New data from SE Ranking shows that Google’s AI Mode increasingly cites Google-owned sources when generating answers. Analysis of more than 1.3 million citations reveals that references to Google properties have grown significantly, with self-citations rising to about 17% of all sources. This represents a major increase compared with roughly 5% reported nine months earlier. 
Another important change involves where those citations point. Earlier results mostly linked to Google Business Profiles, meaning the pattern was mainly connected to local search queries. Recent findings show that the majority of these references now lead to organic search results instead. About 59% of Google’s AI Mode citations point to organic search listings, while around 36% still link to Business Profiles. Smaller shares link to other Google services such as support pages or travel tools. 
The shift matters because it suggests AI Mode is relying more on the broader organic search ecosystem rather than just local business listings. This means traditional organic rankings may still influence visibility in AI-powered results.
Across 20 different niches analyzed in the study, Google was the most cited domain in 19 categories, including travel, entertainment, and real estate. Only the jobs sector showed a different leader, where Indeed appeared far more frequently than Google. 
Overall, the data indicates that Google’s AI features are evolving, with increasing self-referencing and stronger integration between AI answers and organic search results.
