AI & SEO Study 2026 · LEAP × SISTRIX

SEO visibility in
e-commerce is plummeting:
down 16.7 percent in just one year

For e-commerce managers who want to know how much AI search has already transformed SEO visibility in their industry. This is not a trend forecast, but an analysis of around 2,500 of the highest-revenue German online shops, compared directly to the first edition from 2025.

Download the study now

Sample

2,496 of the highest-revenue German online shops (DE-only, Tukey-adjusted median)

Data sources

SISTRIX Visibility Index, SimilarWeb, BuiltWith

Publication

September 1, 2026

The second edition

What has changed since 2025?

In 2025, the first edition of this study painted a picture of continuous growth: the SEO visibility of top shops increased by 2.95 percent within a year, and by 29.7 percent over three years, with organic traffic accounting for 42.5 percent. The 2026 study reveals a trend reversal: after three years of growth, median visibility fell by 16.7 percent last year, and the organic traffic share dropped to 33.3 percent. The key driver: the impact of Google AI Overviews has tripled from 4.3 to 14.2 percent of keywords, with a significantly widened gap between being affected and actually being cited as a source.

What the study shows you

01

Why the SEO visibility of top shops plummeted last year after three years of growth, and whether this decline is already visible in your own data or is still to come.

02

To what extent Google AI Overviews are already affecting industry traffic, and whether your shop appears in these answers or is being completely bypassed.

03

What share of total revenue the strongest shops actually derive from organic search traffic, so you can assess the revenue risk that declining visibility poses to your business.

04

Which A/B testing tools the most successful shops use, and how your own setup compares to the industry standard.

05

How your own industry compares to around 26 analyzed shop categories, from fashion to electronics, including two new clusters compared to 2025.
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Published by LEAP and SISTRIX

In this study, LEAP and SISTRIX combine two complementary areas of expertise: LEAP provides analytical proficiency in SEO and conversion optimization, backed by experience from over 4,000 A/B tests in German e-commerce. SISTRIX provides the data foundation—ranging from the established Visibility Index to insights on AI Overviews and AI citations. This combination of long-term search data history and a current AI perspective makes this unique analysis possible.

Get the full study now

When your industry's SEO visibility drops after three years of growth, this year will decide who falls behind and who keeps pace. For marketing and e-commerce leaders who want to base their growth planning on real industry data rather than guesswork, the full study—including all industry clusters and custom benchmarking—is available only here.

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