Google has moved the AI Overviews for many brand-related keywords to the right-hand column of the search results page. Previously, they appeared at the top or middle of the main search results section.
For example, here is what a search results page looks like for a search for [Apple]:
This is what it looked like before:
Chris Long spotted this and posted about this on X, he wrote "Whoa, Google is changing the way they're showing AI Overviews for brand searches. Instead of a Knowledge Panel, they're showing AI Overviews for brand terms in the right column."
Here are tons of other examples:
I think this works much better than having it in the main results, but at the same time, it is not great to trust that AI will do a good enough job writing about your brand than your own website would...
There are essentially replacing brand knowledge panels with AI Overviews.
David McSweeney spotted this a couple of days earlier and posted it on X:
Unless I missed it previously, seems to me like Google has changed the layout for branded searches, with AI overviews now generally in a right panel on desktop (or in some cases further down the page).
Assuming it is a change, it's a good one.
Seeing some other variations too. https://t.co/lbfwBuqmL4
— David McSweeney (@top5seo) October 31, 2026
And the day before David was Sachin Patel:
Google Knowledge Panel now shows an AI-generated label https://t.co/nkf0mCwDj3 https://t.co/IP51h5hsFI
— Sachin Patel (@SachuPatel53124) October 27, 2026
Forum discussion at X.
