Website Clicks From AI Overviews at an All Time Low

Google’s AI Overviews and the newly released AI Mode have dramatically changed the search landscape this year.

Google announced its Q2 earnings this week, accompanied by an interesting note about a rise in search activity. According to Google, AI Overviews trigger over 10% more searches by users, meaning searches have increased for queries that AIOs appear for. However, it turns out that more people searching hasn’t resulted in more people clicking on links to websites.

A study by Pew Research Center tracked the browsing behavior of 900 users to view how they interact with AI Overviews. Here are the key takeaways:

• 8% of searchers will click a link if the search result features an AI summary
• 15% of searchers will click a website link if there’s no AI summary featured
• 1% of searchers will click a link within an AI summary and visit the site
• 26% of users stop their browsing session if the result has an AI summary
• AI summaries result in reduced engagement

To counter Google’s claim, the study shows users are more likely to visit a website if there’s no AI Overview present. Not only does the AI-generated result have an impact on the search experience, but this then has a knock-on effect for websites trying to rank in the SERPs.

Prime real estate is being taken up by Google’s AI Overviews, and referral traffic is decreasing as a result. In fact, multiple studies have now shown the damaging impact of AI Overviews on site traffic and click-through rates. I previously reported on a study by Ahrefs, which detailed how AI Overviews reduce CTRs, and another recent report by GrowthSRC Media found that clicks for position one results have dropped by 32% since 2024.

There have been two Google core algorithm updates in 2025 so far – in March and June. Both updates have aimed to “surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites.” However, algorithm updates can be unpredictable, and many websites (including ours!) have been strapped in for this rocky rollercoaster.

The most recent June core update ended on July 17, completing its rollout after a couple of weeks. While it’s still a little early to tell, some websites have seen ranking drops, while others have seen great increases. The only clear data we have right now is that volatility in the SERPs remains high a week after the update finished.

With this data, it’s easy to feel helpless against the whims of Google and the takeover of AI summaries in search results. But, can your website realistically stop relying on Google? Not really. Google remains the most popular search engine – others, such as OpenAI and Perplexity, are catching up, but it won’t be a quick replacement.

So, what can your business do?

• Diversify your traffic sources
• Produce content in different formats
• Optimize your content for AI
• Follow Google’s guidelines and SEO best practices
• Target conversational search
• Focus on your target audience

Ideally, AI will complement traditional search, rather than take over entirely. It’s an evolving landscape, and only time will tell. For now, the best advice I can share is make sure your business is ready to adapt and continue to produce high-quality, relatable content.