We Run Original Research on How Search Is Changing
We're marketers who run large-scale studies, meta-analyses, and original research on organic search. Everything we find, we share with the rest of the market.
We're marketers who run large-scale studies, meta-analyses, and original research on organic search. Everything we find, we share with the rest of the market.
About Organic Labs
We're Marketers by Profession, & Researchers by Obsession
Organic Labs is an independent research publication. Our team of organic growth marketers design and run studies — sometimes across thousands of data points, sometimes deep single-case analyses — to understand how search visibility actually works today. We study traditional SEO, AI-generated answers, LLM citation behavior, and how the two worlds are converging. Then we write it all up and give it away.
Organic Labs is an independent research publication. Our team of organic growth marketers design and run studies — sometimes across thousands of data points, sometimes deep single-case analyses — to understand how search visibility actually works today. We study traditional SEO, AI-generated answers, LLM citation behavior, and how the two worlds are converging. Then we write it all up and give it away.
Research Studies
Some of Our Latest Research
From meta-analyses across dozens of existing studies to original experiments we run ourselves, here's what's come out of the lab.
From meta-analyses across dozens of existing studies to original experiments we run ourselves, here's what's come out of the lab.
3 Years of AI Overviews: How Big is the Traffic Drop (& Were Predictions Right)? A Meta-Analysis of 39 Studies
3 Years of AI Overviews: How Big is the Traffic Drop (& Were Predictions Right)? A Meta-Analysis of 39 Studies
We read 39 first-party studies on Google AI Overviews and click-through rate, from the 2024 launch to mid-2026, to work out how big the drop is and where it's going. The middle figure is about 47.5%, the steep phase looks like it ended in 2025, and pages cited inside the answer come out ahead.
We read 39 first-party studies on Google AI Overviews and click-through rate, from the 2024 launch to mid-2026, to work out how big the drop is and where it's going. The middle figure is about 47.5%, the steep phase looks like it ended in 2025, and pages cited inside the answer come out ahead.
Usman Akram
Do Google's Topical Authority Winners Also Win in AI Search? We Studied 134 Categories
Do Google's Topical Authority Winners Also Win in AI Search? We Studied 134 Categories
We studied 134 B2B software categories, identified the topical authority leader in each, and checked how those brands ranked in Google and across four AI models. Topical authority correlated with Google rankings, but not with AI search visibility. The brands that own a keyword cluster on Google are not always the ones AI recommends.
We studied 134 B2B software categories, identified the topical authority leader in each, and checked how those brands ranked in Google and across four AI models. Topical authority correlated with Google rankings, but not with AI search visibility. The brands that own a keyword cluster on Google are not always the ones AI recommends.
Usman Akram
Our Goal
These are the questions we're hell-bent on answering.
Search is no longer one channel. We study both where it's been and where it's going.
What drives AI brand visibility?
How probabilistic are LLM answers?
Is SEO still required for AI visibility?
Does overall web presence shape AI perception?
Can LLMs be reliably optimized?
When AI & Google disagree, who wins?
Who is it for?
If You Run, Lead, or Manage Organic Growth, This Research Is for You.
01
SEO managers and strategists
Trying to understand how rankings, citations, and AI answers intersect — and where optimization actually moves the needle.
02
Content and organic growth leads
Designing systems that build durable visibility across both traditional search and AI-driven discovery.
03
Marketing leaders budgeting for organic growth
Making informed investment decisions in a world where “SEO” no longer tells the full story.
04
Founders building content-driven businesses
Seeking long-term visibility strategies that compound — not tactics that expire.
Testimonials
What Contributors Are Saying About the Research
Usman and the Organic Labs team have compiled a practical meta-analysis of studies that outline several strategies and tactics your team can experiment with. They've laid out a pragmatic approach to evaluating prioritization and opportunities, supported by a diverse range of academic and commercial reports. It's a great starting point for any small business that wants to fight for their visibility in conversational search.
Garrett Sussman
Director Marketing @ iPullRank
Usman and the Organic Labs team have compiled a practical meta-analysis of studies that outline several strategies and tactics your team can experiment with. They've laid out a pragmatic approach to evaluating prioritization and opportunities, supported by a diverse range of academic and commercial reports. It's a great starting point for any small business that wants to fight for their visibility in conversational search.
Garrett Sussman
Director Marketing @ iPullRank
Usman and the Organic Labs team have compiled a practical meta-analysis of studies that outline several strategies and tactics your team can experiment with. They've laid out a pragmatic approach to evaluating prioritization and opportunities, supported by a diverse range of academic and commercial reports. It's a great starting point for any small business that wants to fight for their visibility in conversational search.
Garrett Sussman
Director Marketing @ iPullRank
Reports like this help cut through all the noise to highlight what actually matters. This takes time and hard work and is worth your attention.
Josh Blyskal
AEO Strategy & Research @ Profound
Reports like this help cut through all the noise to highlight what actually matters. This takes time and hard work and is worth your attention.
Josh Blyskal
AEO Strategy & Research @ Profound
This research helps make sense of much of the early data and patterns, providing a story and a launchpad for marketing leaders
Alex Birkett
Co-founder @ Omniscient Digital
This research helps make sense of much of the early data and patterns, providing a story and a launchpad for marketing leaders
Alex Birkett
Co-founder @ Omniscient Digital
Really solid study here. Totally agree with the takeaway - AI search is only going to get bigger, and getting visibility now is worth the effort. What I love is that the data backs up what many of us have suspected: a lot of the same white-hat SEO basics still work for AEO. Things like clear, structured content, strong brand mentions, E-E-A-T signals, and a solid entity presence aren’t just “Google” tactics - they help you show up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and the rest too.
Irina Maltseva
Organic Growth @ Aura
Really solid study here. Totally agree with the takeaway - AI search is only going to get bigger, and getting visibility now is worth the effort. What I love is that the data backs up what many of us have suspected: a lot of the same white-hat SEO basics still work for AEO. Things like clear, structured content, strong brand mentions, E-E-A-T signals, and a solid entity presence aren’t just “Google” tactics - they help you show up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and the rest too.
Irina Maltseva
Organic Growth @ Aura
Its really, really good work! it’s the building blocks to update your content for better LLM visibility.
John Henry Scherck
Founder @ Growth Plays
Its really, really good work! it’s the building blocks to update your content for better LLM visibility.
John Henry Scherck
Founder @ Growth Plays
Most AEO advice is hand-waving. Usman’s meta-analysis goes deeper — showing structured content like FAQs, schema, and bullet-point clarity has the strongest correlation with visibility in ChatGPT and Perplexity. That’s a clear compass for SaaS marketers like me: prioritize formatting and structure as the proven lever to get cited more often. Talal’s research cut through the noise and laid out a playbook I can act on.
Matteo Tittarelli
Founder @ Genesys
Most AEO advice is hand-waving. Usman’s meta-analysis goes deeper — showing structured content like FAQs, schema, and bullet-point clarity has the strongest correlation with visibility in ChatGPT and Perplexity. That’s a clear compass for SaaS marketers like me: prioritize formatting and structure as the proven lever to get cited more often. Talal’s research cut through the noise and laid out a playbook I can act on.
Matteo Tittarelli
Founder @ Genesys
It's impressive the amount of research and effort Usman and co put into this report. This is the type of report everyone in SEO should take notice of
Taylor Scher
SEO Growth Consultant
It's impressive the amount of research and effort Usman and co put into this report. This is the type of report everyone in SEO should take notice of
Taylor Scher
SEO Growth Consultant
This is a great study from Usman and his team! It mentions things I've also witnessed through personal testing and research and is backed well with actual research papers! This is a legit study which will clear things up for many who are wondering what they should focus on in the age of AI search.
Antonis Dimitriou
SEO Lead @ Minuttia
This is a great study from Usman and his team! It mentions things I've also witnessed through personal testing and research and is backed well with actual research papers! This is a legit study which will clear things up for many who are wondering what they should focus on in the age of AI search.
Antonis Dimitriou
SEO Lead @ Minuttia
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