AI Overview Report for "What is a VPN?"

Comprehensive analysis of AI Overview performance, volatility, and citation patterns

Last Updated: Sep 06, 2025 at 1:11 AM

Volatility Score

5.99/10

Medium

AI Trust Score

N/A

Answer Format

Mixed

Total Citations

517

All snapshots combined

Ghost Citation Alert

This keyword has a significant number of "Ghost Citations" - sources that are cited in AI Overview but don't appear in the first 100 organic search results.

174
Lifetime Ghost Citations
Out of 517 total
33.7%
Ghost Citation Rate
Across all snapshots

What this means: These sources have strong topical authority that Google's AI recognizes, but they may not be optimizing for traditional SEO metrics. This presents both opportunities and challenges for content strategy.

Top 3 Cited Sources

The most prominently featured sources in AI Overview for this keyword

#1
cisco.com

What Is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)? - Cisco

cisco.com

42
Citations for "What is a VPN?"

Page Performance Across All Keywords ℹ️

331
Total Citations
All Keywords
#7.2
Avg Citation Rank
In AI Overview
58
Ghost Citations
All Keywords
17.5%
Ghost Rate
All Keywords
View Source
#2
fortinet.com

What is a VPN? How does a Virtual Private Network Work? - Fortinet

fortinet.com

37
Citations for "What is a VPN?"

Page Performance Across All Keywords ℹ️

590
Total Citations
All Keywords
#8.5
Avg Citation Rank
In AI Overview
104
Ghost Citations
All Keywords
17.6%
Ghost Rate
All Keywords
View Source
#2
expressvpn.com

What Is a VPN? Meaning, How It Works, VPN Types - ExpressVPN

expressvpn.com

29
Citations for "What is a VPN?"

Page Performance Across All Keywords ℹ️

244
Total Citations
All Keywords
#13.6
Avg Citation Rank
In AI Overview
144
Ghost Citations
All Keywords
59.0%
Ghost Rate
All Keywords
View Source

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