Search eligibility
Use complete buyer questions without chasing a word-count rule
Compare Peec and Pew findings on query length, understand their different samples and build a useful B2B question map without padding keywords.
TL;DR
- Two studies associate longer queries with more frequent AI summaries, but their samples and dates differ sharply.
- Peec's high appearance rates came from monitored business prompts, not a representative sample of all Google searches.
- Query length does not tell you whether your page will be cited, recommended or clicked.
- Map the real constraints in a buying question, then answer them with evidence. Do not add words merely to reach a target length.
A full buying question can reveal needs that a broad phrase leaves out. A team choosing a CRM may need shared accounts, a link to its dispatch system and a way to move its data. Those needs should shape the page, whether the search is short or long.
The evidence supports looking beyond broad keywords. It does not support a rule that eleven words earns an AI Overview, or that a page should be created for every possible wording.
What did Peec actually measure?
Peec analyzed 500,000 prompts from April 13–20, 2026. Its dataset skewed toward business and buying questions and excluded navigational searches. The reported AI Overview appearance rate rose across the length groups below. This is an observation within that dataset, not a randomized test of adding words. See Peec's study and methodology note.
| Query length | Queries with an AI Overview |
|---|---|
| 2 words | 64.6% |
| 5 words | 78.5% |
| 6–7 words | 84.2% |
| 8–10 words | 87.7% |
| 11–15 words | 89.1% |
The reported rate for one-word queries was also high, at nearly 80%. That exception matters: the finding is not a simple mechanical rule that each extra word raises the chance. The mix of topics and intent can vary by length.
Why a second study gives much lower rates
Pew Research Center used browsing records from 900 US adults during March 2025 and collected corresponding Google results in April. It found AI summaries on 8% of one- or two-word searches and 53% of searches with at least ten words. Read Pew's original analysis.
The direction is similar, but the percentages should not be combined into a trend. The question sets, dates and length groups differ. Pew's later collection of result pages also means those pages need not exactly match what panelists saw when they searched.
| Study | Observed result | Interpretation limit |
|---|---|---|
| Peec, April 2026; 500,000 monitored business prompts | 64.6% at 2 words; 89.1% at 11–15 words. | Business-prompt selection; excludes navigation; not all Google demand. |
| Pew, March 2025 browsing panel; results collected in April | 8% at 1–2 words; 53% at 10 or more words. | US panel and historical result collection; length groups differ from Peec. |
Both studies give teams a reason to research full buyer questions. Neither proves that word count is the cause. Neither gives search volume for a question or the chance that one supplier wins the answer.
Turn constraints into a useful content brief
Consider this fictional question: “Which CRM fits a ten-person logistics team that needs shared account ownership and dispatch-system integration?” It is useful because it states the buyer's needs.
A useful brief names the buyer, the choice and the proof needed. Show how to test shared accounts. Explain which links to other tools matter, what data must move and what could change the price. A comparison table can then use the same fields for each option. Unsupported “best” claims do not become useful because the heading is a question.
Start with customer interviews, sales questions and support records. Group phrasings that require the same answer. Keep a separate page only when it resolves a distinct task with enough substance. Google's AI optimization guidance warns against scaled pages made to target every query variation primarily to manipulate search responses.
Track three separate observations for a stable question set: whether an AI Overview appears, whether the brand or page is present, and what qualified activity follows. Changing the question set can change the reported rates even when the website does not change. Preserve the exact wording, market, date and result capture.
Common questions
Should we stop targeting broad category terms?
No. A category page can orient buyers and link to detailed answers. Broad and specific questions often serve different parts of the same decision.
Does an AI Overview imply useful traffic?
No. Appearance, source inclusion, clicks and qualified inquiries are different measures. Define the business outcome separately before judging the content investment.
Semanta's buyer-question mapping connects real requirements to pages and evidence. If your keyword list has many phrases but few distinct buying decisions, bring it with recent sales questions to discuss a content plan.