In this study, Madeleine Lambert explores the emerging trend of AI-generated content being cited within AI-powered search overviews, such as those found in Google's SGE. She examines how frequently these overviews reference other AI-generated sources, the ratio of AI- to human-written citations, and the broader SEO implications of this self-referencing cycle. The research asks whether we’re approaching a “snake-eating-its-tail” moment that could threaten originality, trust, and long-term relevance in search.
