lands as Google continues refining the generative layer above traditional search. The 38% number is the smallest defensible takeaway: AI Overviews cite self-ranking listicles noticeably less often than their organic share would predict.