Are Google AI Overviews Hurting Your Click-Through-Rate?

The New Position 1

Go to the top

AI Overviews was officially launched in the US in May 2024, generating a summarized answer to a searcher’s query by citing third-party sources (such as your website). Since then, AI Overviews have become more widespread and common in search engine results pages (SERPs) – you’ll typically see AI Overviews directly below the search bar, claiming the top spot previously home to position one of the organic search results.

Nowadays, Google’s search results are cluttered, with AI Overviews, sponsored posts, People Also Ask elements, and more. For example, if I search for “best website builders”, I have to scroll past three sponsored entries, a collapsible AI Overviews answer, and a list of popular website builders suggested by Google, before I hit the top-ranking page.

Naturally, this repositioning has a direct impact on the websites trying to rank for these keywords. According to a study by Ahrefs, the presence of AI Overviews reduces the top-ranking page’s CTR by 34.5%. This then has a knock on effect, impacting traffic, clicks, and visibility for those in lower positions.

Publisher Mail Online has spoken about the dramatic decrease in clicks it has seen as a result of AI Overviews:

“On desktop, when we are ranking number one in organic search, it [clickthrough] effectively is about 13% on desktop and about 20% on mobile. When we are still ranking number one organically but there is an AI Overview present, that drops to less than 5% on desktop and 7% on mobile, so a pretty profound change in clickthrough.”

But Google doesn’t seem to mind the impact AI Overviews might have on websites contributing to the summarized result. SE Ranking analyzed AI Overview results across five US states and found that 43% of its generated answers contained between 4-6 links to Google pages instead of external sites, showing Google’s interest in keeping readers within the Google hub for longer.

And, with the rise of zero-click searches (where searches don’t result in a page click) and regular algorithm updates, businesses are struggling to secure reliable traffic through Google.

Growth of AI Overviews

Go to the top

Another study by Ahrefs analyzed 25 million AI Overview keywords over two months. The research found that following Google’s March Core Update, the number of AI Overviews increased by 116%. Google claimed the core update’s focus was to surface better, more relevant content to users, which apparently meant its own AI Overviews.

Unfortunately, the growth of AI Overviews means certain industries have been hit harder the others. Queries in the Relationships market would trigger AI Overview results roughly 60% of the time, followed by the Business industry at 57%, Education at 51%, and Food and Beverage roughly 46%.

This aligns with my previous report on the food industry being heavily impacted by Google’s volatility.

What Can Your Business Do?

Go to the top

It’s tough to know what to do when faced with relentless algorithm updates, Google citing itself in AI Overview results, and the cluttered SERPs. From the studies mentioned above, it’s clear that AI Overviews is hurting CTR, but how can your business adapt?

Here are a few things I recommend doing:

• Improve your domain authority – AI Overviews primarily references websites with an established presence and dominance in the rankings, so I recommend running a quick audit of your site to improve your DA score if necessary
• Optimize your site for keywords – Find keyword opportunities within your niche to target to ensure your pages appear under relevant search terms
• Prioritize helpful, relevant content – Write high-quality content for your readers, not for the algorithm (genuinely helpful articles and blog posts are more likely to rank well)
• Update your pages – AI Overviews doesn’t always get it right, so make sure your content is always up-to-date, accurate, and valuable
• Monitor the landscape – There’s no way to separate AI Overview clicks and impressions when reviewing your site’s analytics, so keep an eye on the SERPs so you can identify any sudden changes to your position
• Diversify your traffic sources – You shouldn’t be solely reliant on Google for traffic, so look to other channels to engage with your audience, such as social media, newsletters, and alternative search engines

Google remains the biggest source of traffic in 2025, but it’s having to compete with growing and emerging platforms, such as TikTok, OpenAI, and Perplexity. That’s why it’s important to follow the latest guidelines from Google, while also building brand awareness elsewhere. After all, you can’t predict what Google will do next.