Google AI Overviews cited self-promotional “best” 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 self-serving listicles to influence AI search results, but Ray found Google often cited those pages while recommending competitors instead.
By the numbers. Ray analyzed 100 B2B “best AI SEO software” queries in Google AI Overviews across three dates: April 15, May 15, and June 8.
- Of the 80 prompts that triggered an AI Overview, self-promotional listicles were cited 323 times.
- In 224 cases, Google cited a brand’s own page but didn’t recommend that brand.
Competitors get recommended. Ray documented several cases where Google cited a brand’s “best” listicle while recommending better-known competitors.
- For “best LMS for selling courses,” Google cited Oasis LMS but did not recommend it. Instead, it recommended Kajabi, Thinkific, LearnWorlds, and Teachable — all of which are named in the Oasis LMS article.
- Similar patterns appeared in queries for help desk, task management, survey, CRM, and SEO software.
Stronger brands still appeared. 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.
- The data showed a consistent split between citations and recommendations. A brand’s page could appear as a source while competitors received the recommendation.
Organic visibility fell. Ray also reported organic search declines for many sites that relied heavily on self-promotional listicles.
- 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 “best” pages ranking their own brand first.
- Those declines continued and accelerated during Google’s May 2026 core update, according to Ray.
Review sites gained citations. Ray found Google relied heavily on third-party and user-generated-content sites for “best” queries, with Reddit citations increasing sharply in recent months.
- Forbes, Reddit, and YouTube were among the most-cited domains in AI Overview responses containing “best.”
Why we care. A citation is not a recommendation. Your content can appear in an AI answer while helping competitors capture the visibility that matters most.
Catch up quick. 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, based on earlier research from Ray.
- Search Engine Land also reported 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.
About the data. Using Ahrefs Brand Radar, Ray collected AI Overview answer text and cited sources for 100 B2B “best AI SEO software” 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.
The report. Why Calling Yourself the Best Could Be Helping Your Competitors Win in AI Search
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