Self-Promotional Listicles May Now Boost Competitors in Google AI Overviews

lilyraynyc · x · 2026-09-07

SEO expert Lily Ray analyzed 100 B2B 'best [category]' queries in Google AI Overviews across three dates from April to June 2026 and found Google appears to have decoupled citations from recommendations: self-promotional listicles can still earn a citation, but competitors named in the article may get recommended in the AI answer while the publisher is left out. Tracking 'AI citations' as a success metric can backfire — these articles are becoming a liability rather than an asset.

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